Jean Gourdon S Four Days

"The Four Days of Jean Gourdon" (Les Quatre Journees de Jean Gourdon; 1874, in: Nouveaux Contes a Ninon) deserves to rank among the very best things to which Zola has signed his name. It is a study of four typical days in the life of a Provencal peasant of the better sort, told by the man himself... --- In the first of these it is "Spring" Jean Gourdon is eighteen years of age, and he steals away from the house of his uncle Lazare, a country priest, that he may meet his coy sweetheart Babet by the waters of the broad Durance... Next follows a day in "Summer," five years later; Jean, as a soldier in the Italian war, goes through the horrors of a battle and is wounded. This episode, which has something in common with the "Sevastopol" of Tolstoy, is exceedingly ingenious in its observation of the sentiments of a common man under fire... The "Autumn" of the story occurs fifteen years later. Jean and Babet have now long been married. They are rich, healthy, devoted to one another, respected by all their neighbours; but there is a single happiness lacking - they have no child. Only now, when the corn and the grapes are ripe, this gift also is to be theirs... The optimistic tone has hitherto been so consistently preserved, that one must almost resent the tragedy of the fourth day. This is eighteen years later, on a Winter's night: The river Durance rises in spate... --- It is impossible to give an impression of the charm and romantic sweetness of this little masterpiece. It raises many curious reflections to consider that this exquisitely pathetic pastoral, with all its gracious and tender personages, should have been written by the master of Naturalism, the author of "Germinal" and of "Pot-Bouille" ("Piping Hot "). (Edmund Gosse)"

Embark on a compelling journey with Émile Zola's riveting narrative in the thought-provoking story, "Jean Gourdon’s Four Days." Immerse yourself in a tale where passion, destiny, and the complexities of human existence unfold, creating a narrative that will leave you both captivated and contemplative. As Zola's gripping narrative unfolds, follow the character Jean Gourdon through four intense days of his life, navigating the highs and lows of passion and destiny. The vivid descriptions and emotional depth will transport you to a world where the boundaries between desire and fate are explored, and the consequences of pivotal moments are deeply felt.But here's the question that will linger in the air: What if four days could shape the course of a lifetime? Could Zola's narrative be a mirror reflecting the power of pivotal moments and the intricate dance between individual choices and destiny? Explore the emotional details of this thought-provoking story, where each chapter unveils the passionate complexities and existential reflections surrounding Jean Gourdon's four intense days. The blend of emotional depth and philosophical inquiry creates a reading experience that will leave you captivated while contemplating the profound impact of decisive moments. Are you prepared to delve into the intense journey of "Jean Gourdon’s Four Days" and ponder the complexities of passion, destiny, and choice?Immerse yourself in short, reflective paragraphs that guide you through the emotional landscapes. The evocative prose and philosophical musings will make you feel like a participant in Jean Gourdon's introspective journey, exploring the transformative power of pivotal moments. Here's your chance to not just read but to experience the thought-provoking depth within "Jean Gourdon’s Four Days." This is more than a story; it's a contemplative journey through the intricacies of human existence. Will you dare to reflect on the profound impact of decisive moments?Seize the opportunity to own a piece of emotionally charged literature. Purchase "Jean Gourdon’s Four Days" now, and let the gripping narrative and existential depth within its pages resonate in your contemplative thoughts.

FRENCH STORIES A PIECE OF BREAD By Francois Coppee THE ELIXIR OF LIFE By Honore de Balzac THE AGE FOR LOVE By Paul Bourget MATEO FALCONE By Prosper Merimee THE MIRROR By Catulle Mendes MY NEPHEW JOSEPH By Ludovic Halevy A FOREST BETROTHAL By Erckmann-Chatrian ZADIG THE BABYLONIAN By Francois Marie Arouet de Voltaire ABANDONED By Guy de Maupassant THE GUILTY SECRET By Paul de Kock JEAN MONETTE By Eugene Francois Vidocq SOLANGE By Alexandre Dumas THE BIRDS IN THE LETTER-BOX By Rene Bazin JEAN GOURDON'S FOUR DAYS By Emile Zola BARON DE TRENCK By Clemence Robert THE PASSAGE OF THE RED SEA By Henry Murger THE WOMAN AND THE CAT By Marcel Prevost GIL BLAS AND DR. SANGRADO By Alain Rene Le Sage A FIGHT WITH A CANNON By Victor Hugo TONTON By A. Cheneviere THE LAST LESSON By Alphonse Daudet CROISILLES By Alfred de Musset THE VASE OF CLAY By Jean Aicard

A beautifully produced collection of fiction, non-fiction, recipes, poems, and evocative illustrations, to conjure up the chilly beauty of winter

Émile Zola (1840-1902), prominent leader of French Naturalism in novels and drama, was also an environmentalist, way ahead of his time. He had a great love and respect for animals of all kinds and shapes. Throughout this book, you will discover his love from the smallest creatures: ants, spiders, bugs and frogs, bats and rats, all the way to birds, rabbits, cats, dogs, donkeys, cows and bulls, horses, and even zoo lions. The stories, which are partly fictional but mostly realistic, clearly show his love of and admiration for most animals. In the process of telling them, he inter-mingled some humorous episodes. Who wouldn't laugh at the description of Gédéon, his donkey, getting drunk after savoring a bucket of red wine and raising havoc in his stable? And who wouldn't cry at the death of a dear pet? The stories in this book have been gathered after reading his complete works (fifteen volumes of more than 18,000 pages of Émile Zola: Oeuvres Complètes, edited by Henri Mitterand, the most eminent scholar of Zola's works, professor emeritus at the Sorbonne in Paris and at Columbia University in New York City, in the 'Cercle du Livre Précieux' edition).

This ebook edition contains the unabridged Complete Works of Emile Zola translated into English language, with a detailed and functional table of contents. Émile François Zola (1840 – 1902) was a French writer, the most important exemplar of the literary school of naturalism and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism. He was a major figure in the political liberalization of France and in the exoneration of the falsely accused and convicted army officer Alfred Dreyfus, which is encapsulated in the renowned newspaper headline J'Accuse. Content: The Early Novels: CLAUDE'S CONFESSION THE DEAD WOMAN'S WISH THE MYSTERY OF MARSEILLE THERESE RAQUIN MADELEINE FERAT The Rougon-Macquart Cycle: THE FORTUNE OF THE ROUGONS THE KILL THE FAT AND THE THIN THE CONQUEST OF PLASSANS ABBE MOURET'S TRANSGRESSION HIS EXCELLENCY EUGENE ROUGON THE DRAM SHOP A LOVE EPISODE NANA PIPING HOT THE LADIES' PARADISE THE JOY OF LIFE GERMINAL HIS MASTERPIECE THE EARTH THE DREAM THE HUMAN BEAST MONEY THE DOWNFALL DOCTOR PASCAL The Three Cities: LOURDES ROME PARIS The Four Gospels: FRUITFULNESS LABOUR TRUTH The Short Stories: STORIES FOR NINON NEW STORIES FOR NINON PARISIAN SKETCHES THE ATTACK ON THE MILL THE FLOOD CAPTAIN BURLE THE MILLER'S DAUGHTER THE DEATH OF OLIVIER BECAILLE NAÏS MICOULIN J'Accuse !: I ACCUSE...!

Émile Zola was the most prominent French novelist of the late nineteenth century. He was noted for his theories of naturalism, which permeate his monumental 20-novel series ‘Les Rougon-Macquart’. Recognised in his lifetime as one of the greatest novelists of his era, Zola was also as a man of action, a defender of truth and justice, and a champion of the poor and persecuted. For the first time in publishing history, this eBook presents Zola’s complete works, with numerous illustrations, rare texts, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 3) * Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Zola’s life and works * Concise introductions to the novels and other works * The complete Rougon-Macquart cycle, as well as all the other novels and series * Images of how the books were first printed, giving your eReader a taste of the original texts * Excellent formatting of the texts * The complete short stores * Includes Zola's famous 'J'accuse!', with explanatory introduction * Special criticism section, with essays by famous writers such as Henry James and James Joyce, evaluating Zola's contribution to literature * Features two bonus biographies by Zola's English translator * Special resources section, with the detailed listing of the Rougon-Macquart family tree, as well as an index of the main characters and locations in the twenty-novel series * Ordering of texts into chronological order and genres * UPDATED with improved texts and Vizetelly’s seminal biography CONTENTS: The Early Novels Claude’s Confession (1865) The Dead Woman’s Wish (1866) The Mystery of Marseille (1867) Therese Raquin (1867) Madeleine Ferat (1868) The Rougon-Macquart Cycle The Fortune of the Rougons (1871) The Rush for the Spoil (1871) The Fat and the Thin (1873) The Conquest of Plassans (1874) Abbe Mouret’s Transgression (1875) His Excellency Eugene Rougon (1876) The Dram Shop (1877) A Love Episode (1878) Nana (1880) Piping Hot (1882) The Ladies’ Paradise (1883) The Joy of Life (1884) Germinal (1885) His Masterpiece (1886) The Soil (1887) The Dream (1888) The Monomaniac (1890) Money (1891) The Downfall (1892) Doctor Pascal (1893) The Three Cities Lourdes (1894) Rome (1896) Paris (1898) The Four Gospels Fruitfulness (1899) Work (1901) Truth (1903) The Short Stories Stories for Ninon (1864) New Stories for Ninon (1874) The Attack on the Mill (1880) Miscellaneous Stories J’Accuse ! I Accuse...! (1898) The Criticism M. Zola (1892) by Arthur Quiller-Couch An Extract from ‘My Literary Passions’ (1895) by William Dean Howells Zola (1898) by Henryk Sienkiewicz Émile Zola (1902) by William Dean Howells Borlase and Son (1903) by James Joyce Émile Zola (1903) by Henry James The Zola Controversy (1915) by G. K. Chesterton The Biographies With Zola in England (1899) by Ernest Alfred Vizetelly Émile Zola: Novelist and Reformer (1904) by Ernest Alfred Vizetelly Resources The Rougon-Macquart Family Tree Index of Characters in the Rougon-Macquart Series Index of Locations in the Rougon-Macquart Series