{"product_id":"earth-31","title":"Earth","description":"\u003cp\u003ePart of the vast \u003ci\u003eRougon-Macquart\u003c\/i\u003e cycle of novels, \u003ci\u003eThe Earth\u003c\/i\u003e was regarded by Émile Zola's as his greatest novel. This Penguin Classics edition is translated with an introduction by Douglas Parmée.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen Jean Macquart arrives in the peasant community of Beauce, where farmers have worked the same land for generations, he quickly finds himself involved in the corrupt affairs of the local Fouan family. Aging and Lear-like, Old Man Fouan has decided to divide his land between his three children: his penny-pinching daughter Fanny, his eldest son - a far from holy figure known as 'Jesus Christ' - and the lecherous Buteau, Macquart's friend. But in a community where land is everything, sibling rivalry quickly turns to brutal hatred, as Buteau declares himself unsatisfied with his lot. A fascinating portrayal of a struggling but decadent community, \u003ci\u003eThe Earth\u003c\/i\u003e offers a compelling exploration of the destructive nature of human ignorance and greed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDouglas Parmée's translation vividly conveys the naturalistic tone of the original in clear, contemporary English. This edition also includes an introduction, exploring Zola's motivation in writing \u003ci\u003eThe Earth\u003c\/i\u003e and considering its influence on his contemporaries.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEmile Zola (1840-1902) was the leading figure in the French school of naturalistic fiction. His principal work, \u003ci\u003eLes Rougon-Macquart\u003c\/i\u003e, is a panorama of mid-19th century French life, in a cycle of 20 novels which Zola wrote over a period of 22 years, including \u003ci\u003eAu Bonheur des Dames\u003c\/i\u003e (1883), \u003ci\u003eThe Beast Within\u003c\/i\u003e (1890), \u003ci\u003eNana\u003c\/i\u003e (1880), and \u003ci\u003eThe Drinking Den \u003c\/i\u003e(1877).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf you enjoyed \u003ci\u003eThe Earth\u003c\/i\u003e, you might like Zola's \u003ci\u003eGerminal\u003c\/i\u003e, also available in Penguin Classics.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54220788564312,"sku":"9780140443875","price":18.5,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/1295\/4195\/files\/9780140443875.jpg?v=1764696634","url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/earth-31","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}