Owned and Unread Project

Saturday, July 14, 2012

A Zola Giveaway!


Happy Bastille Day!  Joyeux Le Quatorze Juillet!  Today, I'm honoring both France and my favorite French author, Emile Zola.  (And of course, the Paris in July blogging event).  Zola is one of the classic authors I discovered while blogging, and he's become one of my favorite writers.  In fact, I'm so in love with Zola's work, I've decided to share the love and give away a paperback edition of one of his novels.

One winner will receive his or her choice of a Zola novel listed below.  All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave a comment below telling me which Zola novel you'd like to receive, and why.  Make sure you leave a contact email if your comment doesn't link automatically to your blog.

Here's a list of novels of Zola readily available in good, current paperback translations from the Book Depository.  At the moment, I've included all the Oxford World's Classics and Penguin translations, which I know are good.  (If I've missed any, please tell me so in the comments).  I've included links to the Zola novels I've reviewed so far on this blog.

  • Therese Raquin:  One of Zola's earliest novels and his big break, the book that first made him famous. 
  • The Fortunes of the Rougons (*Available August 9, 2012 from Oxford World's Classics):  The first in his famous Rougon-Macquart series of novels.
  • The Kill : Second in the Rougon-Maquart series, about a couple made rich by frantic real estate speculation in Paris.  
  • The Belly of Paris: Third in the series, this one is set in the famous Les Halles food markets.  Lots of great food descriptions! 
  • L'Assommoir (The Drinking Den): The story of a working-class laundress and her downward spiral into poverty and alcoholism. 
  • Nana: One of Zola's most famous works, the story of a prostitute who rises from humble beginnings to become a high-class "cocotte."
  • Pot-Bouille (Pot Luck): An acerbic satire about the bourgeoise, hypocritical residents of a Paris apartment building.  
  •  The Ladies' Paradise:  The original sex-and-shopping novel, about the rise of a department store and consumerism in late 19th century Paris.  
  • Germinal: Probably Zola's most famous work, the story of a coal-miner's strike in northwestern France.  Considered by many to be his masterpiece, and one of my favorite novels of all time.
  • The Masterpiece:  Inspired by Zola's childhood friend, the Impressionist Paul Cezanne, this is the story of a talented young artist who comes to Paris from the provinces.  It's the most autobiographical of Zola's works and gives insight into his life as a writer and into the lives of the Impressionists. 
  • The Earth:  Similar to King Lear, this is the story of a a family's divisive struggle after the patriarch divides his land between three children, portraying the destructiveness of greed and ignorance. 
  • La Bete Humaine (The Beast Within):  One of Zola's most violent and explicit works, this novel is set against a backdrop of railways and examines what drives people to murder.  
  • The Debacle:   Set during the Franco-Prussian war, this was the best-selling of Zola's novels during his lifetime.  It's well regarded for its historical detail and epic sweep. 
The drawing will be open until Thursday, July 18, at 5 p.m. U. S. Central Standard Time.  The contest is open to residents of any country to which The Book Depository ships.  (If you're not sure if your country is included, click here).  I'll post the winner on my blog and contact him or her via email; the winner will have three days to reply or I'll choose another winner.  

*If the winner selects The Fortunes of the Rougons, it won't ship out until August, as this the publication date of the new paperback translation.

Good luck and happy reading!

51 comments:

  1. Thanks for another giveaway! I'd like to win Germinal. I was recently reading about how it ties into utopianism with how it portrays class struggles, and it sounds like a very interesting read.

    bookwormsusanna AT gmail DOT com

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    1. Germinal is absolutely brilliant. It's not a happy story but just wonderful. It's like Grapes of Wrath in a French coal mine. Great choice!

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  2. Happy Bastille day, Karen! And thanks for the giveaway! If I was fortunate enough to win, I would love for you to pick the book for me. Shamefully, I haven't read anything by Zola and wouldn't know where to start!

    Katie

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    1. Hmmm. . . . that'll be a tough choice if you win!

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  3. Thanks for the giveaway! I would love to win "The Belly of Paris". I haven't read anything by the author yet and someone suggested that I should start with this one.

    mishamary AT gmail DOT com

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    1. The Belly of Paris was my first Zola read and I loved it. The food writing is wonderful.

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  4. What a fantastic giveaway! If I were to win, I'd love to read The Belly of Paris as I enjoy books that feature food as a main theme.

    s.murray10 AT yahoo.co.uk

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    1. I love food writing too -- and what's not to love about food fiction written by a Frenchman?

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  5. Well I, like Katie, have never read anything by Zola, so I'm putting my name in the hat to see if this is the serendipitous time for my introduction. I would have to trust you to pick the title. Thanks for the opportunity.

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    1. You guys are making it tough on me! It'll be fun to to pick one if the winner leaves it up to me.

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  6. Oh, great giveaway! Like some others have mentioned above, I think I'd like to win The Belly of Paris. I have La Bete Humaine, but would like to start with the food, really ;-)

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  7. I don't want to enter the giveaway, but I'm super curious which of Zola's works you would recommend one to start with? Thanks!

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    1. I've read seven so far. My first was The Belly of Paris, which is a good place because it's not too dire, and it's fairly short. However, it's not the best one of his works.

      Therese Raquin is also a good choice, one of Zola's earliest works. It's a standalone novel but it has some of the same themes as the Rougon-Macquart series. Also fairly short.

      Germinal is also a good choice, though it is longer than some of the others. It's a really riveting story, but it is quite tragic. Many people consider it his very best work, so the others might not measure up afterward. It's a tough choice!

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  8. I haven't read Zola yet either (for shame!) but I would probably start with Therese Raquin. What a fun giveaway. Happy Bastille Day!

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    1. Therese Raquin would be a good place to start. I'm always trying to spread the word about Zola, whom I think is sadly under-appreciated in this country.

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  9. Happy Bastille Day, and a great way to celebrate. I can never resist a book offer, so I'd like to put my name in for Therese Raquin, please. Your review of L'Assommoir made it sound really engaging but not the place to start with Zola. Thanks for hosting this!

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    1. I agree, I wouldn't start with L'Assommoir. Therese is a good place to start. Thanks for entering!

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    2. Wait, now I think The Ladies'Paraside sounds fascinating!

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    3. I always have a tough time choosing my next Zola!

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  10. I would love to win Germinal which I added to my Classics Club list after reading it is supposed to be Zola's masterpiece.
    Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.

    catsplace31(at)yahoo(dot)co(dot)nz

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    1. Germinal is one of my favorite books of all time. I think it's the best one by Zola I've read so far, though I've really enjoyed nearly all of them.

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  11. I'd love to be entered! My choice would be The Belly of Paris because, well, you recommended it to me :P I didn't read the Project Gutenberg version because I want a good translation. It's too late to read it before my trip to Paris, but as I suspected I came back wanting to read books set there more than ever.

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    1. I haven't read any of the Gutenberg translations of Zola but I'm suspicious of the older translations. You can get nearly all of the Rougon Macquarts in other translations, you just have to look around.

      I wish I'd read Zola before I'd gone to Paris! I saw his tombstone at the Pantheon and realized how few French books I'd read.

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  12. I'd love to be entered! I am slowly collecting his books so I can have a big Zola fest at some point in the future. :)

    I would love a copy of The Fortunes of the Rougons! It's be nice to see where the cycle starts, you know?

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    1. I'm really excited about the new translation! I haven't read the books in order but I think someday I'd like to. I'm definitely getting a copy for myself when it comes out in August.

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  13. Whoaa..thanks Karen for the giveaway! Et joyeux le quatorze Juillet!

    I'd love to win La Bete Humaine, I've always been interested in the moral background of a murderer. My first adult book I turned into when I was in junior high school was Agatha Christie's. I was interested to learn how someone decided to commit a murder, did he have a 'bad seed' from the beginning? Or was he a good person at first but changed under certain circumstances?

    I have read Therese Raquin, which depicted the psychological aspect of a murderer after committed it, so it would be more interesting to read the moral aspect now. And what's more...I'm always a big fan of Zola! :)

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    1. La Bete Humaine has some of the same themes as Therese Raquin. I thought it was excellent, a real page-turner. Apparently it was very shocking for its time. It's one of my favorite Zolas so far.

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  14. I would love to win The Masterpiece.
    Thanks

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    1. I haven't read that one yet but I'm looking forward to it. I'm not artistic but I find art history fascinating so I really want to read that one.

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  15. Well, you know *I* think this is a great giveaway, haha! :D I'm going to enter for The Fortune of the Rougons. I don't mind the late shipping - I'm just so excited there will be a new edition out!!

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    1. I was hoping you'd enter! I did wonder which one you'd choose -- that was my first guess! We'll have to have a readalong some time since I know we'll both want to read that one.

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  16. I have never read The Debacle and think it would be really interesting. A lovely gesture to give away a book. Pam

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    1. Thanks! I've heard it's one of the most accurate depictions of war ever written. I'm not into war stories but I'd read almost anything by Zola.

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  17. I have never read any Zola too, but from your posts and enthusiasm, have begun to be really interested to read his works. I would love to try The Ladies' Paradise as I have read many good things about it.
    Thanks for the lovely giveaway!

    m_foong(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. I think Zola is the best author I discovered purely because of blogging. I never would have read him otherwise and I'm so glad I did!

      I keep saying The Ladies' Paradise will be my next Zola, hope I can get to it soon.

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  18. Oh boy, a giveaway! I've never read Zola but have been wanting to after reading your blog. I think I would like The Masterpiece, because it deals with art and artists. Whether I win or not, I see some Zola in my immediate future.

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    1. I'm fascinated by the idea of this one as well, especially since Zola was friends with Cezanne. Or rather, they were friends until he wrote this book!

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  19. This is exciting! Thank you for hosting this great giveaway!

    'The masterpiece' sounds very appealing to me right now. I'm curious to read something that is closely related to his life and experience. The fact that it is about artists makes it even better!

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    1. It's really intriguing to me because Zola was in the loop and knew all the famous Impressionists -- there's a great portrait of Zola by Manet.

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    2. My email! It's ioana.moldovan92@yahoo.com :)

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  20. What a lovely way to celebrate Paris in July. I haven't read anything by Zola but following your blog has pointed out to me the error of my ways.

    I guess the bes place to start is at the top, with Germinal. In addition to your recommendation, I like the subject matter and would like to learn about life in a mining community in France.

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    1. I'm always trying to share the love for Zola -- I think he's sadly underappreciated in this country. Germinal would be a great place to start. It wasn't the first Zola I read but it's the one which got me absolutely hooked.

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  21. I'm a newbie in reading Zola, and I think that The Ladies' Paradise has interesting subject. I would love to know how consumerism began in the 19th century France!

    my e-mail: elsa_maran at yahoo dot com

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    1. I think that whole period was kind of a frenzied, decadent era, during the Second French empire. Of course I know next to nothing about this period but I'm learning it by osmosis by reading Zola's novels. It's pretty fascinating. I'm looking forward to this one as well.

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  22. I am a sad example of a Francophile because I have never read Zola. I think I'd better start with something easy like "The Ladies Paradise." I solemnly promise to start reading Zola books, but first, I'm going to finish these light-reading books about France. I just started a new one this morning: Here It is

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    1. I don't think I'd even heard of Zola until I went to Paris and saw the necropolis. I don't think I ever would have read his books until I started blogging. He really doesn't get enough attention in this country.

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  23. What a lovely idea! I confess that Zola is one of those I've always intended to read. I would like to try for The Masterpiece as I love Cezanne so here's hoping!

    karendotlangley2atbtinternetdotcome

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    1. I love the Impressionists too, I can't believe I haven't read The Masterpiece yet.

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  24. Wow, I only just caught this!

    I love Zola. Love. He was one of my new authors to try this year, and I can't believe that I waited so long given my mum named her cat after him! (Pic here as well as my post on my first reading of Zola, not that I'm trying to bribe you with fur babies: http://delaisse.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/emile-zola.html) Germinal was my first, and it confirmed that I must read the Rougon-Maquart cycle!

    As for the one I would love: The Ladies Paradise. I'm slowly building up my collection and have got them all just about up to there! I'm so desperate to read them all :) And yes, it does sound fascinating, but I think Zola would make anything fascinating.

    And I better post this before I miss the deadline!

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    1. In my haste forgot my email! o.delaisse@gmail.com :)

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    2. I feel the same way about Zola. Every time I read one of his books I can't believe I haven't read them all yet and I want to read nothing else but then I also worry about reading them all too fast and not having any MORE to read. And I've heard some of the translations are crap which makes me sad because I can't read French and why aren't there good translations anyway?

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