Émile Zola
French novelist and leading figure of naturalism who applied scientific principles to fiction in his monumental Rougon-Macquart cycle. His unflinching portrayal of poverty, sexuality, and social determinism scandalized and transformed French literature.
Works
- GerminalNovel depicting coal miners' strike and class struggle in industrial France
- NanaNovel portraying courtesan's life, corruption, and destructive impact on society
- L'AssommoirNovel exploring working-class desperation, alcoholism, and moral decay in Paris
- The Beast in ManNovel depicting railway worker's murderous obsession and violent impulses unleashed
- The Ladies' ParadiseNovel about grand department store reflecting modernity, ambition, and commercial society