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emleemay's review against another edition
5.0
What happens when a married woman and her lover conspire to murder her husband so they can be together?
Do they live happily ever after?
Ha! Yeah, right.
A short, easy classic with a touch of smut, a dash of murder, and a couple of repulsive characters who I almost felt sorry for in the end.
Do they live happily ever after?
Ha! Yeah, right.
A short, easy classic with a touch of smut, a dash of murder, and a couple of repulsive characters who I almost felt sorry for in the end.
jslive's review against another edition
4.0
"Thérèse Raquin" by Emile Zola (French, 1868) is another one from my daughter's CEGEP curriculum. I liked it quite a bit -- hugely moody, dark and some suspenseful. Zola wrote it as a scientific study of temperaments, but it has too much imposed morality for that.
zackario's review against another edition
5.0
this books has the visuals of a Jean-pierre jeunet movie, with the family drama of a Ingmar Bergman movie.
martareader's review against another edition
5.0
Probably one of my favourite classics i've ever read
returnvoid's review against another edition
5.0
After picking the book up on a whim, I must say it has been an adventure. It is a crude, vulgar, unfiltered and ultimately raw delve into the depths of the human psyche. If you so desire to experience an analysis of the condition of human suffering - this is most definitely a must read.
suzandeniz's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
sydsnot71's review against another edition
4.0
I read this straight after finishing 'American Psycho', which was probably a mistake. Because 'Thérèse Raquin' makes 'American Psycho' seem positively joyful in comparison. Yes, there's a lot less actual violence in 'Thérèse Raquin' but psychologically it is a far bleaker story.
It's the story of adultery and murder. That's the basics. It's also the story of how apparent kindness can be as poisonous as unkindness. In a small apartment in Paris, above a haberdashery, lives Camille - a sickly young man; his mother - who we will call Madame Raquin; and Thérèse, who is Camille's cousin and was dumped on the family by Madame Raquin's soldier brother, who never returns. Madame brings Thérèse up as her own but has an eye on marrying her off to Camille. Camille doesn't seem to accept all this with equanimity. However, this might not be true. And the arrival of Camille's friend, Laurent puts a cat amongst the pigeons. He's a solid rural peasant, full of the kind of vitality that Camille is lacking.
So, obviously Thérèse and Laurent start getting it on behind Camille's back. Eventually, their lust leads to talk of freeing themselves from the sickly and dull Camille and that leads to murder, which it looks like they're going to get away with.
However, Camille haunts them, although I suspect Laurent's decision to trek down to the Morgue regularly until Camille's rotting corpse shows up is a mistake. What follows is the utter breakdown of both Thérèse and Laurent. Camille's corpse comes between them in bed and they're marriage falls apart in fear and terror.
It's so bloody bleak.
And then poor Madame Raquin, whose illness leads her to become physically frozen. She's mentally aware, but unable to move and her discovery of what happened to the son she dotes on is torture and she longs to have revenge on the two people she thought of as her children. Her children had killed her child.
The last few chapters are like drowning in darkness and misery. Even Francois the Cat - who Laurent '...persuaded himself that, like Madame Raquin, the cat knew about the crime and would denounce him if ever a day came when he could speak.' - ends up on the receiving end of a horrible fate.
This is a book filled with abuse: mental and physical. It's a tough read. It's a tougher read than 'American Psycho' I can tell you that. It's probably not the ideal book to begin your reading of Zola like I have just done. But the writing - melodramatic as it can be at times - is vivid and relentless.
'
It's the story of adultery and murder. That's the basics. It's also the story of how apparent kindness can be as poisonous as unkindness. In a small apartment in Paris, above a haberdashery, lives Camille - a sickly young man; his mother - who we will call Madame Raquin; and Thérèse, who is Camille's cousin and was dumped on the family by Madame Raquin's soldier brother, who never returns. Madame brings Thérèse up as her own but has an eye on marrying her off to Camille. Camille doesn't seem to accept all this with equanimity. However, this might not be true. And the arrival of Camille's friend, Laurent puts a cat amongst the pigeons. He's a solid rural peasant, full of the kind of vitality that Camille is lacking.
So, obviously Thérèse and Laurent start getting it on behind Camille's back. Eventually, their lust leads to talk of freeing themselves from the sickly and dull Camille and that leads to murder, which it looks like they're going to get away with.
However, Camille haunts them, although I suspect Laurent's decision to trek down to the Morgue regularly until Camille's rotting corpse shows up is a mistake. What follows is the utter breakdown of both Thérèse and Laurent. Camille's corpse comes between them in bed and they're marriage falls apart in fear and terror.
It's so bloody bleak.
And then poor Madame Raquin, whose illness leads her to become physically frozen. She's mentally aware, but unable to move and her discovery of what happened to the son she dotes on is torture and she longs to have revenge on the two people she thought of as her children. Her children had killed her child.
The last few chapters are like drowning in darkness and misery. Even Francois the Cat - who Laurent '...persuaded himself that, like Madame Raquin, the cat knew about the crime and would denounce him if ever a day came when he could speak.' - ends up on the receiving end of a horrible fate.
This is a book filled with abuse: mental and physical. It's a tough read. It's a tougher read than 'American Psycho' I can tell you that. It's probably not the ideal book to begin your reading of Zola like I have just done. But the writing - melodramatic as it can be at times - is vivid and relentless.
'
moncoinlecture's review against another edition
4.0
Une fin un peu précipitée... mais c'est Zola après tout!
Billet sur le blogue: http://moncoinlecture.com/therese-raquin-emile-zola/
Billet sur le blogue: http://moncoinlecture.com/therese-raquin-emile-zola/