Emile Zola   By: William Dean Howells (1837-1920)

Emile Zola, penned by esteemed American author William Dean Howells, is a compelling biography that delves into the life and literary contributions of the renowned French novelist Émile Zola. Filled with a wealth of meticulous research and an engaging narrative style, Howells has expertly captured the essence of Zola's tumultuous journey through the literary world and society of his time.

Throughout the book, What sets Howells’ biography apart is his ability to seamlessly blend historical context with the personal details of Zola's life. From Zola's humble beginnings and his unwavering determination to make a mark in the literary scene, to his involvement in the famous Dreyfus Affair, Howells presents a comprehensive understanding of the novelist's life, motivations, and writing process.

One of the most impressive aspects of this biography is the way Howells meticulously examines Zola's works, providing profound insights into their composition, themes, and impact. Through vivid descriptions and thoughtful analysis, readers gain a deeper appreciation for Zola's literary legacy, from the naturalism movement he championed, to his influential role in French literature.

While some biographies tend to romanticize their subjects, Howells maintains a balanced and honest portrayal of Zola, not shying away from his flaws and controversies. The readers are given a glimpse into Zola's personal life, his relationships, and the difficulties he faced both as an artist and as a public figure. This nuanced approach allows readers to form a more realistic and empathetic connection with the man behind the iconic novels.

To complement his exploration of Zola's life and work, Howells skillfully incorporates a vivid description of 19th-century France. The readers are transported to a world of political upheaval, social inequality, and artistic innovation, painting a comprehensive picture of the cultural and historical backdrop against which Zola lived and wrote. It is through these contextual details that the reader gains a deeper understanding of the challenges Zola faced and the impact his writing had on society.

However, one aspect that may disappoint some readers is Howells' occasionally lengthy tangents and digressions. While these diversions occasionally provide interesting historical insights, they can sometimes detract from the central narrative and disrupt the flow of the storytelling.

Overall, Emile Zola is a masterful biography that captures the essence of one of the literary giants of the 19th century. With a meticulous attention to detail, an engaging writing style, and a rich portrayal of Zola's life and works, Howells has crafted a compelling narrative that will resonate with both Zola enthusiasts and those newly introduced to his legacy.

First Page:

In these times of electrical movement, the sort of construction in the moral world for which ages were once needed, takes place almost simultaneously with the event to be adjusted in history, and as true a perspective forms itself as any in the past. A few weeks after the death of a poet of such great epical imagination, such great ethical force, as Emile Zola, we may see him as clearly and judge him as fairly as posterity alone was formerly supposed able to see and to judge the heroes that antedated it. The present is always holding in solution the elements of the future and the past, in fact; and whilst Zola still lived, in the moments of his highest activity, the love and hate, the intelligence and ignorance, of his motives and his work were as evident, and were as accurately the measure of progressive and retrogressive criticism, as they will be hereafter in any of the literary periods to come. There will never be criticism to appreciate him more justly, to depreciate him more unjustly, than that of his immediate contemporaries. There will never be a day when criticism will be of one mind about him, when he will no longer be a question, and will have become a conclusion. A conclusion is an accomplished fact, something finally ended, something dead; and the extraordinary vitality of Zola, when he was doing the things most characteristic of him, forbids the notion of this in his case... Continue reading book >>