An Intimate Look at the Author: Emile Zola
Renowned as the self-professed leader of the literary school of French realism, Emile Zola earns his place as a distinguished novelist, dramatist, and diarist. His writing style, influenced by the positivism of Auguste Comte, the biological insights from renowned physiologist Claude Bernard, and the historiography of Hippolyte Taine, solidified his commitment towards creating realistic narratives. Zola’s pivotal work, The Experimental Novel, stands as an eloquent testament to his literary style and is widely regarded as a significant asset to the realism genre. Spanning concepts of heredity, social Manicheanism, and idealistic socialism, Zola’s writing continues to inspire and provoke thoughts.
The Journey of Zola’s Literary Career
Zola’s literary journey took flight in the sales department of the reputable publisher Hachette. However, his determination and talent for writing soon saw him penning works for them. Unexpectedly, his early work, a gripping autobiographical novel titled La Confession de Claude, gained undue attention of the police, promptly resulting in him parting ways with Hachette. Nevertheless, this setback did not deter Zola. He penned the novel Thérèse Raquin, an effort that marked the commencement of his fame.
Zola’s Unique Writing Style and His Prolific Works
Succeeding the release of Thérèse Raquin, Zola embarked on the ambitious series titled Les Rougon-Macquart, which was destined to become the crown jewel of his literary treasury and consume more than half his literary output.
Books in Order: A Glance at the Les Rougon-Macquart Series
Emphasizing on presenting books in order, the Les Rougon-Macquart series offers readers a spiralling journey through various sequences of events and characters in France’s Second Empire. Detailing the life and societal conditions of two divergent yet interconnected families over this period, this remarkable series delivers a scintillating ‘natural and social history of a family’.
Publication Order of Four Social Romances Books
| Fruitfulness | (1899) |    |
| Work | (1901) | |
| Truth | (1903) | |