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sjlee's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I was recommended Earth because I was looking for a book about rural life. There is no doubt that Earth paints a highly unromanticized portrait of life in France's countryside in the middle of the 19th century. The story centres around a village and the Beauce, and one particular family who calls it home.
The family, to put it charitably, is composed of deeply flawed individuals. Their cruelty, selfishness, malice, and pettiness defines the story and drives the conflict at its heart. However, it is clear that these are desperate individuals and their actions are reflective of those pushed to the edge, in part, by circumstance.
The story is filled with casual violence and abuse, and readers should be aware of that. The circumstances range from implied comedic to horrendous. There are also scenes of rape and sexual assault that may be disturbing to readers.
I suppose Zola ultimately created a representation of the dark side of provincial life. The people are provincial, clannish, and stubborn for the most part and well-meaning outsiders are rejected for nearly not coming from the soil of the Beauce. The story isn't pure misery though, there are comedic scenes and lines, as well as certain levity from the hard life of the farmers and townspeople.
Still, it is a challenging read. I felt like I took something valuable away from the novel, but it did leave me feeling quite downtrodden at the conclusion.
The family, to put it charitably, is composed of deeply flawed individuals. Their cruelty, selfishness, malice, and pettiness defines the story and drives the conflict at its heart. However, it is clear that these are desperate individuals and their actions are reflective of those pushed to the edge, in part, by circumstance.
The story is filled with casual violence and abuse, and readers should be aware of that. The circumstances range from implied comedic to horrendous. There are also scenes of rape and sexual assault that may be disturbing to readers.
I suppose Zola ultimately created a representation of the dark side of provincial life. The people are provincial, clannish, and stubborn for the most part and well-meaning outsiders are rejected for nearly not coming from the soil of the Beauce. The story isn't pure misery though, there are comedic scenes and lines, as well as certain levity from the hard life of the farmers and townspeople.
Still, it is a challenging read. I felt like I took something valuable away from the novel, but it did leave me feeling quite downtrodden at the conclusion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, and Violence