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 316th greatest book of all time
If you're interested in seeing the ranking details on this book go here
This book is on the following lists:
- 51st on 100 Books of Classical and Modern Foreign Literature (The Union of Russian Writers)
- 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)
- 214th on The Complete 500: OCLC (OCLC)
- 949th on Our Users' Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (The Western Canon (Book) by Harold Bloom)
- Masterpieces of World Literature (Frank N. Magill)
- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (The Book)
- ZEIT-Bibliothek der 100 Bücher (Die Zeit)
- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (The Guardian)