A review by sinelce
The Flood by Émile Zola

4.0

This was my first, momentary foray into the foremost pioneer of literary naturalism. Lucid and balanced, this brilliantly translated volume contains three captivating yet highly unpretentious short stories (two of which - the titular tale, an extremely prescient eco-horror story, the other an interesting cross between an anti-war battlefield tale and a surrealist, deeply macabre re-run of Les-Trois-Petita-Cochons with biblical proportions - constitute something of a stylistic departure, or so the translator believes).

The third and final tale is historical fiction precisely as it should be: lean and immersive.

Easily three of the finest short stories I’ve ever read. No one weaves allegory quite like Zola.