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 388th greatest book of all time
- Published
- 1885
- Nationality
- French
- Length
- Moderate
- Pages
- 300-600
- Words
- 196,000
- Original Language
- French
- Alternate Titles
- None
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This book is on the following 17 lists:
- 4th on The 100 Favorite Books of the French (Lire Magazine)
- 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)
- 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)
- 462nd on Our Users' Honorable Mention Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- 1078th on Our Users' Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- 101 Significant Books (Good Reading: A Guide for Serious Readers)
- Masterpieces of World Literature (Frank N. Magill)
- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (The Book)
- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (The Western Canon (Book) by Harold Bloom)
- 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)
- 100 Greatest Books of All Time (Steve Donoghue)
- ZEIT-Bibliothek der 100 Bücher (Die Zeit)