Germinal

Germinal, published in 1885, is one of Émile Zola’s most powerful and influential novels, portraying the brutal realities of coal miners in 19th-century northern France. Through the eyes of Étienne Lantier, a young idealist who becomes involved in labor activism, Zola vividly depicts the physical and psychological toll of industrial exploitation. The novel’s sweeping narrative captures the tension between workers and owners, the desperation of poverty, and the fiery hope of revolution. With its rich realism and social conscience, Germinal remains a cornerstone of working-class literature and naturalist fiction.