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A review by inoirita
Thérèse Raquin by Émile Zola
4.0
Zola's first claim to fame is an exploration of marriage of convenience but not quite in the rom-com way. His protagonist, Thérèse Raquin is locked away in a marriage with her first cousin according to the will of her aunt. She had grown up with her cousin Camille and had observed the ways in which her aunt, Madame Raquin had spoilt her son who was not quite in the best of his health, physically and mentally. The two women constantly aided Camille in achieving all his desires and accompanies him to Paris when he sets his mind upon taking a job.
Laurent comes in the life of Raquins and becomes the perfect companion for the husband, the extraordinary lover of the wife and the desired son of the mother. His life was indeed perfect according to his whimsical nature and while Camille was terribly happy to have found such a companion like Laurent, Thérèse finally experienced the torrid passion that she has been yearning for so long. Laurent had started sleeping with his friend's wife solely cause he couldn't afford prostitutes anymore, but he becomes completely infatuated with Thérèse and with the idea of having her all for himself. Their little secret affair was getting arduous to maintain day by day and hence, they come up with the plan of murdering Camille.
But is it so easy for an ordinary person to take the life of someone quite ordinary as them and go on with their life, irrespective of how sorted it feels? The idea of having Camille to not bother them in their little dalliance might have been appealing, but does passion really remain when you watch your lover take a life? In some respects, Zola writes about a couple trying to find the love that is lost when a horrible incident happens to them. It is not a beautiful tale, it is quite grotesque at times but it is a tale exuding passion in all its might.
Laurent comes in the life of Raquins and becomes the perfect companion for the husband, the extraordinary lover of the wife and the desired son of the mother. His life was indeed perfect according to his whimsical nature and while Camille was terribly happy to have found such a companion like Laurent, Thérèse finally experienced the torrid passion that she has been yearning for so long. Laurent had started sleeping with his friend's wife solely cause he couldn't afford prostitutes anymore, but he becomes completely infatuated with Thérèse and with the idea of having her all for himself. Their little secret affair was getting arduous to maintain day by day and hence, they come up with the plan of murdering Camille.
But is it so easy for an ordinary person to take the life of someone quite ordinary as them and go on with their life, irrespective of how sorted it feels? The idea of having Camille to not bother them in their little dalliance might have been appealing, but does passion really remain when you watch your lover take a life? In some respects, Zola writes about a couple trying to find the love that is lost when a horrible incident happens to them. It is not a beautiful tale, it is quite grotesque at times but it is a tale exuding passion in all its might.