The human Beast is a novel by Émile Zola, published in 1890
This was my first book by Émile Zola, and I was shocked and impressed by it. I read this psychological thriller in 2019. It goes deep into the human soul and shows why people turn to evil.
There are three main characters in this book. Rouband, his wife Sérverine, and Jacques Lantier. It is set in the 19th century on the train between Paris and Le Havre. Jacques Lantier who loves to drive his engine which is called “La Lison”, is the evilest because he has a desire to kill, especially women.
The first chapter is quite horrifying, and everything happens there. Sérverine admits to her husband that when she was a child, she was repeatedly abused by Grandmorin and she had an affair with him too. Rouband beats Sérverine because he is very jealous and threatens her life. Then Rouband decides to kill President Grandmorin instead and he brings Sérverine into his plans. It is revenge for what he has done to Sérverine as a child. Jaques Lantier witnesses the crime but decided to be quiet about it.
Sérverine falls in love with Jaques Lantier and they meet up secretly. Rouband changes and doesn’t spend much time at home and starts to drink and gamble with the money that they have robbed from Grandmorin. Sérverine convinces Jacques Lantier to kill Rouband because he is in their way.
I would say this book will impress and fascinate you because there is everything like hate, brutality, violence, love, and sex. But I must admit that Émile Zola must be a bit insane to write something like that and all the details of killing a man. I think he crossed the line with this story but what makes normal people say that? There are people out there who feel this way and they also kill people.
Sérverine is a woman who tends to fall in love with the wrong men because she was abused as a child and this follows through her life. She trusted her husband the secret of her life and thought that maybe Rouband would understand her. Rouband however goes mad with this news which he cannot sort out in his mind. His jealousy and pride drive him into madness and he later realizes that it was not worth it to kill a man. He gives up his own life and does not feel happy anymore. Maybe this is the guilt that he feels what he has done.
The book cover "The human Beast" by Émile Zola, read more on Wikipedia about it.
About the Author
Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism, and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism
If you like to watch La Béte Humaine, there is a film under the name "Human Desire" in black & white which was released on 3rd November 1954 (West Germany)
Sevgili Hülya, İngilzce bilmiyorum malesef.