Therese Raquin by Emile Zola

 

I have been wanting to read a novel written by French novelist, Emile Zola, off and on for decades now. This year, I finally made it happen when I decided to listen to the unabridged audio version of Therese Raquin by Emile Zola. Therese Raquin is nicely narrated by Traci Svensgaard.

Therese Raquin by Emile Zola is an interesting novel, but slow in parts. Because of this, it took me longer to read this short novel than anticipated. Therese Raquin takes readers to the darker, seedier side of humanity and it isn't pretty. As the publisher's summary below highlights, "Zola’s novel is not only an uninhibited portrayal of adultery, madness, and ghostly revenge but also a devastating exploration of the darkest aspects of human existence." 

Therese Raquin explores the psychological (and physical) terror that takes place after a heinous crime is committed by two of the main characters. These two main characters think life will be different after the crime they commit occurs. Little do they know that their lives are negatively altered in ways they could never imagine. For me, Therese Raquin exemplifies the atrocities one endures in the aftermath of the crime they've committed.

I found the pacing for Therese Raquin to be uneven. Some parts of this novel were slow, which left me wondering where the storyline was headed. Other times, the flow and pacing were great, which had me fully engaged in the plot details. All in all, I was happy to have read this French classic.

Below is the publisher's summary for Therese Raquin by Emile Zola, which I discovered on Chirp's website:

In a dingy apartment on the Passage du Pont-Neuf in Paris, Thérèse Raquin is trapped in a loveless marriage to her sickly cousin, Camille. The numbing tedium of her life is suddenly shattered when she embarks on a turbulent affair with her husband’s earthy friend, Laurent. But their passion for each other soon compels the lovers to commit a crime that will haunt them forever.

Thérèse Raquin caused a scandal when it appeared in 1867 and brought its twenty-seven-year-old author a notoriety that followed him throughout his life. Zola’s novel is not only an uninhibited portrayal of adultery, madness, and ghostly revenge but also a devastating exploration of the darkest aspects of human existence.

I am giving Therese Raquin by Emile Zola a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!