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    The Fortune of the Rougons by Émile Zola (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide
    The Fortune of the Rougons by Émile Zola (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide
    The Fortune of the Rougons by Émile Zola (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide
    Ebook39 pages20 minutes

    The Fortune of the Rougons by Émile Zola (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide

    By Bright Summaries

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    Unlock the more straightforward side of The Fortune of the Rougons with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!

    This engaging summary presents an analysis of The Fortune of the Rougons by Émile Zola, the origin story of the Rougon-Macquart family which go on to feature in many of his books. In the novel, Zola tells the story of how this dysfunctional, ambitious family came to be, with the two marriages of Adelaide Fouque. Zola charts their development throughout the historical context of the time, as the future Napoleon III prepares to take power. The Fortune of the Rougons was originally published in 1871. Although it was translated into English before the turn of the century, the first translation was not of very high quality, with the translator claiming to have changed every third sentence during editing. The author of the book, Émile Zola, was a very famous naturalist who was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1901 and 1902. He is probably best known for his celebrated article J’accuse.

    Find out everything you need to know about The Fortune of the Rougons in a fraction of the time!

    This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you:
    • A complete plot summary
    • Character studies
    • Key themes and symbols
    • Questions for further reflection

    Why choose BrightSummaries.com?
    Available in print and digital format, our publications are designed to accompany you on your reading journey. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time.

    See the very best of literature in a whole new light with BrightSummaries.com!
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrightSummaries.com
    Release dateMay 24, 2017
    ISBN9782806297693
    The Fortune of the Rougons by Émile Zola (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide

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      The Fortune of the Rougons by Émile Zola (Book Analysis) - Bright Summaries

      French writer and journalist

      Born in Paris in 1840.

      Died in Paris in 1902.

      Notable works:

      L’Assommoir (1877), novel

      The Ladies’ Paradise (1883), novel

      Germinal (1885), novel

      Émile Zola was born in 1840 and died in 1902. He is considered to be one of the greatest French novelists of the 19th century. He was also the leading figure of naturalism, a movement which sought to apply the experimental scientific methods of the time to literature: after observing reality, Zola would put forward a hypothesis and test it through experimentation in his books. This aesthetic can be seen in particular in Les Rougon-Macquart, a cycle of 20 novels which constitutes his most important work and met with major success, in spite of many criticisms.

      Zola was also famous for his social and political stances, which often gave rise to condemnation. The most infamous of these concerns the Dreyfus affair; his pamphlet J’accuse (I accuse) had a major influence on the pardoning of the Jewish officer Alfred Dreyfus (1859-1935).

      A criticism of Napoleon III’s conquest of power

      Genre: realist novel

      Reference edition: Zola, É. (2016) The Fortune of the Rougons. Trans. Vizetelly, E. A. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

      1st edition: 1871

      Themes: corruption, society, Napoleon III, power, history of France

      The Fortune of the Rougons was published in 1871 and is the first volume of Les Rougon-Macquart, a series made up of 20 books.

      The story takes

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