The Masterpiece by Émile Zola

15 hours, 35 minutes first pub 1886 (view editions)

fiction classics dark emotional reflective slow-paced
Powered by AI (Beta)
Loading...

Description

Perhaps the most autobiographical of Zola's Rougon-Macquart cycle of novels, The Masterpiece is a hard, bleak, and raw portrait of unrecognised artistic genius. Claude Lantier, brother to Nana and son of Gervaise, is a struggling painter who dream...

Read more

Community Reviews

3.85
based on 454 reviews

Moods

dark: 69%

sad: 67%

reflective: 65%

emotional: 62%

challenging: 32%

inspiring: 23%

tense: 23%

informative: 18%

adventurous: 4%

funny: 2%

lighthearted: 2%


Pace

47% of readers chose medium
52% of readers chose slow
medium
slow

Plot or character driven?

20% of readers chose A mix
80% of readers chose Character
A mix
Character

Strong character development?

70% of readers chose Yes
13% of readers chose Complicated
16% of readers chose No
Yes
Complicated
No

Loveable characters?

23% of readers chose Yes
50% of readers chose Complicated
26% of readers chose No
Yes
Complicated
No

Diverse cast of characters?

20% of readers chose Yes
12% of readers chose Complicated
68% of readers chose No
Yes
Complicated
No

Flaws of characters a main focus?

93% of readers chose Yes
3% of readers chose Complicated
3% of readers chose No
Yes
Complicated
No

Content Warnings

Loading...
Accept and close

By using The StoryGraph, you agree to our use of cookies.
We use a small number of cookies to provide you with a great experience.

Find out more