The painter Vincent Van Gogh read both Zola and Hugo with great enthusiasm in the 1880s, and considered them similar.
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Huysmans claimed that his close friend Zola was a great influence on his work.
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Zola grew up in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France, where he was friendly with the painter Cézanne. His Italian father died when Zola was 7, and his family moved to Paris, where Zola was educated. Not a strong student, he worked at odd jobs and began to write, publishing his first short-story collection, in 1864, and his first novel in 1865, by which time he was a successful journalist. Under the influence of Balzac, he became committed to naturalistic writing. His first successful novel wa more...
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04/01/1840 Paris, France, Western Europe,
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I first read this when i was about 18 and it has stayed with me.
Very dark and passionate.
I think they made a film of it but i think it would spoil it if i saw it.
I don't think it could ever measure up.
Have wondered what i would think of it if i read it now i'm older?
