50 pages 1 hour read

Émile Zola, Transl. Gerhard Krüger

Nana

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1880

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Before You Read

Roundup icon

Super Short Summary

In Émile Zola's Nana, part of the Les Rougon-Macquart series, 18-year-old Nana starts as a lower-class girl and rises to fame as a courtesan in Paris. Her romantic entanglements financially and spiritually ruin her lovers, ultimately symbolizing the decadence of the Second French Empire. The plot includes sensitive topics such as abuse, sex work, and terminal illness.

Reviews & Readership

Roundup icon

Review Roundup

Critics praise Émile Zola's Nana for its vivid portrayal of Parisian high society and the destructive power of desire. Krüger's translation is appreciated for maintaining the novel's rich detail and compelling narrative. However, some feel that the pacing drags in places, and the characters can seem excessively debauched, which may not appeal to all readers.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Nana?

A reader who enjoys Nana by Émile Zola and translated by Gerhard Krüger is interested in naturalist literature that examines society's complexities and human behavior. This reader would also appreciate the detailed social critique in books like Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert and Thérèse Raquin by Émile Zola.

RecommendedReading Age

18+years

Book Details

Genre

Classic Fiction

Historical Fiction

Realistic Fiction

Themes

Identity: Gender

Society: Class

Society: Nation

Topics

Love / Sexuality

Class

History: European

Period

Realism

Naturalism