170 reviews for:

La Bete Humaine

Émile Zola

3.87 AVERAGE


Analisi e commento --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8lBxlcJGg0&t=3553s
challenging dark informative reflective sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
dark tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
adventurous dark informative mysterious tense medium-paced

"A Besta Humana" de Émile Zola é um livro incrível que mergulha na mente das pessoas em um período em que as ferrovias estavam começando a se espalhar pela França no século XIX. Nessa história complexa, conhecemos Jacques Lantier, Séverine e Roubaud, e através deles, o autor explora temas como desejo, culpa, violência e o conflito entre nossa natureza civilizada e nossos instintos mais básicos.

Imagine o cenário das ferrovias se expandindo, conectando lugares distantes. A trama nos guia pelos caminhos entrelaçados desses personagens, revelando seus relacionamentos complicados e os traumas que eles carregam de suas famílias. Zola tece uma teia de segredos, ciúmes e impulsos violentos que nos fazem pensar sobre as partes sombrias da nossa própria mente.

Jacques Lantier é um personagem chave. Ele lida com impulsos violentos que o atormentam, especialmente em relação às mulheres. Sua vida muda quando conhece Séverine Roubaud, a esposa de Roubaud, um chefe de estação. Jacques fica obcecado por ela, e essa obsessão se mistura a acidentes terríveis na ferrovia, tornando a história ainda mais intrigante.

O livro se desenrola com uma mistura de romance proibido e crime. À medida que Jacques e Séverine se envolvem em um caso apaixonado, segredos surgem. Eles até tramam um assassinato juntos. Esse enredo chocante nos faz questionar o que acontece quando nossos impulsos mais sombrios tomam conta.

Uma ideia fundamental aqui é a "bestialidade". Isso é representado pelas características que herdamos de nossos antepassados. Jacques Lantier, por exemplo, luta contra seus desejos violentos. Ele quer redenção e amor, mas suas batalhas internas o conduzem a um caminho sombrio.

O livro culmina em momentos intensos, com assassinatos e revelações. Zola nos leva a refletir sobre nossa própria natureza, e como a sociedade pode escorregar para a violência quando não está controlada. Ele também critica teorias científicas da época, que tentavam explicar nosso comportamento.

Em resumo, "A Besta Humana" é um mergulho profundo na alma humana em meio ao avanço das ferrovias na França do século XIX. Com personagens complexos e uma trama envolvente, Zola nos faz pensar sobre nossos desejos, nossa moral e o que realmente nos define como humanos. É uma leitura que continua relevante, nos lembrando das nossas partes mais escuras, mesmo em um mundo em constante mudança.
challenging dark informative sad tense slow-paced
dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
dark reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Having recently read Thérèse Raquin, I quickly made it my mission to devour as many Zola novels as I could. This being the second, I must say it’s not as good as Thérèse was, but still delivered on fantastic writing, imagery, and Gothic horror.

Classic motifs of infidelity and murder make Zola’s writing so gripping. Séverine as a character isn’t exactly likeable, but I think her motives are certainly understandable and I can empathise with many of them. For one of the book’s earliest conflicts routing from domestic violence at the hands of her husband, I immediately clocked onto the notion that he was going to be cuckholded and the subject of a murder plot. While the true plot of the story differed from my first guesses, I found the actual trajectory so entertaining and vivid.
Jaques witnessing the murder on the train at night was probably one of my favourite moments in the entire novel, closely followed by the murder of Séverine which is so unbelievably tragic and violent. I find myself noticing a lot of Macbeth references in Zola’s work so far, and this scene carried quite a few that I enjoyed quite thoroughly.


One thing that I think drew this back from the successes I found in Thérèse was the tangents and longer swaths of description that had little bearing on plot. M. Denizet for example didn’t add a lot for me, and while I understand he’s crucial for the law and order themes and the fear of being caught, I think some of it could definitely be cut down. Other tangents, though, I did enjoy, like many of the details surrounding the railway settings and the communities that make it up. Minor characters added to this surrounding atmosphere or depravity and poverty and violence that make our main characters not seem so insane.

This really was an amazing tragedy to me, the ending especially showcasing an extremely pessimistic view on life. It’s gory and sad and everyone involved seems irredeemable except in death. Those that die find release from the world’s cruel grip on them, and those that remain are bound to suffer fates they may not necessarily deserve to the full extent. Roubaud was especially hateable, as was Jaques, and the different ways they end up quite apt.

I would definitely recommend this to Zola enjoyers or people interested in his work. While it’s not my favourite of his, it’s definitely going to stick with me for a very long time.
dark tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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