Emile Zola

Who was Emile Zola?

Though born in Paris in 1840, Zola spent his childhood in sun-dappled Provence. Zola's father, Francesco Zolla was an Italian-born engineer. (His surname, Zolla, was changed to the more French spelling of "Zola.") Growing up in Aix-en-Provence with a single mother (his father died when he was a child), Zola experienced much financial difficulty and hardship, which may explain his fixation on the struggles of the working class.

Zola's preeminent literary accomplishment was Les Rougon-Macquart, a set of 20 novels that spans 20 years and five generations of two different families. Subtitled Natural and social history of a family under the Second Empire, these novels depict a contemporary society in Zola's age. The Second Empire was the regime of Napoleon III which lasted from 1852 to 1870. Zola openly disliked Napoleon III and believed him to be a corrupt leader.

Zola died on September 29, 1902, of carbon monoxide poisoning in his Paris residence. He was 62 years old. Though many suspected his death was caused by one of his many political enemies, nothing was ever proven. It later came to light that a poorly ventilated chimney caused the excess of carbon monoxide.

Zola was buried at the Cimetiere de Montmartre, a cemetery located in the bohemian Parisian neighborhood of Montmartre. Many other French public figures were also buried at Cimetiere de Montmartre, including the writer Stendhal and the surrealist painter Gustave Moreau.

Emile Zola is one of France's most important authors as he helped create a new genre that helped define the realities of modern life. He specialized in naturalism and his work honestly reflects the trials and tribulations of 19th century Paris' proletariat population.