The Wandering Jew

The Wandering Jew achieved unprecedented success in mid-19th-century French society. As part of the literary phenomenon known as the feuilleton, or serialized novel, it established its author, Eugène Sue, as its foremost representative. The novel narrates the story of a French family of noble lineage and Protestant faith, descendants of the Wandering Jew, who was condemned by Christ to wander eternally while spreading cholera across various parts of the world.
One hundred and fifty years later, the only heirs to his immense fortune are seven descendants who, in order to claim it, must gather at the location and on the date inscribed on bronze medallions each of them possesses. The Society of Jesus, coveting this inheritance, employs a variety of methods, both subtle and violent, to eliminate the heirs and prevent them from reaching Paris by the designated date.
Through this narrative, Sue explores the harsh conditions faced by the working class of his time, including their meager wages, and vividly portrays the sordid environments of Paris. He advocates for a reorganization of labor and a fairer distribution of wealth, aligning himself with the principles of utopian socialism to which he adhered. This ideological backdrop is reflected in every character and situation, along with another central theme of the novel: its radical anticlericalism. This stance led to the work being included in the Index of Forbidden Books by the Catholic Church.