The Kill (La Curée) - Emile Zola

The Kill (La Curée) is the second novel in the Les Rougon-Macquart cycle by Émile Zola. The story focuses on Aristide Rougon, who changes his name to Saccard and tries to rise in social status in Paris during the French Second Empire.Aristide Rougon, who moves from Plassans to Paris to become rich. At first, he works as a clerk, but after his wife dies, he becomes more ambitious. With the help of his sister, he marries Renée, a wealthy young woman who is pregnant and needs a husband to protect her reputation. Through this marriage, Saccard gains money and social status.

Aristide is greedy, yet he remains respectable in society, much like the other Rougons, whose reputation is built on wealth and social status. Aristide is cold and distant; he is rarely at home, as he is constantly occupied with business. Even his marriage is treated as a financial arrangement rather than a relationship based on love. The family’s fragile balance begins to shift when Maxime Saccard, Aristide’s son from his first marriage, comes to live with them. His presence introduces a quiet but disturbing change, reflecting the moral emptiness of the household and gradually fallen into primitive desire.

Renée’s identity depends on being seen as rich and elegant; without that image, she loses her place in society. But inside, she feels empty and bored. She once wanted to feel alive, and in the end, she no longer knows what to want at all. Aristide, on the other hand, seems born to make money. He moves on easily after what Renée did, as if nothing happened. It feels harsh, but this is what Émile Zola calls naturalism: different people survive in different ways. Aristide follows one strong goal (a kind of monomania), and that is why he survives and still respectable in society while Renée does not.

The background of this novel is  so much interesting because we also can learn history, Set during the French Second Empire, when Paris was being rebuilt and modernized. Napoleon III instructed Haussmann to bring air and light to the centre of Paris, to unify the different neighbourhoods with boulevards, and to make Paris more beautiful. Haussmann transformed Paris by building wide boulevards, uniform apartment buildings, parks, and modern infrastructure. Before this modernization, Paris was overcrowded, with narrow streets, working-class neighborhoods, and old houses. As a result, entire districts were demolished to make way for the new city. In the novel, Aristide Saccard is essentially a property speculator. He makes money by buying land or houses cheaply before redevelopment, anticipating where changes will occur, and then selling the property later at a much higher price.

Paris after Hausman's development :

You should read The Kill If you want to explore more the world of the Les Rougon-Macquart, which gives an intense look at the Rougon side. Then you can continue with The Money, which follows Aristide Saccard’s life after this story and shows his ambition on a bigger financial scale. Each novel can stand alone, but reading more will help you see how the characters and themes connect across the series.

Ruang Buku Megga Rated : ✬✬✬✬ (4/5)
Title : The Kill
Author : Émile Zola
Publisher : Oxford World Classics
Year : July, 2008 (First Published in 1871)
Format / Pages : Softcover / 320 pages
ISBN : 9780199536924

The Conquest of Plassans - Emile Zola

At first, I told myself I’d read just one book a year from Émile Zola, but after finishing The Kill (La Curée) in a week, that plan didn’t stand a chance. I had to keep going. So I picked up The Conquest of Plassans, still within the Rougon family circle. This time, we follow Marthe Rougon, now married to her cousin François Mouret, living a quiet, orderly life with their children, Octave (The Ladies' Paradise), Serge (The Sin of Abbé Mouret), and Désirée. Zola gently introduces their domestic world, calm on the surface, but already hinting at something more fragile underneath.

Then comes the arrival of Abbé Faujas, a priest who rents rooms on the second floor. His presence is quiet, controlled, and strangely heavy, hard to read, yet impossible to ignore. There’s also something unexpectedly amusing in Mouret’s character. At first, he’s quite pleased to take in a lodger for the extra income, but almost immediately, he grows uneasy, suspicious in a way he can’t quite explain. It’s a subtle, almost ironic kind of humor. He wants the money, yet feels he may have invited something unsettling into his own home.

Who exactly is Faujas? What kind of priest is he, and how does he relate to the other abbés in town? Zola doesn’t rush to answer, but you can already feel that his role will be far from ordinary. A slow beginning, touched with irony and tension, I’m curious and a little uneasy to see where this goes.

From the glamorous life in The Kill, moving into The Conquest of Plassans feels like a shift I didn’t expect to enjoy this much. I find myself drawn to this quieter nuance. From watching the cold, ambitious Aristide Rougon, I now see Mouret as a domestic, almost gentle family man. From the vast, lonely mansion in Paris, the story brings me into a small, quiet house in the provinces. The scale becomes smaller, but somehow the tension feels closer, more intimate.

While reading this, I noticed that each main character is driven by a different kind of fear. Marthe fears spiritual failure, and Félicité fears losing status and control. But Mouret, most of all, fears being betrayed and surrounded. He loves his family and wants everything to remain orderly, just as it has always been. For him, the house with its beautiful and peaceful garden, also becomes a symbol of the stillness and stability he tries to protect. In contrast, Faujas and the Trouches seem almost fearless, which makes them even more dangerous in how they take control.

Zola shows that fear can grow into paranoia and eventually turn into aggression or violence. He also suggests that inherited tendencies can shape a person’s behavior. However, this raises a question: if someone lives a normal and peaceful life, might those impulses stay hidden instead of turning into madness?

Extras:

The fictional town of Plassans is generally considered to be based on Aix-en-Provence, where Émile Zola spent his childhood until about the age of ten. In 1858, the Zola family then moved to Paris.

Aix-en-Provence now

Ruang Buku Megga Rated : ✬✬✬✬✬ (5/5)
Title : The Conquest of Plassans
Author : Émile Zola
Publisher : Oxford World Classics
Year : September, 2014 (First Published in 1874)
Format / Pages : Softcover / 307 pages
ISBN : 9780199664788

The Fortune of Rougons - Émile Zola

The Fortune of the Rougons by Émile Zola is the first novel in his monumental Les Rougon-Macquart cycle. Set during the rise of the French Second Empire, the story unfolds around the 1851 coup d’état by Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte. At that time, France was deeply divided politically: the aristocracy tended to support the monarchy, much of the bourgeoisie aligned with the new Empire (Bonapartist), and many workers and republicans fought for democratic ideals. Through this conflict, Zola reveals how politics, class ambition, and moral compromise profoundly shaped both public events and everyday life. As the foundational novel of the cycle, it marks the point of origin from which everything unfolds—the beginning of the hereditary forces that will determine the fate of the Rougon-Macquart family across generations.

Set in the provincial town of Plassans, The Fortune of the Rougons centers on Pierre Rougon, an ambitious man determined to climb the social ladder. Pierre is the son of Adélaïde Fouque—known as Tante Dide—the matriarch at the origin of the Rougon-Macquart family line. Married to Félicité, he fathers several children who will later play important roles in the series. Pierre’s half-brother, Antoine Macquart, and his half-sister, Ursule Mouret (née Macquart), represent the other branch of the family. But contrast with Pierre, Antoine drinks a lot and lives carelessly. His drinking shows his bitterness, laziness, and lack of discipline. Zola portrays Macquart side are jealousy, bitterness, and long-standing resentment, highlighting the deep internal divisions that run through the same bloodline. 

The conflict between Pierre and his half-brother Antoine Macquart is not only about family inheritance, but also about politics. At first, Pierre seems to support the monarchy largely because of his wife and her relatives, who influence his ambitions and social position. Antoine, who identifies as a republican, uses these political differences as a weapon to take revenge on Pierre. This deepens their personal hatred and shows how national political conflict can divide even members of the same family.

In this novel, Zola also offers subtle hints and brief introductions to the Rougon and Macquart children, suggesting their distinct personalities and ambitions. Many of these children later become central figures in other novels in the Les Rougon-Macquart series, making The Fortune of the Rougons not only a family drama but also the foundation of a much larger literary saga.

But, Zola represented Silvère Mouret true political belief that comes from the heart. He likes reading republican and democratic pamphlets at Tante Dide’s house, especially ideas about equality and people’s rights that were popular around the 1848 Revolution. Unlike Pierre, who uses politics for personal gain, Silvère believes politics should improve society. His pursuit is not mainly for his own success, but for justice and a better future for the people. 

In conclusion, The Fortune of the Rougons shows that politics and family cannot be separated. Through Pierre and Antoine, we see how political beliefs can be used not only for ideals but also for ambition and revenge. The novel makes me question whether success comes from morality or from manipulation, especially through Pierre and Félicité’s desire for wealth and status. Overall, this book feels like a strong beginning to a larger story about family, power, and the consequences of ambition. Through Silvère Zola shows what idealistic and sincere political belief looks like, even when it faces a harsh reality, making the story feel emotional and symbolic.

Ruang Buku Megga Rated : ✬✬✬✬✬ (5/5)

Title :  The Fortune of Rougons 
Author : Émile Zola
Publisher : Oxford World Classics
Year : September, 2012 (First Published in 1871)
Format / Pages : Softcover / 301 pages
ISBN : 9780199560998

Lady Chatterley's Lover - D.H. Lawrence

Connie’s marriage to Clifford was shaped more by social expectation than true love. At first, she tried to be a loyal and supportive wife, unfortunately Clifford returned from the war, paralyzed. Their relationship lacked physical intimacy as Clifford became more absorbed in his writing and intellectual world. Connie still young and full of life, began to feel lonely and invisible till Connie met Mellors, the gamekeeper of Wragby and Clifford’s servant, and over time, their quiet understanding grew into a deep and unexpected love.

It’s like—I don’t fully agree with what Connie to Clifford. I feel pity for Clifford—a  but is crippled, powerless, and impotent. He’s trapped in his own pride and intellect, unable to truly connect with Connie emotionally or physically. On the other hand, I also sympathize with Connie, who feels no joy or warmth at Wragby. It’s not entirely her fault; a man like Clifford never truly tried to understand her needs as a woman. Connie longs for freedom—to live by her own choices rather than stay imprisoned in an unhappy marriage. True love rarely comes in a lifetime, and when she found it in Mellors, she felt lucky. She surrendered to it, even if it meant giving up her social status, because for the first time, she truly felt alive.

Connie was raised with a sense of freedom, nothing could stop her from choosing her own happiness. She decided to follow her heart and trust in Mellors, the only man she truly loved. Some might say this is selfish in a world led by men, but the truth is, we women also have a choice—to live fully, not just to endure.

Lady Chaterley's Lover is not only about adultery and intimacy; it also serves as proof that Connie and Mellors relationship becomes a lens that subtly explores issues of class difference, economic disparity, the changing geographical landscape of old England, and the emotional damage caused by industrialization and social expectation. They reach a kind of primordial happiness—simple, natural, and deeply human. Away from the noise of society and industrial life, they find joy in each other’s presence, both physical and emotional bond.

Okay, maybe I’m a bit weird for liking this scandalous author, and I feel a little ashamed for reading this book. But somehow, despite the controversy, the story speaks to something real. I think, the readers in the early 20th century were not ready for Lady Chatterley's Lover because social and moral values at that time were much more conservative, especially involving a married woman and a working-class man, and were considered inappropriate and even scandalous. I don't know in this century, book like this become a common though I rarely read contemporer fiction, but the question is "why" ? people nowdays is more liberal to express their art and tought,  and the publisher does not censor strictly and basicly sales the book based on provit oriented. Nevertheless, classic authors stand out not just for their breakthroughs in literature, but also for their courage to speak about taboo subjects that reflect real human experiences. The more controversial, the more interesting for me, and the more forbidden the more I want to read. This is the second reading from D.H Lawrence, I would like to read more books from him. I also curious with The Rainbow.

"One may go against convention, but one must keep up tradition.”

Ruang Buku Megga Rated : ✬✬✬✬(4/5)

Title : Lady Chatterley's Lover

Author : D.H Lawrence
Publisher : Signet Classics

Year : 2011 (First Published in 1928)
Format / Pages : Softcover /368 pages
ISBN :  9780451531957

Review dan Ulasan Novel Down And Out in Paris and London karya George Orwell

"Daerah kumuh Paris memang tempat berkumpul orang-orang eksentrik- orang - orang yang jatuh ke jalur kehidupan yang ter-kucilkan, setengah gila dan tidak lagi mencoba menjadi manusia normal atau wajar. Kemiskinan membebaskan mereka dari tata cara kelakuan biasa, seperti kekayaan membebaskan orang untuk tidak bekerja." 

Buku ini mengajak kita menyelami kemiskinan di tempat yang paling kumuh di Kota Paris dan London.  Buku ini ber-genre realisme-satire atau  lebih tepatnya sosial eksperimen dan filosofi kehidupan melarat. Masih belum bisa dibuktikan kalau buku ini sebagai autobiografi George Orwell. Tapi beberapa events atau kejadian dari buku ini nyata pengalaman Orwell dan dikemas dalam bentuk fiksi. Novel ini menggunakan sudut pandang orang pertama, yaitu sudut pandang penulis itu sendiri, karena tokoh aku di sini tidak diketahui namanya, yang kemudian oleh pembaca disebut sebagai George Orwell.

Realita kehidupan miskin di kedua kota besar Paris dan London tidak berbeda jauh.  Hidup miskin tidak jauh dari kelaparan, kotor dan tidak punya tempat tinggal. Tidak ada lagi yang dipikirkan selain makan untuk hari ini dan tempat tidur untuk malam yang dingin. Tidak memikirkan esok pakai baju apa dan akan pergi kemana. Sebenarnya, saya sudah sering baca novel Emile Zola, kondisi kemelaratan di Paris pada abad 19 sampai abad 20 sudah tidak terlalu asing lagi. Kalau Zola lebih mendramatisir kemiskinan, Justru Orwell menyuguhkan kemiskinan dalam diselingi dengan humor, dan cara-cara menyelesaikan masalah orang miskin yang dibilang cerdik.

Review dan Ulasan L'assommoir Novel by Émile Zola

Novel L’Assommoir merupakan sosial eksperimen-nya Zola terhadap kehidupan kaum buruh dan pekerja kawasan industri di Paris dalam bentuk literatur. Tak hanya itu, Zola pun menganalisis pengaruh alkohol dalam kehidupan sehari-hari mereka, yang bertempat di daerah kumuh di pinggiran kota Paris. Rentang waktu yang digambarkan dalam novel ini adalah sekitar tahun 1851. 

Cerita novel ini fokus pada kehidupan Gervaise Macquart yang carut-marut setelah dicampkan kekasihnya, Auguste Lantier. Ia dan Auguste memiliki dua anak lelaki, Etiene dan Cloud.  Kehidupanya bersama  Auguste Lantier bisa dibilang manis di awal. Auguste mendapatkan sejumlah uang warisan dan pergi bersama Gervaise ke Paris. Namun mereka tidak bisa mengatur keuangan dan hanya bisa bersenang-senang dan menghabiskan uang tersebut. Untuk menhidupi anak-anaknya, Gervaise kemudian bekerja sebagai buruh cuci di rumah cuci/ laundress di daerah yang paling kumuh di Paris, karena tak ada pilihan lain. Sampai pada saatnya Auguste meninggalkan Gervaise, lari dengan wanita lain bernama Adele. Sepertinya Gervaise hanya menyesal sedikit akan kepergian Auguste, Karena toh selama tinggal bersamanya, Auguste adalah seorang pemalas, tidak mau bekerja dan pemabuk, bahkan sering menghabiskan uang dan harta Gervaise. 

Ada seorang tukang atap/ roofer bernama Coupeau, yang tertarik akan kecantikan Gervaise dan mulai mendekatinya. Kemudian Gervaise dan Coupeu menikah, dan mendapatkan seorang anak perempuan bernama Nana. Bersama Coupeau, Gervaise berhasil mendirikan rumah cuci (laundress) sendiri. Namun, kebahagiaan itu tidak bertahan lama. Kemalangan dalam hidup Gervaise, dimulai dengan kecelakaan Coupeau saat memperbaiki atap yang membuatnya dirawat di rumah sakit. Selama perawatannya yang menyiksa, Coupeau mulai mengonsumsi alkohol, yang membuatnya menjadi pemabuk dan tidak mau bekerja lagi. Beberapa kali, Coupeau sering mengunjungi rumah minum yang bernama  L’Assommoir. Kondisi ini diperparah dengan kedatangan Auguste Lantier yang diterima dengan tangan terbuka oleh Coupeau ke rumah mereka. Auguste yang seperti lintah darat perlahan-lahan menghisap harta Gervaise. Gervaise pun harus menanggung semua beban ekonomi dan hutang keluarga sendiri. Mantan suami Gervaise, Auguste yang seperti parasit juga masih menginginkan tubuh Gervaise untuk memuaskan nafsunya, ini pun semakin menambah kerumitan hidupnya. Gervaise lelah dan stress menghadapi mereka, seakan ia mempunyai dua suami. 

Seringkali Coupeau murka tanpa alasan bila stok minuman keras tidak ada, karna mereka sudah terlalu miskin untuk membelinya. Nana dan Gervaise pun sering menjadi sasaran pukulan kemarahan Coupeau, sampai-sampai Nana kabur dari rumah karena muak dengan keadaan keluarga mereka. kemudian Emile Zola membuat kisah Nana yang menjadi seorang pelacur dalam satu buku yang berjudul Nana. 

Mengonsumsi minuman alkohol secara berlebihan memang sangat tidak baik bagi kesehatan raga dan juga mental si peminum, yang kemudian ini menjadi akar masalah yang bisa merembet kemana-mana. Dengan orang tua dan lingkungan seperti itu, sulit untuk memperbaiki kemiskinan. Gervaise, Nana, dan Coupeau pada dasarnya orang yang baik, mereka adalah korban ketidaktahuan dan kerasnya kehidupan di lingkungan sekitar mereka.

Apa yang saya utarakan dalam ulasan ini sebenarnya sebagian kecil nya saja yang menjadi inti cerita, ada juga cerita tentang tetangga Gervaise, Madame Bijard yang dipukuli suami nya sampai mati, disaksikan oleh anak-anaknya, yang masih kecil yang harus dipaksa dewasa mengurusi ayahnya yang pemabuk.  Kekerasan karena pengaruh alkohol dalam novel ini sangat banyak diperlihatkan, hampir membuat saya muak. Entah Zola nya terlalu mendramatisir atau memang seperti itulah kondisinya. Entah jadi apa anak-anak itu nanti. Mungkin  pada zaman itu hak-hak perempuan dan anak-anak masih belum tersuarakan. Setelah menikah, wanita hanyalah menjadi properti dan sepenuhnya milik suaminya. Jujur, saya sangat menyayangkan kehancuran kisah Gervaise yang mulanya optimis dan mempunyai jiwa pekerja keras itu. 

Karena kelihaian narasi Zola, sampai-sampai akupun ikut merasakan kepedihan, kelaparan dan kesengsaraan Gervaise di akhir cerita. Memang, membaca fiksi sastra selalu menumbuhkan rasa empati dalam diri dan kepekaan terhadap lingkungan sekitar. Zola selalu membuatku berfikir out of the box dan berempati dengan karakter yang mereka baca.

Review ini saya posting bertepatan dengan ulang tahun Émile Zola yang ke- 181 

Merci beaucoup pour votre travail et joyeux anniversaire !

 1^st  Author's Birthday Challange 2021 - 2022

Rating Ruang Buku Megga  ✭✭✭✭ (4.5/5)

Judul : L'assommoir

Judul Terjemahan: Rumah Minum 
Penulis: Émile Zola 
Alih Bahasa:  Lulu Wijaya

Penerbit: PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama
Tahun Terbit: 2018 (Pertama Kali, 1877)
Tebal: 660 halaman

Review dan Ulasan La Bȇte Humaine (Hati Iblis / The Beast Within) Karya Émile Zola

    Apa yang diharapkan ketika hendak memulai membaca karya Émile Zola? Akhir yang bahagia? Tokoh protagonis yang sempurna? jangan harap deh, Apalagi di novel ini tidak ada tokoh protagonisnya. Kesan gelap dan tragis melingkupi seluruh cerita. Tak heran apabila karya ini merupakan karya Zola yang paling gelap dan penuh kekerasan.

    Jacques Lantier  memiliki kegilaan turun temurun yang mengerikan. Beberapa kali dalam hidupnya ia ingin membunuh wanita, karena setiap melihat kelok tubuh wanita yang indah membuatnya berhasrat ingin membunuhnya. Anomali Jacques disebut atavistic, di mana menurut Cesare Lombroso, seorang kriminolog dari Italia berpendapat bahwa adanya kelas penjahat yang turun temurun, yang pada dasarnya merupakan hasil kemunduran biologis ke tahap evolusi manusia yang lebih primitif di luar kendali mereka, juga berpendapat bahwa penjahat tersebut menunjukkan persentase lebih tinggi dari kelainan fisik dan mental daripada yang bukan penjahat. 

Review dan ulasan Novel The Belly of Paris (Le Ventre de Paris) - Émile Zola

The Belly of Paris atau dalam bahasa Perancis La Ventre de Paris bisa artikan sebagai pusat kota Paris atau 'perut-nya' orang-orang Paris. Tentu saja ini mengacu kepada Les Halles yang merupakan pasar pusat makanan-makanan segar seperti sayuran, keju, mentega, ikan dan daging. Les Halles dibangun oleh Baron Haussmann pada tahun 1850-an. Dalam volume ketiga dari seri Rougon-Macquart ini, Zola mendeskripsikan makanan, karakter, dan jalan- jalan kota Paris dengan cara sinematik yang menakjubkan.

Pada bulan Desember 1851, Florent dituduh berpartisipasi dalam komplotan untuk menggulingkan pemerintah, Florent dideportasi ke Devil's Island di Guyana, Belanda. Namun pada akhirnya, Florent melarikan diri dari Pulau Setan dan kembali ke Paris pada bulan September 1856, pulang ke rumah satu-satunya adik tiri yang ia punya, Quenu. Akhirnya Florent tinggal bersama Quenu, pemilik restoran Charcuterie warisan pamanya. Kedatangan Florent "si buronan" ke Les Halles dan menjadi inspektur ikan tentu saja membuat kegaduhan.