Customer Reviews

Nana

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Emile Zola is credited to have written the first "modern" French novels, that is to say, novels about contemporary subject matter and society, written in a natural style, which is why he is called a Naturalist writer. He was a very observant man, with an eye for detail and realistic dialogue and scenarios. He was a friend of the Impressionist artist Edgar Degas, who himself was considered to be a modern artist for his photographic style of paintings. Emile Zola's greatest novel has got to be Nana.

Far from the sugary and innocent Gigi story by Gabrielle Colette which would come later, Nana takes place as the French Second Empire comes to a close. From 1852 to 1870, France became a capitalistic Gilded Age, a time in which men and women would stop at nothing to make it into high society. The decadence of the period is captured, as well as the poverty and decaying morals. It would not be long before Emperor Louis Napoleon III lost the Franco Prussian War (1870-1871) and the empire collapsed. Nana is the daughter of a poor laundress- a washer woman from the country. She becomes a courtesan, a high class prostitute with many wealthy and powerful clients. These include financiers and even a count. Nana has an influence over all the men she becomes involved with, and they are smitten by her, offering her homes and material benefits from her ... favors. In the end, Nana becomes a symbol for the ... society of Emile Zola's time. This novel is a good read for fans of Zola's Naturalistic style and should be read prior to his "The Debacle" which deals with the Franco Prussian War.

Nana became the subject for a Manet painting. The book and the painting shocked the stuffy Salon society of Paris, especially because Nana is so blatant in her ...feminine powers over men. But the novel is excellent, a masterpiece of French literature, a critique on the ridiculous level of poverty at the time. Mothers were willing to sell their daughters into prostitution. Nana, however much a hold she has over the men, cannot get the one thing she truly wants- a place in decent French society. She was always seen as a courtesan with no real ladylike qualities. They were wrong. Nana is a great character, and Emile Zola takes us to that time with such precison and power that we are as if in a time machine transported to those French streets and to those brothel bedrooms. He writes without any hold bars. His novels should be made into films. I suggest this reading material for any fan of French writers. If you like Honore De Balzac, Gustav Flaubert and the time period of the Second French Empire, this is your book.

This novel employs a courtesan, Nana, to condamn the decadence of late 2nd Empire France (1852-1870). Arising from a family ravaged by alcoholism and abuse, the great beauty Nana becomes a celebrity in theatre and then as the mistress of the high aristocracy and bourgeous. At her core, she is a devourer, empty of anything but the will to suck whatever she can out of anyone who comes near. She ruins the fortunes of numerous men with frivolous demands for things she barely wants, and Zola in the process illuminates how they made their careers and were ruined by their appeites for this woman, who becomes an archetypal destuctive force. It is indeed a bleak and severe indictment of an entire society: you learn how celebrity worked in it, from the bottom up and back down again. Her sexuality is omnivorous, the men her willing victims for a mention in the Figaro gossip columns. (As Zola put, "les hommes suivent une chienne qui n'est pas en chaleur.")

Zola makes for fascinating reading, as does Balzac, for the wider tableau he paints. The writers are similar, except that Zola was a far more careful writer. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to find any characters you can like or admire, which makes the cynicism and condamnations overbearing and hard to get through at times. There are numerous inventions in it that became classic, like "blond venus" and "golden fly". This adds to it as a glorious classic novel.

In a wider sense, this is one of the central novels in Zola's cycle on the "natural history" of an extended family, the Rougon-Macquart. It is based on a crude kind of Darwinist sociology, a kind of reasoning that was in its infancy when he wrote and which later culminated in Freud and Durkheim. THat is another level that is quite fascinating, a philosophical cycle of novels mixing biological science and Schopenauer, all deeply pessimistic and determinist.

Recommended, but it takes perserverence and a strong stomach to finish it.

In this novel, one of Zola's five or six "great books" about life during the Second Empire of France, we see a great number of men fall under the destructive influence of Nana, a demimonde who rose to fame from the backstreets of Paris. Nana is a prostitute, performer, socialite and celebrity all in one, making for a massive force of destruction. While every bit as earthy (and then some) as "L'Assommoir," this story is not quite as grim; depending on your sense of humor, it is also funnier.

For 1880, the descriptions of Nana's numerous trysts, games and affairs are, um, rather progressive, but this is a result of Zola's "naturalist" style. He collected copious notes on real figures at the time, and stood by the accuracy of his details. Nana did actually exist as a demimonde (or maybe a few), hastening the decadence of Napoleon III's France.

The back cover misleadingly advertises this story is a "poem of male desires," when it is Nana's desires and ambitions which drive the plot and dominate the imagery. Like no other book that I've read, "Nana" reverses the gender roles of its characters; with a fair amount of cross-dressing, homosexuality, physical abuse and assorted perversions. There are some dramatic scenes of degradation of Nana's men which are either 1.) some measure of revenge on men (Nana's mother experienced a lot of abuse in "L'Assommoir"), 2.) revenge on the wealthy, or 3.) expressions of boredom. Fans of "Fear Factor" might appreciate.

Zola's themes have a lot of parallels today: decadence, fear of aging, and destructive affairs (look at what a divorce proceeding did to General Electric's share price). I had no problem with the translation by Mr. Holden, and the story is certainly not boring. "Nana" is probably not for anyone, certainly not for younger readers, but it deserves its reputation as a great book.

In "Nana", Nana's lovers were:

1. A respectable count
2. His elderly father-in-law
3. A Jewish banker from Frankfurt
4. An actor from "la Variete" theater
5. A count (different from the afore-mentioned) who earns/squanders his fortune on horse races
6. Two brothers (one serves in the army, the other is just a teenage libertine)
7. A provincial cousin of the undermentioned "Figaro" columnist
8. A member of the British royalty
9. Another courtesan

It is described how most of them end up in the last paragraph of chapter XIII.

Other important participants of this love polygon were:

11. A cynical "Figaro" journal columnist
12. A pimp who employs his own wife as a prostitute
13. Numerous women who earn their living the same way Nana does

The novel is very loosely tied with the Rougon-Macquart family tree. We only know (from chapter II) that both of Nana's parents are already dead and all throughout the novel Nana does not get in any contact with her three half-brothers. Only in chapter X, when Nana entertains her guests, she talks a little about her background. However, to find out where Nana came from, one must read "L'Assommoir/the Drum Shop".

Some think that the novel is exaggerated almost to the point of grotesque. But the truth is that it is not; it gives an honest portrayal of the French society late under Napoleon III. "Nana" (especially chapter XIV) serves as a great prelude to the novel "la Debacle/the Downfall", though the two are completely different from one another in theme and the former was published in 1880 and is #9 in the R.-M. cycle, whereas the latter was published in 1892 and is #19 in the R.-M. cycle.

Nana chronicles the rise of the title character from lowly street girl to a queen of the whores in Second Empire Paris. Part of the fun of reading this book is to imagine how shocked the audience of Zola's time must have been when they first read this novel. Nana makes Madame Bovary look like Mother Teresa. A series of men from various levels of social status become involved with Nana, and the only way to satisfy their lustful obsession with her is to rid themselves of every drop of money and every shred of dignity. At one point Zola says it were as if the entire economy of France had passed between her legs. The book offers serious commentary on the decadence and decay of Parisian society in the late nineteenth century. At the same time, it's a wonderful piece of pulp fiction. The events and characters are exaggerated in some parts to comedic effect, but under the satire lies a strong indictment of loose mores and shallow pleasures. Nana is a symbol of the political, cultural, and moral degradation of France. (Her contemporary American cultural equivalent might be . . . Paris Hilton, for example.) As a literary character, Nana has the paradoxical effect of being likeable even while we despise everything she stands for. This book is the ninth volume in the Rougon-Macquart series (Nana is the daughter of Gervaise Macquart of the book L'Assomoir), but it stands alone as a work of literature. Previous knowledge of Zola or his works is not necessary to enjoy this novel. This book is a worthwhile read for anyone who appreciates great literature.

This was my first Zola novel, and I'm glad I started here. Considering that Zola is the French writer famous for advocating a new literary style - which he called naturalism - to address heavy issues such as war ("the Debacle"), labor strife ("Germinal"), murder ("the Beast Within"), I was surprised at the light comic touch in much of "Nana." In the guise of a bedroom farce, this book is a critique of the hedonistic world of late 1860s Paris. At the start of the story, the voluptuous and audacious Nana creates a stir in her theatrical debut as Blond Venus, but it is in her real-life role as Paris' most sought after "high-class tart" that she achieves her greatest fame. A cross-section of male society (everyone from a love-sick teenager to an aged marquis), falls for Nana, and her admirers even bump into each other at the doorway of her boudoir as her busy schedule sometimes creates awkward conflicts. "The bedroom was being made into a public right of way," Zola tells us. Nana's antics often had me chuckling in disbelief at her chutzpah and ruthlessness as she discarded one beau after another (after spending all of their money): "A ruined man dropped through her fingers like a ripe fruit, to rot quietly on the ground, by himself."

But there is a lot more going on than Nana's prurient misadventures. Zola's goal was to create an accurate and comprehensive picture of people and society in "Nana" and in the 19 other novels that comprised his Rougon-Macquart cycle. In doing so, he picked up the torch from his literary forefather Honore de Balzac, who penned a similarly ambitious series he dubbed The Human Comedy more than 30 years earlier. Benefiting from Balzac's model and the advantage of writing at a later period, Zola was able to portray French society with unprecedented frankness and gritty attention to detail. Zola tells the story of Nana through a series of set pieces, each one representing a new phase of her "career." Zola introduces us to the theatre scene of Paris (Nana's actor cohorts are a riot); gatherings of high society in Paris' most upscale salons; a rowdy dinner party hosted by Nana; a high-stakes horse race (in which a horse named in Nana's honor is part of the lineup); we are even shown what may literature's first lesbian pick up bar/restaurant, where Nana meets a prostitute who becomes her only true love.

"Nana," published in 1880, is the ninth book in the Rougon-Macquart series. I enjoyed it so much that I purchased the novels that immediately preceded and followed it, "L'Assommoir" (about Nana's parents) and "Pot-Bouille" (about adultery and other goings on in an apartment building). Zola never bogs down the narrative with excessive background. In fact, all we need to know about Nana's family history is explained to us when she discovers a newspaper article written by a journalist acquaintance. Tellingly enough, Nana doesn't bother to read the snarky article (which informs us that her mother was a laundress and her father a drunk) but assumes it's favorable because of its impressive length.

In his preface to "L'Assommoir" Zola described that story as "morality in action," which pretty much sums up this novel as well. The conclusion is epic in scope, and it absolutely floored me. The great Gustave Flaubert was positively giddy with admiration for "Nana," particularly the ending: "Chapter 14, unsurpassable!... Yes!... Christ Almighty!... Incomparable!... Straight out of Babylon!"

You shouldn't need any higher recommendation to read "Nana" than that!

The book is wonderful, of course. I found the "Britishism" in the translations to be a distraction: "bloody" this, "Old Chap, " Upon my word, old chap, etc."
That said, as I read more English translations from French, and Russian, (and other reviews of French to English novels) this seems to be a generic problem. I forget now which translation contained the "Blimey!" I don't know the solution, but it makes me wish again that I had learned French.
I would say, if you can find another translation of this fine novel, do so.

Well, if there's one thing to be said about "Nana", it's that the book will sure keep you on your toes. With a large and shifting cast of characters (all of whom seem to revolve around, of course, Nana), Zola wrote the first of his novels that I did not immediately love, but a remarkable, disturbing and bizarre book.

For those coming from "L'Assommoir", it's easy to remember Nana as the girl who starts out adorable and quickly disappears from her parents' lives. For those who haven't read "L'Assommoir" yet, do so now. It's a great book. As for "Nana", it continues with Zola's incredibly detailed style. This writing, which suited me fine in "L'Assommoir" and in "Germinal" (excellent) suddenly seems to drag a little. "Nana" is wickedly brilliant in all the dialogues and the relationships between people. In between, however, the story slows down, at times almost bogging down.

"Nana" presents the highly hypocritical and strange world of the wealthy Parisians at the time of the World Fair. Full of whoring and sex (all of which is, of course, never explicitly described, leaving this book technically "clean", if you don't mind hearing about cross-dressing orgies), "Nana" seems to mock the culture that at once harbors such behavior and simultaneously criticizes it. The reader almost feels sympathy for a struggling Nana, as she wreaks havoc around her. There lies the great genius of Zola's writing - even as the book stumbles, it manages to keep the reader hooked to Nana's story and wondering what strange scene will come next.

"Nana" is a clever, interesting book. Offering a view of Parisian theatrics and "wealthy" life, it also presents hypocrisy, debauchery and female strength - Nana repeatedly proves to the men around her that she does not need them, that she can rely and survive by herself. It's an important addition to the Rougon-Macquart cycle, telling one more French tale. It's a special, fascinating, enrapturing book. Still, it does not manage to cast the same spell as "Germinal" and "L'Assommoir". While I recommend this wholeheartedly, I suggest readers start with those two great books first. Regardless, "Nana" is a unique and surprising book about whoring in Paris - 4.5.

Recommended.

Zola is perhaps the best pure writer I've ever read. By this I mean the beauty and flow of his writing independent of all other considerations is unmatched. And this is in translation; he can only be better in the original French. Stunning.

Through the rise and fall of Nana's life Zola offers a beautifully drawn look at the upper and lower classes of Parisian society in the 1870s(?).

I've read 6 or so Zola novels, and this is my favorite so far.

Nana is a "realistic" Novel, a "must" for the studious of the late XIX Century France. The novel involves the behavior of the affluent and aristocratic of Paris in times when France was the center of the adult entertainment of the world.
Human relations are described with the usual painful detail of Zola. It is a beautiful novel, delicate but undoubtedly cruel and realistic.