Every so often, you come across a translated book that makes you wish that you could read the language the author intended the book to be written in. Germinal is one of those books for me. Every scene was described beautifully, and so much emotion seemed to be placed into every word, that I couldn't help but wonder how much more intense the language of the French original was.
This book is considered as one of the greatest works of French fiction, telling the story of a great miners' strike of the 1860s. It delves into the intense poverty suffered by French miners and their families when they upheld a lengthy strike to protest against the pitiful wages being offered.
Zola tells the tale of a whole myriad of sufferings the miners face, including the placement of women in the pits, landslides, the impact of injuries, illnesses that come from mine work, and how all of these worked together to make an unliveable environment for French miners.
Although it's not a book that I would say I particularly enjoyed, it's definitely one that I'm glad I've read, as it taught me so much about a time period and a group of people that I would otherwise know absolutely nothing about.
Have you read it? What other of Emile Zola's books would you recommend?
No comments:
Post a Comment