If you want a quick intro to Zola, you might want to read his early novel, Thérèse Racquin. It is effective, and a bit lurid, but it is also self-contained — it is not a part of his famous series, Les Rougon-Macquart.
- La Fortune des Rougon (1871) The Fortune of the Rougons (1871) by Émile Zola WikiCommons.
- L'Assommoir (1877) Book cover of L'Assommoir by Émile Zola WikiCommons.
- Au Bonheur des Dames (1883)
- Germinal (1885)
- La Bête Humaine (1890)
Who is the author of Germinal?
Émile Zola
Do you need to read Zola in order?
List of novels. In an "Introduction" of his last novel, Le Docteur Pascal, Zola gave a recommended reading order, although it is not required, as each novel stands on its own.
Is Germinal worth reading?
Germinal is a unique and historically significant work that is well worth a read. I know that the impression it made on me won't be fading away anytime soon.