The Germinal - Emile Zola

I wanted to read this novel since a year or so and finally made it. I absolutely loved Zola's writing. Germinal is a masterpiece and I am happy to have read it. It is the thirteenth novel of the famous 'Rougon-Macquart' series.  This is my first book in the series and first by Emile Zola. There is no need to read the series in order. But I would love to read it so, somewhere in the near future.
It was first published in 1885. Zola wrote this book after a year of research and travels to the mining countries in Northern France. It exposes the pathetic life of mining community in a small French town called Montsou. The novel's title comes from the name of the 7th month in the revolutionary calendar. Germinal was the period of April-May, symbolizing the spring time of revolution.
The protagonist Etienne, having lost his job, reaches Voreux, a coal mine near Montsou in search of a job, almost dying of hunger. Though he is a mechanic, he takes the job as a miner and becomes part of Maheu's crew. The mines are described in detail. Zola describes the village of the mining community, which is named Two hundred and forty. He shows vividly the horrific living conditions of the mining community describing in detail the house and the daily routine of the Maheu family. Etienne is attracted towards Catherine, Maheu's daughter who is friendly. But Chaval takes Catherine as his girl friend. Though Catherine is not fond of Chaval, she thinks that it is her fate and she has no alternative. Chaval is a brutal man, and injures Catherine whenever he gets chance. Etienne and Chaval become rivals straightaway and Zola goes on to tell a disturbing triangular love relationship. Etienne is educated and is disturbed by the near slave life of the miners. He stays at Rassaneurs, where he befriends Sauvarine, a Russian anarchist. Etienne seeds revolutionary ideas among miners. He finally leads the workers to strike, when the wages are reduced. The strike which starts as silent revolution, soon turns violent. Though the strike ends with no imminent change in the living conditions of the miner, zola ends the novel with hope.

"Now the April sun, in the open sky, was shining in his glory, and warming the pregnant earth. From its fertile flanks life was leaping out, buds were bursting into green leaves, and the fields were quivering with the growth of the grass. On every side seeds were swelling, stretching out, cracking the plain, filled by the need of heat and light. An overflow of sap was mixed with whispering voices, the sound of the germs expanding in a great kiss. Again and again, more and more distinctly, as though they were approaching the soil, the mates were hammering. In the fiery rays of the sun on this youthful morning the country seemed full of that sound. Men were springing forth, a black avenging army, germinating slowly in the furrows, growing towards the harvests of the next century, and their germination would soon overturn the earth."

 

Hospital Sketches - Louissa May Alcott

I read this book last year for LMRC, but didn't blog about it then. As it is in my Classics Club List, I am writing about it now. This is a novella where the author writes about her experiences as a nurse during the civil war. Alcott fictionalizes her short career as a nurse and gives herself a pseudonym, Tribulation Periwinkle.
Tribulation Periwinkle looking for something to do follows her brother Tom's advice and decides to become a nurse for the union army. She does get an appointment, not at her desired place, but at Hurly-burly hotel which is running as a temporary hospital. She goes on to describe her hardship in reaching the hospital at Washington DC. She then describes her job as a nurse. She was called upon to wash the wounded, immediately on arriving. Though she was embarrassed at first, she masters the art of nursing. Soon, she was promoted as head nurse of the night shift. She calls her patients, her boys and treats them motherly. She tells about her boys and the process of nursing. I was moved particularly by the story of John, a blacksmith from Virginia. Though the horror of war is felt, the narrator's tone alleviates the depressing mood.  Nurse Periwinkle was forced to leave the hospital when she falls ill and her father brings her home. In the last chapter, "A postscript," she answers the questions her readers had raised.
In her own words, Hospital sketches showed her what she called "her style", the telling, with heart and humor, of life as she lived it.
 

The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall

 

 

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is the second and final novel by the English author Anne Bronte. She died of pulmonary tuberculosis at the age of 29. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was first published in 1848 under the pseudonym Acton Bell. It is one of the first sustained feminist novels. It had an instant and phenomenal success, however after Anne's death, her sister Charlotte Bronte prevented its republication. (Source - Wikipedia)
It is an epistolary novel. Gilbert Markham writes to his friend and brother in law, his most secret story. The first part and third part of the story is from Gilbert's point of view. The second part is pages from Helen's diary which Gilbert reproduces in his letter. The protagonist of the novel, Helen comes as a tenant to Wildfell Hall as Mrs. Graham, a widow along with her son Arthur and a servantmaid. Wildfell Hall is near the village of Mr. Gilbert, where he lives with his mother, brother and sister. Since Mrs. Graham is reclusive, she becomes the subject of local Gossip. Gilbert befriends young Arthur, become fascinated with Mrs. Graham and falls in love with her. Wild rumors concerning Mrs. Graham begin to spread. Now Gilbert wishes to marry Helen, but Helen is not in a position to accept his proposal. He doubts that Helen is in love with Lawrence, the owner of Wildfell Hall. She gives him pages of her diary to unfold her mystery. From Helen's diary we come to know about her and her marriage to Arthur Huntingdon. Helen comes to know of Arthur's true nature after marriage. When Arthur begins to corrupt the child, she wants to flee from her husband. However, Huntingdon learns her plan and destroys it. But finally with the help of her brother Lawrence, she finds a refuge at Wildfell Hall.  After Gilbert reads Helen's diary, she bids him to leave her. He complies and soon he learns that she has returned to Grassdale as her husband is gravely ill. She nurses him, but Huntingdon dies. A year had gone. Gilbert hears about Helen's wedding and goes to Grassdale only to find it is Lawrence who is getting married. He finds that Helen is wealthy and lives at Staningley. He goes to Staningley, but hesitates to meet her. Lingering at the gate to have a glimpse of her, he encounters Helen, her aunt and young Arthur by chance. They reconcile and get married.
Twenty years had passed. We don't get to know about Helen after remarriage except that she and Gilbert had children. Whether she continues her painting work, we are left to wonder. Helen is bold and strong for a 19th century woman. It's a very engaging novel portraying the women's status in 19th century England.

I consider it for Reading England 2016 Challenge and Women's Classic Literature Event, though I have not included it when I signed for the challenge.