Doctor Pascal is the final volume in Zola's monumental Rougon-Macquart series of novels. It is, in Zola's own words, both a summary and a conclusion of all his work.Shortly after the fall of the Second Empire in the town of Plassans in torrid, stormy Provence, Dr Pascal Rougon is nearing retirement from his general practice, but is still deeply interested in ground-breaking research in the new science of heredity, in which he is a prominent authority. He wants to know what causes the creation of such widely varying types of people from the same parents and family lines. What better source of…mehr
Doctor Pascal is the final volume in Zola's monumental Rougon-Macquart series of novels. It is, in Zola's own words, both a summary and a conclusion of all his work.Shortly after the fall of the Second Empire in the town of Plassans in torrid, stormy Provence, Dr Pascal Rougon is nearing retirement from his general practice, but is still deeply interested in ground-breaking research in the new science of heredity, in which he is a prominent authority. He wants to know what causes the creation of such widely varying types of people from the same parents and family lines. What better source of research material than his own extended family, the Rougons and Macquarts, whose tales are told in the previous volumes of the series? Yet, even though he is nearly sixty, he finds his passions awakening and, after a life spent alone with only his servant and young niece for company, he now yearns to know a woman's love.On both counts, he must deal with his mother, the formidable Felicité Rougon, who is determined that the family name will not be besmirched either by Pascal's revelations of its secrets in the cause of science, or his growing passion for life and all its joys.A tale of love, faith and betrayal, of passions as stormy as the mistral, plays itself out under the sweltering sun of the French Midi. Doctor Pascal is a fittingly dramatic denouement to the sprawling story of the Rougon-Macquart.
Emile Zola, the towering figure of nineteenth-century French literature, was born in Paris in 1840. Zola was known for his naturalistic approach and sharp social commentary, and his writings frequently probed the complexity of human nature as well as the impact of society pressures on individual lives. His opus, "The Fat and the Thin" (also known as "Le Ventre de Paris"), demonstrates his literary prowess and long-lasting legacy. Published in 1873, "The Fat and the Thin" is a caustic satire of bourgeois society set against the backdrop of Parisian markets and neighborhoods. Zola's vivid characterization and thorough attention to detail create a vision of a society plagued by greed, duplicity, and moral degradation. Florent meets a range of characters representing various social groups as he navigates Paris's crowded streets, each battling with their own goals and ambitions. Through Florent's eyes, Zola reveals the harsh truths of poverty, inequality, and injustice, while also portraying moments of compassion and resilience. "The Fat and the Thin" is a forceful condemnation of the social inequities of the day, providing readers with a piercing analysis of the moral decay at the heart of bourgeois society. Emile Zola's seminal work continues to captivate readers today, asking them to examine the complexity of their own cultural structures and moral compass.
Inhaltsangabe
Introduction Translator's Note Select Bibliography A Chronology of Émile Zola Family Tree of the Rougon-Macquart Doctor Pascal Explanatory Notes
