His Excellency Eugene Rougon by Zola

Here are my comments on His Excellency Eugene Rougon:

This continues my reading of Zola's Rougon Macquart series. In this novel of political intrigue, Zola takes on French politics during the time of Napoleon. We first meet Eugene as a high-ranking government official, and follow his life and career as he sinks to disgrace, and then rises to power once again. True and incisive portraits are drawn of both his political allies and his political enemies, many of whom, according to the forward, are based on historical figures. And this being Zola, wouldn't you know it, there's a woman behind the scenes manipulating Eugene's downfall.

I wasn't looking forward to reading this book, since I have absolutely no knowledge of this era in French history. However, I found the book to be very readable and compelling despite my lack of background knowledge. The politicians are egomaniacs grasping for power, maneuvering and calaculating their every move. This is definitely a novel of character, rather than event, and I highly recommend it

Deborah, when you read the books that haven't been translated recently, are you reading the old bowdlerized translations or are you reading them in French?

Rebecca, the edition I read of His Excellency (published by Mondial) states that it is a reprint of the English edition of 1897. There is a preface by Ernest Alfred Vizetelly (also from 1897) which focuses primarily on the politics of the novel, and states that he did not make the translation, but had "revised it somewhat severely" to make it more accurate. While I was reading the novel, nothing jumped out at me that it was "bowdlerized," and I thought it was one of the better ones I've read so far, although not on a par with, say The Kill or The Conquest of Plassans, two of the lesser-known novels in the series that I found outstanding.

(Coincidentally--I just opened my copy and it fell open to a page on which I had underlined this statement being made by Rougon--his opinion of Madame Bovary: "...our present day novelists have adopted a style which is full of suggestiveness, a manner of describing things which makes it appear as if they were actually going on before you. They call that art. To me it seems to be simply indecency and bad taste." This opinion is entirely consistent with his character.)

As I stated, I really liked this novel very much even though I was not expecting to. If you read it, I would be very interested in your opinion on the translation. Or if anyone has read it in French, I would also be interested on their take.

What are the other books that have not been translated recently? I am wondering whether my problem with the first book is that I read it as a free ebook, which would indicate it was one of the old translations. Also, when I reread L'Assomoir, I also read it as a free ebook. I didn't like it as much as I remember I did when I read it the first time years ago, and I'm now wondering if that is also a translation issue.

Deborah, I've been relying on this Wikipedia page for its list of recent English translations. The six not listed as being translated recently are The Conquest of Plassans, The Sin of Father Mouret,* his Excellency Eugene Rougon, A Love Affair (the English translation), The Joy of Life, L'argent, and Doctor Pascal.

I really enjoyed the translation of L'assommoir that I read -- it was and Oxford World Classics edition translated by Margaret Mauldon; she discussed the difficulty of translating slang in her introduction. My guess is that the free e-books are the older translations.

I have always heard that the Vizetelly translations were bowdlerized because England had more puritanical publishing standards at the time than France. I guess it depends on the book whether it would make a big difference -- some of them have more sex and dirty slang than others.

Incidentally, I probably foolhardily bought a copy of La Conquete de Plassans in French today, because I walked past a bookstore that sells books in French, Spanish, and Italian. I'm sure my French isn't up to reading Zola, but I guess I'd like to try, dictionary and grammar book in hand.

*ETA I found a used copy of a 1969 translation of The Sin of Father Mouret by someone named Sandy Petrey in something called the Prentice-Hall New Library of French Classics.

Of the ones I've read that aren't recent translations I loved The Conquest of Plassans, and I think it's one that I would recommend to anyone interested in Zola--including everyone participating here that wants to read more that the Top 4: (Germinal, La Terre, Nana, and L'Assomoir) should be included in the best ones of the series to read. I wish you luck in reading it in French. I don't speak French, but if I were to try to read something in Spanish, I think I would spend so much time with the dictionary, I'd lose the flow of the book, and wouldn't enjoy it at all.

A Love Affair was one of the ones I didn't love, but didn't hate--maybe it is one that due to the subject matter would have been greatly diminished by a prudish translation. The Sin of Father Mouret was the strangest Zola I've read so far. There were pages and pages of description of flowers and plants and wildlife in the immense garden where most of the novel takes place. Once in the garden, it was nearly impossible to leave. I found it to be surreal, and most un-Zola-like. It does involve a love affair (the "sin"), and in the translation I read that was was indeed referred to only obliquely, and was very glossed over.

Joy of Life is up next for me, and I'll try to pay particular attention to the translation. I haven't read Dr. Pascal or L'Argent yet.

#4--Eugene Rougon and L'argent--otherwise known as Money are the best of that lot of 6 IMO. Though written at different stages I think of these two as companion pieces.