Thérèse Raquin, Émile Zola

Thérèse Raquin – Émile Zola

Now, at the start of the year I did post about another one of Émile Zola’s books Nana. In that blog I explained how Nana was part of a big series of books about a family through the ages. 

Despite Thérèse Raquin being by Zola, it is not part of the Rougon-Macquart family series. This does not takeaway from it in the slightest, and it is an exciting thriller of a book.

Nothing like a mad Woman...

The titular character, Thérèse Raquin, lives with her ageing aunt and cousin. Orphaned as a child, there is suggestions that Thérèse is mixed race, with a lost Algerian parent. I think this may play into stereotypes of non-European women at the time, I mean look at Rochester’s estranged wife in Jane Eyre !

The stereotype being, that there was a wild and savage nature to non-European people. This wildness and temperamental ‘otherness’ was mostly thought as part of their character and personality rather being a visible difference.

(this is obviously not a prejudice I hold !). This factor doesn’t really override the plot, but it is one detail we are told at the beginning about Thérèse, which in context of the period would categorise her as ‘different’.

We all know, it has taken very little in history to consider a woman, ‘mad’!

Crazy Times

The blurb is a big giveaway that this book is going to be full of drama, and the story itself does not disappoint.

This book was Zola’s third novel. In the second published edition of the book, Zola decided to publish a defence of the work, because it had be viewed as wholly immoral, with adultery and murder.

Despite us living a more relaxed society, this book is still absolutely shocking !

Zola and Naturalism

Zola was part of, and arguably founder of the ‘naturalist movement’ in literature. This was a Literary movement that aimed to depict society as being inescapably bound with hereditary and environment. It is the idea that a humans surroundings and heritage has a powerful effect on their character. This idea was formed from Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.

This proves the reason Zola mentions Mixed-heritage, as it others her, as different from other women in Parisian society.

The naturalist movement aimed to present social ills, and life as it is, but with a sense of scientific and environmental determinism in the mix.

You needn’t understand these concepts to enjoy the book, but knowing where the book sits in a time period is always helpful- and fun (if you’re me!)

What Happens?

Thérèse is brought up alongside her cousin Camille and by her aunt, Madame Raquin. Madame Raquin is incredibly doting on both, especially her somewhat sickly needy son, Camille. She has it in her heart to marry them when they are older, which happens.

They live in and run a dilapidated haberdashery in Paris. Once they move to Paris, Camille meets an old school friend, Laurent who becomes incredibly close with the family.

Laurent is lazy and likes an easy life of being fed and being with women. He quickly and rapidly falls into an adulterous relationship with Thérèse, despite not even liking her that much.

One day, further on in their affair, Thérèse and Laurent hatch a plan to permanently get rid of the sickly Camille, so that Thérèse and Laurent can marry.

The madness of guilt

Not to reveal all, but a murder happens…

And it is not so much about the murder, as it is about the guilt that the murderers are left with.

The guilt in the story comes rapidly to Thérèse and Laurent,  who continually imagine the dead Camille watching them beyond the grave.

Both Thérèse and Laurent quickly turn from in each other in the torment that their guilt brings; and this springs into loathing one another.

The guilt creeps up on them, firstly they can’t sleep, and eventually they loath to be in the same room as one another.

In the midst of this cloud of guilt is Camille’s mother, Madame Raquin, who innocently believes in the new couples love and charity towards her.

The guilt, infiltrates all parts of their lives, it is a constant, fervent overarching character, that charges its way into every crevice of this book.

It is Zola’s rich and image filled language that drives this story.

I am a Cat lover (and I love to run) – Laurent certainly isn’t

My close friend saw I was reading this and said, ‘hey wait until you get to the cat bit’.

Yeah we meet the ‘family’ cat, Francois, right at the beginning in the first chapter. Almost like a supervillain Thérèse is gazing out a window stroking him.

Not to spoil, but the cat does become a small, but crazy part of the plot.

The cat is the silent witness to all that goes on in the house, the marriage, the affair, the plotting that goes on. So, as the guilt grows so does Laurent’s suspicion of the cat!

The Ending

Whilst it feels not a lot is happening, so much does in this book. The power of emotions propels the plot. The hatred is intense, the guilt laid out bare, and all this creeps around you and then goes BAM right at the end, for a theatre worthy ending I’d say!

Anyway read some Zola you lot, he never lets you down!