Book Review

Therese Raquin
by Emile Zola

In this short novel, the title character enters into an adulterous affair after a life of hypocritical passivity. Therese and her lover, Laurent, eventually murder her sickly husband in order to live a carefree life togather. However, the act of murder instead transforms their lives into a grotesque nightmare that leads to violence and death. It's a fairly dark novel, which takes a dim view of humanity and is entirely lacking in likable or even admirable characters. Nonetheless, Zola manages to make his misanthropic tale extremely readable and compelling.