Penguin Classics Beast Within [Paperback]

While this new translation of "La Bete Humaine" starts off a bite more melodramatic than some of Zola's other works, in the end the author succeeds in drawing the reader into a nightmarish world of infidelity, greed, abuse, murder and madness.

This is a thought-provoking work - equal in many respects to "Crime and Punishment" - although at times Zola's depiction of blood lust and violence (especially violent acts committed against women) are hard to handle. Yet, however sensationalized or gratuitous the violence and depravity seems, I hope it is obvious that this is meant to be a social commentary rather than a celebration of certain kinds of reprehensible behavior. Another possible criticism is that there are too many ideas floating around in this novel - Zola in fact formed the plot by combining two separate story ideas into one book, which I think makes it less focused than some of his other works ("Germinal" or "L'Assommoir" for example) - and the author's ideas about heredity and crime seem less believable today than perhaps they would have to contemporary readers.

Yet, these points aside, "The Beast Within" is still a fascinating read and a deeply unsettling look at the human condition.

Although I haven't read the entire Rougon-Macquart series - not even close - I think there's a good chance that this is the most violent and shocking entry in Zola's 20-book cycle. This novel (no. 17 in the series) is populated with characters who are battling violent impulses - or "the beast within" of the title. When all is said and done, it would appear that not a single person's hands are clean. Everyone contributes in some way to the destructive and inhumane deeds scattered throughout this grim tale, which is said to have inspired later writers of "noir" crime fiction.

Cavernous train stations and a desolate house located right next to the railroad tracks are among the suitably atmospheric backdrops, and the locomotives that barrel across the countryside are an extension of human beings who mindlessly destroy those in their path. Zola provides some wonderful, cutting commentary on the technological progress that railways of the day are supposed to epitomize. This, after a horrific derailment: "What did it matter that a few nameless people had come to an end beneath their wheels? The dead had been carried away, and the blood had been cleaned up. People were on the move again - towards a bright, new future!"

As the story moves along, Zola explores violence through the perspectives of multiple characters. The number of incidents do indeed pile up, but I don't want to give away the story (unlike the Penguin book jacket; more on that later). Typical for Zola, the story builds up to a terrific conclusion - in this case, one of the most exciting in all of 19th-century literature. Zola's portrayal of the corrupt and unjust legal system is also illuminating. Those familiar with this series will not be surprised that there are several amazing set pieces in "The Beast Within," including the description of a train plowing through a blizzard to get to Paris. There are a few flaws. The motives that Zola ascribes to one character's violent acts aren't entirely convincing. The drama can also be a tad over-heated and heavy-handed at times.

A note on the Penguin edition: I appreciate some of the features of Penguin paperbacks such as the new, larger font size and the helpful explanatory notes. However, I certainly don't appreciate the completely artless story summary on the back cover, which in the span of a few short sentences gives away at least four spoilers. Please, Penguin - describe plots in more general terms so that readers can discover stories for themselves.

Oh, and one more thing - while reading this book the thought will probably cross your mind that it would make a thrilling movie. In fact, several movie adaptations have been made, most notably by Jean Renoir and Fritz Lang. I haven't seen those films, but the movie posters look extremely stylish and cool!

I know from reading this book in print form that this is a great novel. I am only writing this review to complain about the fact that the Kindle "sample" stops in the editor's introduction and does not give you even one page of the novel. I ask you Mr. and Mrs. Kindle, how is a potential reader supposed to get an idea of whether or not the book is worth buying from that pathetic sample.

I gave this book a five for its quality of writing. I am not going to punish Emile Zola for Amazon's poor sample quality.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 3 reviews  4.3 out of 5 stars