by Émile Zola
Part of Les Rougon-Macquart, book 2
First published 1967
Aristide Saccard seizes his moment as Napoleon III carves new boulevards through the heart of Paris. The ambitious speculator thrives in the chaos of urban transformation, accumulating wealth through questionable real estate deals while the city bleeds from construction. His success brings elegant carriages, expensive gowns, and glittering jewelry, but corruption spreads through his household like a disease. His wife Renée, beautiful but restless, defies conventional feminine roles while drowning in boredom. His son Maxime grows into an effeminate young man who becomes his stepmother's lover. The family's moral decay mirrors the greed consuming Paris as speculators feast on the city's wounds like hunting dogs devouring their kill. Saccard achieves everything he wanted, yet watches his world twist into something unrecognizable.
Genres: fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: corruption, moral-decay, social-commentary
Setting: Paris
Period: 19th-century, Napoleon III
412 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Le Livre de Poche