Therese Raquin

Therese Raquin lives a sheltered life in 19th century Paris, married to her spoiled, invalid cousin Camille and tending shop with her passive-aggressive mother-in-law. Her only joy comes on Thursday evenings when her husband's friend Laurent, a selfish, talentless slacker painter, comes by to visit. Swept off her feet by Laurent primarily because, well, primarily because he's not boring Camille, Therese slowly comes out of her self-imposed shell. When circumstances threaten to keep Therese and Laurent apart, the two become frantic and decide that there is only one way to stay together - murder. Camille is easily disposed of in an "accidental" drowning; the specter of his memory, however, is not so obliging to the murderers. Tormented by nightmares and driven to the brink of insanity with guilt, Therese and Laurent soon realize that Camille is far more a menace to their happiness as a corpse than he ever was while alive...

I first read about this book in an online interview with Kate Winslet. (I get book suggestions from the strangest places...) In the interview, Winslet was asked what her favorite novel was and why. She said Therese Raquin and the plot description piqued my interest. So me being a nosy sort, I just had to read this Emile Zola novel myself. Fortunately, Winslet did not let me down! (There's a reason she's one of my favorite actresses.) I loved Therese Raquin and couldn't wait to share it with you guys. Unfortunately, I had to put it on the backburner as a backup review, but this week when I am assaulted with tests and essays and lots of snow (Pity me! Pity me!) is the perfect chance to blog about this fascinating psychological revenge thriller.

This novel is a great read, because it is so intense! The plot is a little slow to begin with, specifically prior to Camille's murder, but once the dirty deed is done, the pacing and suspense are superb. Zola crafts a highly original "revenge" tale that is bone-chilling and addictive all the way up to the heart pounding finale. Therese and Laurent's guilt is realistic and their resulting comeuppance is both wickedly funny and somewhat heartbreaking. Zola intended this as a psychological character study; as a result, the book reflects a very keen understanding of the human mind. The plot is masterfully crafted, as well. The plot complications occur from the character's own actions, rather than artificial outside sources (ARGGH! A huge pet peeve of mine), and everything ties in perfectly.

I found this book quite readable, without the complex style that some find daunting in 19th century literature. I have read criticisms that complain that Zola's frequent repetition of certain words and phrases is monotonous; I think these critics are missing Zola's point. I believe Zola's word choice was a stylistic approach intentionally used to build a claustrophobic atmosphere that greatly adds to the suspense. The narration can be a bit vague at times, due to this, but Zola excels at creating an ominous atmosphere and rendering his characters' emotions authentically.

We've all read stories with similar plots to this - two lovers conspire to murder one's spouse. Rarely do these tales portray the emotions and aftereffects of these circumstances as well as this novel does. Therese Raquin is a powerful read that is diabolically plotted. This is a novel that will haunt you long after you are finished with it...not unlike Camille's corpse.

~

Next Week: Probably Davis Grubb's The Night of the Hunter. I guarantee nothing, though. I may hit you with some historical fiction, instead.

The Count of Monte Cristo

Sailor Edmond Dantès has it all. He has just been named captain of the Pharaon, he is going to marry the love of his life, Mercédès, and he is beloved by everyone who knows him. Then Edmond is denounced as a Bonapartist agent. In 1815 France, this is a serious charge of treason, but it is not true. Edmond is no servant of Napoleon. Someone has falsely accused him, but who? Nevertheless, Edmond is imprisoned in the notorious Château D’If in solitary confinement. After a daring escape from prison, Edmond assumes the identity of the mysterious and fantastically wealthy Count of Monte Cristo. Edmond is determined to make those responsible for his suffering pay. But will Edmond take his quest for vengeance too far?

The Count of Monte Cristo is arguably one of the world's best-known revenge tales, for good reason. Edmond’s elaborate plan for revenge is entertaining and satisfying. There’s just something reassuring about a good revenge story – it’s so nice to see the really bad guys get their justly-deserved comeuppance. Edmond Dantès is also one of my favorite characters in literature - it’s very easy to sympathize with him. The poor guy goes through a lot of pain and misery, but he still retains his ethics and code of honor. I also really enjoyed following his transformation from simple, humble Edmond Dantès to the dashing, manipulative Count of Monte Cristo. As the Count, Dantès is clever and witty – a formidable opponent for those whom he is paying back. Author Alexandre Dumas’s writing style, though melodramatic at times, is also easy to follow. Although this was written in 1844-1845, The Count of Monte Cristo is not a hard book to read.

As much as I enjoyed this story, I did have a few issues with it. My biggest problem: This book is a mammoth! The version I read was 1,462 pages long. I don’t mind long books, but I thought this caused The Count of Monte Cristo to have very uneven pacing. The opening part (which details Edmond’s arrest, imprisonment, and escape) was very good and held my interest, as did the chapters that record Edmond’s extensive game of cat-and-mouse with his enemies. But this book has a lot of subplots, and I found these distracting. (For example, after Edmond’s escape, the story abruptly switches to a young French noble named Franz and his adventures in Italy, and while Edmond’s wreaking havoc on the minds of his enemies, there is a lot of attention given to the secret love affair of one of his friends with one of his enemies’ daughters.) These side stories do eventually tie back into the revenge part of the story, but I thought the parts with Edmond were the most powerful. Whenever the story veered away from Edmond, I became a little exasperated because he was the character I found the most interesting. In all fairness to Dumas, he does make most of these other scenes interesting, so it’s not really painful to have to read them – it just irked me somewhat.

Despite my problem with the pacing, I thought The Count of Monte Cristo was an enjoyable read. The story is exciting and engrossing (particularly Edmond’s ingenious escape from prison), and Edmond Dantès is a character who is well-worth getting acquainted with. Don’t let the length of this novel intimidate you. The Count of Monte Cristo is a grand epic that is well worth your time.