File 4 - Files: 229-236

12 cm of textual records

These files consist of photocopies of letters, cartes de visites telegrams and postcards written to Zola between
January of 1883 and January of 1887. Recurring correspondents include Georges Charpentier, Antoine
Guillemet, Numa Coste and the Manets. The early contents of the letters discuss Zola’s political and
philosophical battle concerning his naturalist literary style. There are multiple letters within these files that
indicate that Zola was considering multiple English journals when releasing the serial version of Germinal;
within these letters, we can see evidence of the concern on the part of the English for the moral and ethical
contents of Zola’s novels (see letter from Tilloston & Son, dated October 9, 1884, in File #232). Other works
mentioned in the letters include La Terre, L’Œuvre and L’Assommoir. File #235 contains the last letter between
Paul Cézanne and Zola in this collection (marking the end of their friendship) following the publication of
L’Œuvre, a work that was interpreted to be based upon the unsuccessful career of Cézanne (letter is dated
April 4, 1886).

Added by S Mohtadi 26 October 2018.