Thérèse Raquin

by Emile Zola

Overview

'Therese Raquin' is a clinically observed, sinister tale of adultery and murder among the lower orders in nineteenth-century Paris. Zola's dispassionate dissection of the motivations of his characters, mere 'human beasts' who kill in order to satisfy their lust, is much more than an atmospheric Second Empire period-piece. 'Therese Raquin' stands as a key early manifesto of the French Naturalist movement, of which Zola was the founding father. Even today, this novel has lost none of its power to shock.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781726439756
Publisher:	CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date:	08/31/2018
Pages:	218
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.46(d)
Language:	French

About the Author

Andrew Rothwell is Professor of French at Swansea University.

Editorial Reviews

Zola’s blunt, unprettified representation of the most sordid elements of life—infidelity, murder, madness and suicide—seemed revolutionary in the context of his time. Especially remarkable was Zola’s gritty portrayal of his eponymous central character Thérèse, a brilliantly radical departure from the simpering female prototypes of Victorian convention.”

|Los Angeles Times

06/10/2024

At the time it was first published in 1867, Zola's novel of adultery and murder was considered most scandalous. Zola was the founder of the French Naturalist Movement, which aimed at a more literal adaptation of realism and presented life events without artifice and moral judgment. The protagonist Thérèse Raquin leads a depressing existence above a dark and dingy haberdashery shop that she shares with her cousin/husband Camille and his overly protective mother, Madame Raquin. An affair with her husband's friend, Laurent, brings unexpected passion and excitement. When the two lovers go to grisly lengths to be together, they discover that the consequences of their actions are not what they expected. Narrator Juliet Stevenson's pitch-perfect presentation is both riveting and mesmerizing. Her precise and expressive diction illuminates the shadowy setting and evokes the appropriate emotions of the characters, despite limited dialogue. VERDICT A darkly gothic tale that is very accessible to modern audiences and presents a rewarding listening experience. An excellent addition to any classic audio collection.—Phillip Oliver

Library Journal - Audio

English actor Juliet Stevenson’s nuanced performance of this classic tale of obsession lures listeners into a nineteenth-century Parisian storefront, where lust and shadows lurk. Unhappily married to her sickly cousin, Camille, and working in her aunt’s dingy clothing store, Thérèse Raquin starts an affair with Camille’s colleague. After murdering Camille, the lovers are haunted to the point of madness by their crime. Stevenson’s straightforward narration exemplifies Zola’s famously scientific approach to storytelling, which studied “temperaments, not personalities.” The book has little dialogue, releasing Stevenson from inventing French accents, but when needed, her pronunciation of the Parisian streets and neighborhoods is perfect. Her vibrant alto pitch, crystalline enunciation, and expressive reading enliven Zola’s descriptive writing, sending listeners deep into Paris’s underworld. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

MAY 2022 - AudioFile

English actor Juliet Stevenson’s nuanced performance of this classic tale of obsession lures listeners into a nineteenth-century Parisian storefront, where lust and shadows lurk. Unhappily married to her sickly cousin, Camille, and working in her aunt’s dingy clothing store, Thérèse Raquin starts an affair with Camille’s colleague. After murdering Camille, the lovers are haunted to the point of madness by their crime. Stevenson’s straightforward narration exemplifies Zola’s famously scientific approach to storytelling, which studied “temperaments, not personalities.” The book has little dialogue, releasing Stevenson from inventing French accents, but when needed, her pronunciation of the Parisian streets and neighborhoods is perfect. Her vibrant alto pitch, crystalline enunciation, and expressive reading enliven Zola’s descriptive writing, sending listeners deep into Paris’s underworld. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

MAY 2022 - AudioFile