Germinal (Penguin Classics),   ISBN:9780140447422

Customer Rating: 

"Germinal" is perhaps Zola's best known work, it is easy to see why. Without a doubt, this is one of the most stunning, brutal, honest, heart-breaking, and, at times, painfully beautiful, books in world literature. Centering on a French coal mining community in the 19th century, Zola mixes social commentary, political philosophy and keen psychological insight to create a story that can still move readers more than one hundred years after being published. While the suffering of the working-class characters is extreme, Zola is never melodramatic and never portrays one-dimensional characters or stock emotions. In the end, "Germinal" succeeds not so much as story about mining, labour strikes or human suffering, but as a portrait of the strenghts and weakness of the human spirit. I can't recommend this book highly enough and urge anyone seeking a deeper understanding of humanity to read "Germinal".

Customer Rating: 

This is one of the main novels of the Rougon-Macquart series. Its main character is Etienne Lantier, who is one of the sons of Gervaise Macquart, the heroine of "l'Assommoir/the Drum Shop". The novel revolves around the coal mining community. The sharp contrasts between the poor and the rich are displayed in chapter II of part 1 and chapter I of part 2. Theere are two violent encounters between the rich and the poor in chapter VI of part 5 and chapter IV of part 7. However, the working class fails to overthrow its oppressors. In this novel one can clearly see Zola's negative attitude towards the revolutionaries...

Customer Rating: 

A french classic.
I am a transplant European and introduced to this masterpiece in literature study.
Zola is a master and it is one of my favs. You will need a comfortable chair, good lighting and time. Let yourself get swept away into the mid 1800 century to endure the political & social drama the writer is so known for.
Zola was a gutsy writer/journalist in his time and is well investing in. There are other books written by him that are well worth reading. Each in its own addresses social issues. This book expresses the outrage of exploitation of humanity.

Customer Rating: 

There are three really good translations of Emile Zola's Germinal. I have read all three and believe all of them have their merits. The 1996 Collier translation, published by Oxford World Classics, is brilliant; however, in saying that, it is very British. The Collier translation, Germinal (Oxford World's Classics), does flow extremely well and, if you don't mind the numerous Britishisms in the translation, you will love this edition. The 2004 Penguin translation by Roger Pearson,Germinal (Penguin Classics), is also brilliant; however, there are numerous editing errors in the text. The translation, again, brilliant, but the editing is horrid. For me, the 1954 translation by Leonard Tancock and published by Penguin, Germinal (Penguin Classics), is absolutely brilliant, and it seems to be more appropriate for the time in which it was written. However, in saying all this, any of these three editions will be excellent reads for anyone interested in Zola.

Customer Rating: 

The book came in GREAT condition and was shipped at the speed of light!
I'll gladly buy here again.