The Rougon Macquart Novels
by Emile Zola |
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Title: |
La Curée
First published in 1871 |
English Translations: |
The Rush for the Spoils: A realistic novel(1887)
Published by Vizetelly and Co. Translated by ?
La Curée(The Hounds Fee) (1895)
Published by The Lutetian Society. Translated by A Teixeira De Mattos
The Kill(1954)
Published by Weidenfeld and Nicholson in UK and Farrar, Straus and Young in US. Translated by A Teixeira De Mattos The Kill(1955)
Published by Bantam Books. Translated by ?
The Kill(1957)
Published by The Citadel Press. Translated by A Teixeira De Mattos
The Game is Over(1967)
Published by Arrow Books.
Translated by A Teixeira De Mattos
(This was a film spin off in paperback of earlier Teixeira De Mattos translation)
The Kill(1969)
Published by Elek. Translated by A Teixeira De Mattos
(This is second impression. I would imagine original date was in late 50's)
The Kill(2004)
Published by Random House Inc. Translated by A. Goldhammer The Kill(2005)
Published by Oxford University Press. Translated by B. Nelson
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My Translation: |
 I have used the hardback version of the new translation by A. Goldhammer published in 2004. I purchased it from Waterstones in Piccadilly in London. http://www.waterstones.co.uk
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Film Versions: |
The Game is Over(1966) |
Setting: |
The setting is Paris. Much of the action takes place in a mansion overlooking the parc Monceau in the 8th arrondisement.
Renée's family live on the Ile St. Louis close to Notre Dame in the 4th arrondisement. A key property which Saccard is trying to obtain from his wife is at what is now the Boulevard Charonne in the 11th arrondisement. You can see the location of these places on this map. |
Summary: |
The novel is based around two main themes. They are the greed of Aristide Saccard and the desires of his wife culminating in incest. Zola brilliantly combines the two in a damning indictment of the bourgeoisie during the second empire.
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My View: |
Bleak, bleak, bleak.
On second reading I enjoyed it more but there are still no characters you can hold out as examples to your Sunday school class. Perhaps thats what makes it an attractive novel!! |
