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thornback_heich's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
La Terre is a captivating and terrifying novel of Emile Zola's, the true essence of naturalism. The atrocities of humans are cruelly depicted in this intricately crafted story and everything feels as if the incident has taken place somewhere in reality. Zola's writing, modest yet infinitely descriptive, launch numerous political debates and critics of peasant life. La Terre raises the ultimate question of how far humans can go to achieve wealth.
blueyorkie's review against another edition
5.0
Another uppercut in the total groin: Zola is in great shape. I believe a true masterpiece: The Earth, at least the one that speaks to me the most among Rougon-Macquart!
As always, old Émile has well documented, and one has almost the impression of feeling the land of Beauce under our nose. Here is an excellent tonic and documentary novel, as was the author's intention in writing the cycle of Rougon-Macquart. This tome is one of the four or five best in the sequence, if not a little better, which is saying a lot. Here, Jean Macquart (Gervaise's brother in the Assommoir), hired by the big operator of the area and mayor of the village, Hourdequin, is desperately trying to introduce new farming techniques and faces his refractory workforce.
The Fouan family is the other big pole of the book. It is reminiscent of the original Rougon-Macquart family (see La Fortune des Rougon ) with its many flaws and vices. First is the heritage of old Fouan, where we do not know who is the most stingy and the readiest to bleed his family, between the father and the children. His young son, Buteau, is a paragon of avarice, greed, brutality and harshness (well, it's true, do not look too nuanced here at Zola).
Despite Zola's resolutely polemic turn to his rural fresco, I found all the flaws and the mentality of the peasant world I encountered in my travels on literature in the early twentieth century. Of course, no baseness of this world will be spared but is it not a vision, certainly disillusioned. Indeed a slight caricature, magnified or condensed but primarily suitable, relevant, of the human in the broad sense?
Emile Zola shows us our species stripped of its frail shell of "good manners", this varnish of civilisation; it shows us rough, rough, gruff, but without fuss, a little as if you had direct access to what think those who made us smile on the surface. So I leave you to read and dig up rotten bulbs of which we are a bit prepared.
I award a Special Mention for the character of "the great", old Fouan's sister, a real old wicked woman who takes pleasure in sowing discord. (the role of "the old woman harmful" is a classic Zola and returns in many of his novels, would he have accounts to settle on that side?) and discord within his family while being as loving as an extensive dry stone.
I give another Special Mention to the "Jesus Christ" character, the eldest son of the old Fouan, a chronic alcoholic who is determined never to work, an exceptional pyromaniac who offers the author the opportunity to sign a hilarious chapter (part four, chapter 3).
As always, old Émile has well documented, and one has almost the impression of feeling the land of Beauce under our nose. Here is an excellent tonic and documentary novel, as was the author's intention in writing the cycle of Rougon-Macquart. This tome is one of the four or five best in the sequence, if not a little better, which is saying a lot. Here, Jean Macquart (Gervaise's brother in the Assommoir), hired by the big operator of the area and mayor of the village, Hourdequin, is desperately trying to introduce new farming techniques and faces his refractory workforce.
The Fouan family is the other big pole of the book. It is reminiscent of the original Rougon-Macquart family (see La Fortune des Rougon ) with its many flaws and vices. First is the heritage of old Fouan, where we do not know who is the most stingy and the readiest to bleed his family, between the father and the children. His young son, Buteau, is a paragon of avarice, greed, brutality and harshness (well, it's true, do not look too nuanced here at Zola).
Despite Zola's resolutely polemic turn to his rural fresco, I found all the flaws and the mentality of the peasant world I encountered in my travels on literature in the early twentieth century. Of course, no baseness of this world will be spared but is it not a vision, certainly disillusioned. Indeed a slight caricature, magnified or condensed but primarily suitable, relevant, of the human in the broad sense?
Emile Zola shows us our species stripped of its frail shell of "good manners", this varnish of civilisation; it shows us rough, rough, gruff, but without fuss, a little as if you had direct access to what think those who made us smile on the surface. So I leave you to read and dig up rotten bulbs of which we are a bit prepared.
I award a Special Mention for the character of "the great", old Fouan's sister, a real old wicked woman who takes pleasure in sowing discord. (the role of "the old woman harmful" is a classic Zola and returns in many of his novels, would he have accounts to settle on that side?) and discord within his family while being as loving as an extensive dry stone.
I give another Special Mention to the "Jesus Christ" character, the eldest son of the old Fouan, a chronic alcoholic who is determined never to work, an exceptional pyromaniac who offers the author the opportunity to sign a hilarious chapter (part four, chapter 3).
sjlee's review
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I was recommended Earth because I was looking for a book about rural life. There is no doubt that Earth paints a highly unromanticized portrait of life in France's countryside in the middle of the 19th century. The story centres around a village and the Beauce, and one particular family who calls it home.
The family, to put it charitably, is composed of deeply flawed individuals. Their cruelty, selfishness, malice, and pettiness defines the story and drives the conflict at its heart. However, it is clear that these are desperate individuals and their actions are reflective of those pushed to the edge, in part, by circumstance.
The story is filled with casual violence and abuse, and readers should be aware of that. The circumstances range from implied comedic to horrendous. There are also scenes of rape and sexual assault that may be disturbing to readers.
I suppose Zola ultimately created a representation of the dark side of provincial life. The people are provincial, clannish, and stubborn for the most part and well-meaning outsiders are rejected for nearly not coming from the soil of the Beauce. The story isn't pure misery though, there are comedic scenes and lines, as well as certain levity from the hard life of the farmers and townspeople.
Still, it is a challenging read. I felt like I took something valuable away from the novel, but it did leave me feeling quite downtrodden at the conclusion.
The family, to put it charitably, is composed of deeply flawed individuals. Their cruelty, selfishness, malice, and pettiness defines the story and drives the conflict at its heart. However, it is clear that these are desperate individuals and their actions are reflective of those pushed to the edge, in part, by circumstance.
The story is filled with casual violence and abuse, and readers should be aware of that. The circumstances range from implied comedic to horrendous. There are also scenes of rape and sexual assault that may be disturbing to readers.
I suppose Zola ultimately created a representation of the dark side of provincial life. The people are provincial, clannish, and stubborn for the most part and well-meaning outsiders are rejected for nearly not coming from the soil of the Beauce. The story isn't pure misery though, there are comedic scenes and lines, as well as certain levity from the hard life of the farmers and townspeople.
Still, it is a challenging read. I felt like I took something valuable away from the novel, but it did leave me feeling quite downtrodden at the conclusion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, and Violence
eonched's review against another edition
5.0
4,5
Un romanzo brutale e insipido, fenomenale la capacità di zola di creare un'atmosfera apparentemente tranquilla e pacata per poi immediatamente rovesciarla in un crescente vortice di disperazione e follia.
"Ma chissà: come occorrono il gelo che brucia le piante, la grandine che le trincia, la folgore che le stronca, forse occorrono sangue e lacrime perché il mondo cammini. Che peso possono avere le nostre sciagure, nel gran meccanismo delle stelle e del sole? Se ne infischia di noi, il buon Dio! Strappiamo il pane in una terribile lotta quotidiana. Eterna resta soltanto la terra, la madre da cui usciamo e in cui rientriamo, che amiamo sino al crimine, che rinnova continuamente la vita per un suo scopo misterioso, servendosi anche delle nostre vergogne e miserie."
Un romanzo brutale e insipido, fenomenale la capacità di zola di creare un'atmosfera apparentemente tranquilla e pacata per poi immediatamente rovesciarla in un crescente vortice di disperazione e follia.
"Ma chissà: come occorrono il gelo che brucia le piante, la grandine che le trincia, la folgore che le stronca, forse occorrono sangue e lacrime perché il mondo cammini. Che peso possono avere le nostre sciagure, nel gran meccanismo delle stelle e del sole? Se ne infischia di noi, il buon Dio! Strappiamo il pane in una terribile lotta quotidiana. Eterna resta soltanto la terra, la madre da cui usciamo e in cui rientriamo, che amiamo sino al crimine, che rinnova continuamente la vita per un suo scopo misterioso, servendosi anche delle nostre vergogne e miserie."
deslauriers's review against another edition
dark
funny
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, and Murder
Moderate: Incest and Ableism
hiba59's review against another edition
5.0
Une fin heureuse? Bofff, c'est pour les cœurs faibles ça. Ici il n'y a que la misère, et tout va de mal en pis. Mais pourquoi? Parce que la joie fait lasser notre Emile, il s'amuse plutôt à nous acharner avec un récit qui nous laissera bouche béante tellement c'est horrible.
C'est effectivement un récit où la terre est la principale occupation, tout tourne autours de la terre, de ce qu'elle prend et ce qu'elle donne. Elle prend les hommes et ne les redonnent plus, elle les rend foux d'amour pour elle pour les enterrer à la fin au fond d'elle, jalouse de partager ce qui lui appartient.
Ce récit était terrible, extravagent, extrème, mais tout de même fascinant, comme la terre, ça te prend dedans et t'offre le tour de la Beauce, des champs et des maisons qui puent la sueur d'un jour plein de besogne, des maisons qui dégagent une odeur d'un désir très fort que rien ne peut arrêter, que nulle raison ne peut refréner. Ces maisons où des choses horribles ont arrivé, des choses enterrés entre famille parce que les étrangers n'ont rien à foutre là-dedans.
Je ne sais vraiment pas si la vie paysanne était comme l'a décrit Zola, mais je sais pour sûr qu'il a fait un joli travail, comme toujours.
Il nous décrit la Beauce, ses maisons, ses habitants, leurs habitudes et leurs vies au jour le jour aussi minutieusement qu'on a l'air d'être là à travailler dans les champs, à goûter les pluies qui tombent et réjouissent les paysans, à s'allonger au milieu du blé d'une après-midi de moisson si chaude qu'on cherche un abri du soleil qui semble peser sur le dos courbé des travailleurs.
C'est effectivement un récit où la terre est la principale occupation, tout tourne autours de la terre, de ce qu'elle prend et ce qu'elle donne. Elle prend les hommes et ne les redonnent plus, elle les rend foux d'amour pour elle pour les enterrer à la fin au fond d'elle, jalouse de partager ce qui lui appartient.
Ce récit était terrible, extravagent, extrème, mais tout de même fascinant, comme la terre, ça te prend dedans et t'offre le tour de la Beauce, des champs et des maisons qui puent la sueur d'un jour plein de besogne, des maisons qui dégagent une odeur d'un désir très fort que rien ne peut arrêter, que nulle raison ne peut refréner. Ces maisons où des choses horribles ont arrivé, des choses enterrés entre famille parce que les étrangers n'ont rien à foutre là-dedans.
Je ne sais vraiment pas si la vie paysanne était comme l'a décrit Zola, mais je sais pour sûr qu'il a fait un joli travail, comme toujours.
Il nous décrit la Beauce, ses maisons, ses habitants, leurs habitudes et leurs vies au jour le jour aussi minutieusement qu'on a l'air d'être là à travailler dans les champs, à goûter les pluies qui tombent et réjouissent les paysans, à s'allonger au milieu du blé d'une après-midi de moisson si chaude qu'on cherche un abri du soleil qui semble peser sur le dos courbé des travailleurs.
kikuhiko's review against another edition
3.0
Des morts, des semences, et le pain poussait de la terre.Je dois dire que c'est le livre de Zola auquel j'ai le moins accroché pour le moment. Jean et Françoise, les personnages principaux, ne m'ont pas passionnés comme Gervaise a pu le faire au travers de sa misères et de sa déchéance toutes aussi accablantes. Je n'ai pas su me plonger dans le récit de l'histoire de la terre, hautement comparée à la femme, la nourrice, la source de vie et de survie.
Une petite déception qui me fait rester sur ma faim. Je n'attendais pas une fin heureuse, avec Zola ce serait bien naïf, mais j'ai tout de même une sensation d'inachevé, un manque. J'aurais aimé une fin contée différemment peut-être.
pussreboots's review against another edition
4.0
I started reading Émile Zola's naturalist novels back in 7th grade. Germinal was on the list of books we were to read for independent study (as part of the English seminar class). I devoured the book in one night (one of those rare times where I will stay up to read a book to completion). That year I read every single book my local library had of Zola's.
It's now been about 20 years but I still remember those books with fondness. When a BookCrossing friend of mine offered up The Earth as a book ring, I jumped at the chance to read another novel by Zola. Had grown up commitments (like work, chores and my children) gotten in the way, I could have easily finished this book in one day. Not because it's short (it's 500 pages) but because Zola had such a way with words.
As the title implies, Earth is a story of the land more so that it is about any one person. While families come and go and land is passed from generation to generation (divided up, bought, sold and built over), the earth continues on its own schedule. There are years of feast and years of famine and these events don't happen at the convenience of the people living off the land.
It's now been about 20 years but I still remember those books with fondness. When a BookCrossing friend of mine offered up The Earth as a book ring, I jumped at the chance to read another novel by Zola. Had grown up commitments (like work, chores and my children) gotten in the way, I could have easily finished this book in one day. Not because it's short (it's 500 pages) but because Zola had such a way with words.
As the title implies, Earth is a story of the land more so that it is about any one person. While families come and go and land is passed from generation to generation (divided up, bought, sold and built over), the earth continues on its own schedule. There are years of feast and years of famine and these events don't happen at the convenience of the people living off the land.
moncoinlecture's review against another edition
2.0
Limite 1,5
J'ai DÉTESTÉ ces personnages... vraiment... Il paraît que c'est le préféré de Zola. Mettons qu'on n'a pas les mêmes goûts.
J'ai DÉTESTÉ ces personnages... vraiment... Il paraît que c'est le préféré de Zola. Mettons qu'on n'a pas les mêmes goûts.
briandead's review against another edition
4.0
I read a 1962 English translation by Margaret Crosland which I picked up in a second hand store somewhere. It was only after reading the translator's note at the end that I realised it had been extensively abridged with only the parts key to the central story of Jean, Bureau, Lise and Francoise remaining. This was supposedly in the interests of appealing to a more modern style of literary reader, but it occurred to me, given the timing of the publication (shortly after the Lady Chatterley trial) and the cover of the book (depicting a man with a woman in a somewhat disheveled state of dress) that it was more likely published to capitalize on the notoriety of its sexual content. Nonetheless, it is a powerful story and while particularly shocking to today's sensibilities the descriptions of the treatment of women and the lot of the poor is a telling testament to how far we've come and a reminder that despite that progress brutality lies not far beneath the surface in modern society.