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teresatumminello's review against another edition
4.0
4 and 1/2 stars
I'm presently in an online group discussing this book, which is probably the reason I don't feel like writing a proper review.
This is my second Zola and I admired it as much as I did my first, [b:L'assommoir|92967|L'Assommoir (The Dram Shop) (Les Rougon-Macquart, #7)|Émile Zola|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1309282204s/92967.jpg|741363], even if I subjectively liked the latter a bit more. The structure of the novel and the way Zola handed the complexity of the issues through the eyes of his main character, Etienne (son of the main character in "L'assommoir"), is impressive.
The group scenes are tense, thrilling, feverish and psychologically astute, as is the portrayal of hardships certain individuals endure, though the handling of one incident I felt was perhaps gratuitous and then treated as a throwaway. Though the book was written in the late-19th century, its language and issues are as gritty and contemporary as they would be in a book of today.
I'm presently in an online group discussing this book, which is probably the reason I don't feel like writing a proper review.
This is my second Zola and I admired it as much as I did my first, [b:L'assommoir|92967|L'Assommoir (The Dram Shop) (Les Rougon-Macquart, #7)|Émile Zola|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1309282204s/92967.jpg|741363], even if I subjectively liked the latter a bit more. The structure of the novel and the way Zola handed the complexity of the issues through the eyes of his main character, Etienne (son of the main character in "L'assommoir"), is impressive.
The group scenes are tense, thrilling, feverish and psychologically astute, as is the portrayal of hardships certain individuals endure, though the handling of one incident I felt was perhaps gratuitous and then treated as a throwaway. Though the book was written in the late-19th century, its language and issues are as gritty and contemporary as they would be in a book of today.
nemo1301's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
goddan's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
wereonlystardust4's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
tom84629's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
marc129's review against another edition
3.0
A truly epic novel, with a beautiful evocation of the harsh side of capitalisme. In the end there were some incredible elements. Not a white-black picture, only the Gregoire family really turns out bad. Of course, Zola paints a very negative picture of blind capitalism. (2.5 stars)
livingprose's review against another edition
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
theapartmentmakemake's review against another edition
Returned to library due to deadline
uselessmathom's review against another edition
4.0
While the characters and their individual actions sometimes seemed unconvincing, acting more as types to serve Zola's quasi-scientific analysis of the world (I wanted to say "scientific by 19th century standards", but in truth, Zola had contemporaries who were far more adept at the kind of social analysis he strove for without resorting to speculative epigenetics and things like that), the book masterfully portrays social change and its impact on interpersonal relations and individuals.
Anyone who picks up this book would probably expect descriptions of near-ubiquitous squalor and horrid living and working conditions in 19th century northern France -- and those depictions are in the book, and quite vivid -- but Zola goes a step further, painting us an image of how that poverty impacts the inner lives of people, the gossip that arises in the town when a mother is forced to beg for aid from a grocer widely known in the community to be a sexual predator, the familial relationships that take first and foremost into account revenue, even before things such as tradition and religion that one might assume would take precedence, the pre-pubescent children pushed to mature far too soon, not only in terms of employment and labour, but sexual practices as well.
And yes, like I said earlier, at times I was frustrated by Zolas mock-empirical approach which, it's safe to say, did not age well, as well as some of the things he has his female characters go through (that go far beyond simply objectively depicting the pains of living in a 19th century mining town), this book is far from being outdated. A recommended read, in my opinion.
Anyone who picks up this book would probably expect descriptions of near-ubiquitous squalor and horrid living and working conditions in 19th century northern France -- and those depictions are in the book, and quite vivid -- but Zola goes a step further, painting us an image of how that poverty impacts the inner lives of people, the gossip that arises in the town when a mother is forced to beg for aid from a grocer widely known in the community to be a sexual predator, the familial relationships that take first and foremost into account revenue, even before things such as tradition and religion that one might assume would take precedence, the pre-pubescent children pushed to mature far too soon, not only in terms of employment and labour, but sexual practices as well.
And yes, like I said earlier, at times I was frustrated by Zolas mock-empirical approach which, it's safe to say, did not age well, as well as some of the things he has his female characters go through (that go far beyond simply objectively depicting the pains of living in a 19th century mining town), this book is far from being outdated. A recommended read, in my opinion.
sezzaj's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5