| Author |
Zola, Émile, 1840-1902 |
| Editor |
Vizetelly, Ernest Alfred, 1853-1922 |
| Title |
The Joy of Life [La joie de vivre]
|
| Note |
Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_joie_de_vivre
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| Note |
Reading ease score: 77.8 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
|
| Credits |
Clare Graham and Marc D’Hooghe
|
| Summary |
"The Joy of Life" by Émile Zola is a novel written in the late 19th century. The narrative revolves around the lives of Pauline Quenu and her guardians, the Chanteau family, depicting their struggles with mental anguish and the harsh realities of life, all set against the backdrop of a small seaside village. The characters navigate themes of fear, love, suffering, and the search for happiness, making for a complex exploration of human emotions. At the start of the novel, readers are introduced to the Chanteau family as they await the arrival of young Pauline, recently orphaned and expected to join their household. The patriarch, Chanteau, suffers from gout, illustrating the physical suffering that intertwines with his emotional state. As the family dynamics unfold, it becomes evident that Pauline's presence is shrouded in irony, as the themes of joy and life are eclipsed by anxiety and familial dysfunction. The narrative gives us an early glimpse of the assorted personalities at play, including the devoted but overshadowed Pauline, and her elder cousin Lazare, whose creative aspirations and deep-seated fears reflect the broader existential struggles presented in Zola's work. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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| Language |
English |
| LoC Class |
PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
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| Subject |
French fiction -- Translations into English
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| Category |
Text |
| EBook-No. |
56541 |
| Release Date |
Feb 11, 2018 |
| Most Recently Updated |
Aug 30, 2021 |
| Copyright Status |
Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads |
152 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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