The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910 discussion

Sorry, dear reading folks. This is really late. I finished the novel a couple of days ago, but I physically did not have any time to come to my computer with all the packing and moving. I never thought it would be so stressful and will consume all my reading and posting time.

Anyway, this is the final thread.

If you remember, the previous part ended with the significant downfall of the shares on the stock-exchange.

1.Did you expect that the venture will come to a ruinous end?

2. Did you expect the disastrous end for many characters?

3. Do you think Zola has to rely on suicide, emotional frustrations, and even exile for his characters?

4. These last two chapters definitely stuck me as very emotional in contrast to machinations, daily sales, and plotting of the previous tow chapters. Do you think it was important to devote the two chapters to the emotional devastation of the characters?

5. Is this novel different from others by Zola? If yes, how and why? If no, why and how?

In my humble opinion, it has its ups and downs, I was fascinated by the drama (chapters about Saccard's illegitimate son and the final chapters of the novel), but I find myself struggling with the chapters about financial specifics of the venture - people who were involved, conspiracy and plotting against each other, even the stock-market description occasionally were agonizingly slow and emotionally deprived.

Dagny wrote: "I wonder if the reason his (Busch's) brother died at the end of the book was so a bad person wouldn't have a happy ending. ..."

Or, he had to die because his cause was hopeless? I believe Zola was interested in Marxism at this time, but not more than that, cherishing more spiritual, organic political ideals himself. I do not remember that Caroline actually took the manuscript with her.

Dagny wrote: "Zola wrote: "Money is decidedly a thankless subject, stock market business I mean.".."

I'm afraid Zola was right, his description of the stock market is far too detailed, his scientific ambitions clearly harm his novel.

But it does not need to be that way: see WP's lemma Financial thriller. And here are more examples. Even better known are the Wall Street movies.

Just getting to this part, seems a bit topical with recent instability of US markets!

Surprisingly, many things still sound quite topical in his novel, but I also agree with Wendel - the description is way too detailed, and it harms the novel. The idea is interesting and exciting, and some parts are intriguing and very engaging, but still the chemistry of relations of its characters is underwhelming.

I agree, there are too many different names in the stock market business without any real personality to distinguish them. And the arc of the story was predictable.

There's an interesting juxtaposition at the end of two fanatics. Saccard in jail still thinks he can start over with a great scheme if he just getst the money, and the Communist brother dies in a tirade about his view of the perfect society. Meanwhile lots of little people had their lives ruined. I was happy that Caroline sold while the stock was still good, but in the end that didn't help her and her brother enough.

I liked her question about where the money went. In this kind of market, money can just disappear, as we saw in 2008.

Jack, if there is a steady interest, I can resume it in a month. I just started moderating Little Dorrit. I need some time to get into the swing of it.

I'll participate but I've been enjoying the time off as well.

I'll be there, though it feels like being put on fatigue. Four down, 16 to go, isn't it?

Wendel wrote: "I'll be there, though it feels like being put on fatigue. Four down, 16 to go, isn't it?"

This year has been rough for me, Wendel. We bought a new house, moved to a bigger city (these are good but strenuous changes), I was in a car wreck with some serious bruising and totalled car, and finally some very nasty flu that lasted more than ten days, and I temporarily lost my voice and hearing. I have felt like a human being only for the last week. I need a couple of weeks to get more sure-footed, and then I will be back to my normal self. Sorry about some slightly sluggishness with the project.

Sorry to hear that, Zulfiya, I hope things will take a turn for the better.

Actually I have double feelings about our Zola project. Those 16 novels still before us seem like a heap of potatoes waiting to be peeled. While I'm happy with the time off, there also a feeling that it would be good to get over with it.

Still, I trust the best is yet to come and that somehow the whole will be greater than the sum of its parts.