Money - The Rougon-Macquart

New York - Berlin: Mondial, 2007. First Mondial Edition . Trade Paperback. Very Good. 5 1/2" x 8 1/2. 332 Pages. No marks or stamps. Interior text pages are flawless. After a disastrous speculation, Aristide Saccard was forced to sell his mansion. Chance made him acquainted with Hamelin, an engineer whose residence in the East had suggested to him financial schemes which at once attracted the attention of Saccard. With a view to financing these schemes the Universal Bank was formed, and by force of advertising became immediately successful. Emboldened by success, Saccard launched into wild speculation. Judged by popularity, this title is at the top. This is not surprising, as the book deals with a subject of great interest to everyone. And with regard to this English version it is well timed. Emile Zola was born in Paris in 1840, the son of a Venetian engineer. He grew up in Aix-en-Provence and after an undistinguished school career and a brief period of dire poverty in Paris Zola joined the newly founded publishing firm of Hachette which he left in 1866 to live by his pen. He had already published a novel and his first collection of short stories. Other novels and stories followed until in 1871 Zola published the first volume of his Rougon-Macquart series, in which he illustrates the influence of heredity and environment on a wide range of characters. It was not until 1877 that his novel L 'Assommoir, a study of alcoholism in the working classes, brought him wealth and fame. The last of the Rougon-Macquart series appeared in 1893.