Zola, Emile — L'Assommoir: A Realistic Novel

Very Good No dust jacket as issued Laird & Lee First Edition Custom half calf over marbled boards, spine in five compartments separated by raised bands, gilt lettering on red and black labels in two compartments, all edges marbled, marbled endpapers. Translated from the 97th French edition. Edited by Edward Wharton Chalmers. NB: L'Assommoir (1877) is the landmark seventh novel in Émile Zola's 20-volume Les Rougon-Macquart cycle. Rather than functioning merely as a realistic story, the book serves as the foundational masterpiece of literary Naturalism, an evolutionary offshoot of Realism that treats human behavior as a scientific study shaped entirely by heredity, environment, and historical moment. The narrative follows Gervaise Macquart, a resilient laundress whose dreams of maintaining a respectable working-class life in Paris are systematically crushed by the harsh urban landscape, financial ruin, and the devastating grip of alcoholism. Upon its release, L'Assommoir became an instant contemporary bestseller, while simultaneously igniting widespread outrage among conservative critics. Reviewers were deeply scandalized by Zola's explicit depiction of working-class vices, casual violence, and his revolutionary use of street slang throughout both dialogue and narration. Critics accused him of writing "gutter literature" and focusing purely on societal filth. Despite the backlash, the novel made Zola wealthy and established him as the undisputed leader of the Naturalist school. By treating the plight of the disenfranchised with the same seriousness as high tragedy, L'Assommoir profoundly altered the legitimate scope of modern literature, paving the way for 20th-century social realism and political reform.. Covers rubbed and lightly worn with some loss at head of spine, paper supple, hinges strong, former owner's bookplate on fep, else fine; otherwise unmarked,, tight, square, and clean. Scarce in this edition. VERY GOOD.. The Pastime Series. 16. Frontispiece. 8vo 8" - 9" tall. 301, (1-advert) pages Chicago