A review by an_library_stan
Germinal by Émile Zola

adventurous dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Parts are very well written. The descriptions of work in the mine was vivid and claustrophobic. The political discussions were interesting. Hearing other socialist, communist and anarchist thinkers cited alongside Marx shows there was more diversity of theory and thought before Marx and Engels became the authority. The fights scene between Etienne and Cheval was also well written. I was on the edge of my seat. 

Zola does not write women well. Pretty standard obsession with boobs for a historical male writer. The language around sex was extremely gendered, with women being "taken" or "laid flat on their arses." One of the more ridiculous scenes

is when Etienne and Catherine are stuck underground after the mine sabotage, and have been starving and soaking in cold water for days. Catherine is close to death, and they barely have room to move bc they are so cramped on the wall. Chavals body has been floating up and bumping against them. Somehow they still manage to have sex, and Etienne is excited he may have gotten her pregnant. And then she dies pretty soon after. 🙄