Part of the vast Rougon-Macquart cycle of novels The Earth was regarded by mile Zola's as his greatest novel. This Penguin Classics edition is translated with an introduction by Douglas Parm e.

When Jean Macquart arrives in the peasant community of Beauce where farmers have worked the same land for generations he quickly finds himself involved in the corrupt affairs of the local Fouan family. Aging and Lear-like Old Man Fouan has decided to divide his land between his three children: his penny-pinching daughter Fanny his eldest son - a far from holy figure known as 'Jesus Christ' - and the lecherous Buteau Macquart's friend. But in a community where land is everything sibling rivalry quickly turns to brutal hatred as Buteau declares himself unsatisfied with his lot. A fascinating portrayal of a struggling but decadent community The Earth offers a compelling exploration of the destructive nature of human ignorance and greed.

Douglas Parm e's translation vividly conveys the naturalistic tone of the original in clear contemporary English. This edition also includes an introduction exploring Zola's motivation in writing The Earth and considering its influence on his contemporaries.

Emile Zola (1840-1902) was the leading figure in the French school of naturalistic fiction. His principal work Les Rougon-Macquart is a panorama of mid-19th century French life in a cycle of 20 novels which Zola wrote over a period of 22 years including Au Bonheur des Dames (1883) The Beast Within (1890) Nana (1880) and The Drinking Den (1877).

If you enjoyed The Earth you might like Zola's Germinal also available in Penguin Classics.