This novel inaugurates the series of Rougon-Macquart and gives us the "family book" where all perversions are germ, inscribed in the genes of the various clan members: greed, greed, cruelty, pride, cowardice, jealousy etc. The theme is the coup of Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, then president of the republic, which will kill the republic to install the Emperor throne and the abuses that go with. However, behind the bitter family or failing hearts, we see still some dawning of humanity gleams in the unfortunate Silvere Mouret and in Pascal Rougon, the famous "Doctor Pascal" (opus 20 in the series and which closes). The main role is played by Pierre Rougon and his wonderful wife, willing to sell anyone or anything to get to the property, and will use disorders coup to pose as saviors of Plassans (alias Aix en Provence, which is native Zola). Although this novel is not, in my opinion, the best of the great cycle of Zola, he is indispensable because it permetde understand the origins (and of the coup and the family). It is also interesting to note that this novel ultra critical vis-à-vis the empire was written while he had not yet expired at Sedan.
