Claude's Confession - Hardcover

by Émile Zola (Author), Mint Editions (Contribution by)

Claude's Confession (1865) is a novel by French author Émile Zola. Written at night while Zola was employed at Hachette, Claude's Confession proved scandalous upon publication and resulted in the loss of his job. Undeterred by the response to his literary debut, Zola took advantage of his newfound infamy in order to embark on a career as one of France's foremost experimental writers. Intent on exploring taboo and the lives of people on the edge of society, Zola crafts a narrative capable of illuminating the human condition while humanizing those typically disdained by the literary elite. Born and raised in Provence, Claude is shocked to find that the Paris of legend is a city mired in poverty, decay, and loneliness. As he struggles to make ends meet in order to pay for his tiny apartment, he takes notice of a young woman who lives in the same building as him. Although he knows she is a prostitute, his feelings for him grow stronger than the impulse to look down on her way of life. After months of silent longing, he opens his door to find her standing there, desperate for help after being evicted. Despite his limited income, he welcomes her inside, and their relationship soon develops into a passionate romance. Claude's Confession is a story of forbidden love, fading hope, and the false promise of modern life. Written at the very beginning of Zola's career, it shows the innerworkings of a young mind interested in subjects too often ignored by writers, a mind whose guiding principle is truth and truth alone. This edition of Émile Zola's Claude's Confession is a classic work of French literature reimagined for modern readers.

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Back Jacket

After moving from his native Provence, Claude lives in poverty in a tiny apartment in the city of Paris. Desperately lonely, he meets a prostitute living on another floor of the building, and soon grows attracted to her. When she comes looking for help, he finds himself unable to turn her away. Claude's Confession is a novel by Émile Zola.