The Fortune of the Rougons (Rougon-Macquart) [Paperback]

Emile Zola (Author), Uday K. Dhar (Author), Vizetelly Alfred Ernest (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 11, 2004

The idyll of Miette and Silvère is a very touching one, and quite in accord with the conditions of life prevailing in Provence at the period Emile Zola selects for his narrative. Miette is a frank child of nature; Silvère, her lover, in certain respects foreshadows, a quarter of a century in advance, the Abbé Pierre Fromont of "Lourdes," "Rome," and "Paris." "The Fortune of the Rougons" is the initial volume of the Rougon-Macquart series. Though it was by no means M. Zola's first essay in fiction, it was undoubtedly his first great bid for genuine literary fame, and the foundation of what must necessarily be regarded as his life-work. The idea of writing the "natural and social history of a family under the Second Empire," extending to a score of volumes, was doubtless suggested to M. Zola by Balzac's immortal "Comédie Humaine." He was twenty-eight years of age when this idea first occurred to him; he was fifty-three when he at last sent the manuscript of his concluding volume, "Dr. Pascal," to the press. He had spent five-and-twenty years in working out his scheme, persevering with it doggedly and stubbornly, whatever rebuffs he might encounter, whatever jeers and whatever insults might be directed against him by the ignorant, the prejudiced, and the hypocritical. Truth was on the march and nothing could stay it; even as, at the present hour, its march, if slow, none the less continues athwart another and a different crisis of the illustrious novelist's career.

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Mondial (November 11, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595690107
• ISBN-13: 978-1595690104
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,004,981 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rougon-Macquart: Read 'em in the Right Order!, August 3, 2009

By 

Liam Wilshire (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fortune of the Rougons (Rougon-Macquart) (Paperback)

Over and over, I keep seeing reviews of these novels that misidentify the order in which they're meant to be read. (For example, "HIS EXCELLENCY, the sixth novel of the series . . . .")

In his introduction to the 20th and final novel (DOCTOR PASCAL), Zola specified the order he intended the series to be read, and it differs greatly from the order in which the books were written. So, now that you're on the first of twenty, make a note of the LOGICAL order of the books, and you will enjoy them much more:

1)La Fortune des Rougon (tr. THE FORTUNE OF THE ROUGONS); 2) Son Excellence Eugene Rougon (tr. HIS EXCELLENCY or CLORINDA); 3) La Curée (tr. THE KILL); 4) L'Argent (tr. MONEY); 5) La Rève (tr. THE DREAM); 6) La Conquête de Plassans (tr. THE CONQUEST OF PLASSANS or A PRIEST IN THE HOUSE); 7) Pot-Bouille (tr. POT LUCK, PIPING HOT!, RESTLESS HOUSE or LESSON IN LOVE); 8) Au Bonheur des Dames (tr. THE LADIES' PARADISE or THE LADIES' DELIGHT); 9) La Faute de l'Abbé Mouret (tr. ABBE MOURET'S TRANSGRESSION); 10) Une Page d'amour (tr. A LOVE EPISODE); 11) Le Ventre de Paris (tr. THE BELLY OF PARIS or THE FAT AND THE THIN); 12) La Joie de vivre (tr. THE JOY OF LIFE, HOW JOLLY LIFE IS! or ZEST FOR LIFE); 13) L'Assommoir; 14) L'Oeuvre (tr. THE MASTERPIECE or HIS MASTERPIECE); 15) La Bête Humaine (tr. THE BEAST WITHIN or THE HUMAN BEAST); 16) Germinal; 17) Nana; 18) La Terre (tr. THE EARTH or THE SOIL); 19) La Débâcle (tr. THE DOWNFALL); and, 20) Le Docteur Pascal (tr. DOCTOR PASCAL).

Beginning with LA FORTUNE, the books proceed more-or-less according to the family tree, from the Rougons to the Macquarts, and chronologically across the generations. Following LA FORTUNE, SON EXCELLENCE is about the Second Empire's tendency toward totalitarianism, as embodied in Eugene, the eldest son of Pierre Rougon. It makes sense to read it immediately following LA FORTUNE. If you read it as the sixth book, you will have first read about the second son's exploitative and decadent Parisian life. You will have also read a book that summarizes the entire first half of the series in its theme of haves and have-nots, and two books about the struggles between secularism and clergy in a provincial town, shown from different sides of the issue. Likewise, NANA will contain much that will elude you if you read it in the ninth position instead of the seventeenth, where it belongs.

This series of novels is a very rewarding reading experience, the type of endeavor like reading Proust that will stay with you your entire life. Eleven of these are in the public domain, available for download for whatever e-book reader you might have. (Google "free kindle books" and you'll find a wealth of free literature.) Those that aren't available in the Mondial editions are available in the Oxford World's Classics series.

And in case you were wondering, if this were a single novel, it would be 6,680 pages long. C'est pas possible!

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well worth reading, April 29, 2005

By 

Karl Janssen (Olathe, KS United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Fortune of the Rougons (Paperback)

This book is the first novel in Zola's twenty-novel masterpiece, the Rougon-Macquart cycle. Like all the books in the series, this one stands alone as a self-contained novel. It will be especially enjoyable, however, to those who have read some of the other books in this series, as many of the characters introduced in this book go on to "star" in their own novels. The story takes place in the fictional town of Plassans, based on Zola's hometown of Aix-en-Provence. Zola begins the book by sketching the layout of the town, and its history, and then goes on to outline the first three generations of the Rougon-Macquart family tree. Because of the many characters introduced in this novel, there is no one main protagonist, but rather a series of intertwining story lines. These story lines range in tone from a biting cynical realism to an almost Victor Hugo-esque romanticism. The book takes place at the time of the coup d'etat in Paris which began the Second Empire under Napoleon III. At that time, various factions were competing for the throne of France--the Royalists, the Republicans, the Bonapartists. The citizens of Plassans, who only receive news from Paris through second-hand rumors, are choosing which side they are on as they await the outcome of the political upheaval in the capital. Their choices are based not so much on their political convictions, but rather on who they think will end up victorious. Everyone wants to be on the winning side of the battle so they can reap the political, financial, and social rewards once the smoke clears. What results is an in-depth study of the motivations of several fascinating characters, and a powerful meditation on ambition. How far is one willing to go to secure greater wealth and status for himself and his family? Is there a place for selfless conviction or heroism in a society based on such selfish concerns? Zola tackles these serious issues, while managing to inject a bit of humor into the proceedings as well. Fans of Zola's better-known works will certainly enjoy this novel, but it can also be read and appreciated by those who are not familiar with Zola's work at all. It is a shame that it has been out of print for so long; fortunately it is available in ebook format, free on several web sites.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A literary-minded soap opera, May 15, 2005

By 

The Pete (Illinois) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Fortune of the Rougons, The (Hardcover)

There's something of the soap opera in this first novel from Zola's Rougon-Macquart cycle. The vast panorama of the Rougon-Macquart family and their illegitimate children parallels Guiding Light or Dynasty. However, what makes this novel art as opposed to vapid entertainment is the theme of heredity and - more importantly - his social criticism.

Almost the entire family is corrupted by the desire for wealth without the need for talent or ability. Interestingly, the novel is suggestive that this family springs from a line plagued by insanity. Seems there's a comment there!

The only two heroic characters are Marie and Silvere. Their romance and sacrafice are especially poignant in the face of the people who actually come out on top. Tracing the rise of the Rougons, it is apparent Zola wishes to illustrate that ideals are wonderful but ultimately it's connections and timing that propel you to the top. This single point defines the difference between Zola and his opposites, the Romanticist writers who were grand believers in moral integrity and individuality.

The all consuming urge to attain position without effort corrupts these characters into amoralists who pick sides in the turbulent political times, not based on ideals or convictions, but on how they can best capitalize and profit. What is especially sad is that none of these characters have any especial plans for utilizing their prosperity. They simply want it so they can sit and do nothing. They are as intellectually empty and they are morally bankrupt.

This is an excellent translation and the text is very easy to read (which is a compliment both to Zola and the translator). The tapestry woven by Zola is fascinating, even as you shake your head at the depravity of most of the characters. My only criticism of Zola in this book is that he relies too heavily on exposition as opposed to characterization. However, he's covering a lot of ground here and the scope of the family he outlines is pretty vast for such a relatively short book.

Bottom line, I enjoyed reading it. For people who enjoy literature, this is a thinking man's tawdry soap opera.