Germinal by Émile Zola
The novel is a bleak and realistic portrayal of coal miners' lives in 19th century France. The protagonist, a young man who starts work in a mine, becomes embroiled in the hardship and exploitation faced by the workers, leading to his involvement in a strike. The story explores themes of poverty, social injustice, and the struggle for workers' rights, while also providing a detailed depiction of mining life, from the dangerous work conditions to the close-knit communities.
The 356th greatest book of all time
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- Published
- 1885
- Nationality
- French
- Length
- Moderate
- Pages
- 300-600
- Original Language
- French
- Avg User Rating
-
(4.4)
- Alternate Titles
-
- Den Stora Gruvstrejken
- ژرمینال
If you're interested in seeing the ranking details on this book go here
This book is on the following 19 lists:
- 4th on The Books That Built The French (TNS-Sofres/SNCF–Lire)
- 39th on The 101 Favorite Novels of 'Le Monde' Readers (Le Monde)
- 51st on 100 Books of Classical and Modern Foreign Literature (The Union of Russian Writers)
- 63rd on Readers’ Top 100 Novels Of All Time (Guardian)
- 66th on The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time (The Novel 100)
- 74th on The 500 best books of all time from Culture Café users (Culture Café)
- 83rd on The Telegraph’s 100 Novels Everyone Should Read (Telegraph)
- 132nd on Our Users' Honorable Mention Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- 214th on The Complete 500: OCLC (OCLC)
- 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List (1,000 Books to Read Before You Die(Book))
- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (The Guardian)
- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (The Book)
- 100 Greatest Books of All Time (Steve Donoghue)
- 101 Significant Books (Good Reading: A Guide for Serious Readers)
- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (The Western Canon (Book) by Harold Bloom)
- Masterpieces of World Literature (Frank N. Magill)
- The 100 Best Novels in Translation by Boyd Tonkin (Book)
- The 100 Best Novels Of All Time (Runners-Up) (The Guardian)
- ZEIT-Bibliothek der 100 Bücher (Die Zeit)