Emile Zola

Emile Zola was a French writer of the 2nd half of the 19th century. His most notable works are Germinal, published in 1885, and The Drinking Den (L'Assommoir in French), published in 1877. They are both from the Rougon-Macquart series. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

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• Lifetime: 2 April 1840 • 29 September 1902
• Main genre: Historical fiction
• Literary movement: Naturalism
• Circles: The Medan circle of friends
• Mid-2026 popularity rank: --

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“I am little concerned with beauty or perfection. I don’t care for the great centuries. All I care about is life, struggle, intensity. I am at ease in my generation.”