Emile Zola – A trip to Paris following the legacy of the author of “Je Accusation”

Emile Zola (1840-1902) is my favorite French writer of the last ten years thanks to his realistic style, which brings the reader to 19th-century Paris in all its glory and in all its ugliness. He grew up in a fascinating period when Napoleon III and Baron Haussmann were reshaping Paris with the boulevards they built, a period when the first department stores were created, and the market La God (Les Halles) reached its full glory thanks to the buildings of Baltard. But at the same time it is a period of collapse of old world orders and abject poverty. All this and more was recorded by Emile Zola with his sharpened pen.

He was born in Paris, raised in Provence, and returned to Paris at the age of 18. After failing his matriculation exams twice, he began working in a bookstore, where he began to cultivate his writing talent. After a brief flirtation with the Romantic school of French literature, Zola joined the naturalist movement, led by Flaubert, which aimed to present reality in its most accurate form.

In 1871, Zola began publishing a series of books starring the sons and daughters of the Rougon and Macquart families, which realistically and cruelly describe the France of the days of Napoleon III (1852-1870). The great fame came with the novel “Gervase” (in French it is called l'Assomoir), which describes how a lower-class family slowly descends into alcoholism.

Another novel, which was very successful and created quite a scandal, is “Nana,” which tells the story of the world of high-class prostitutes through the story of Nana, Gervaise’s daughter from the previous book. Other books in the series that I would recommend reading are “Le Bonheur des Dames,” which describes the rise of department stores in Paris (and, if I’m not mistaken, almost the only novel by Zola that ends happily) and “The Belly of Paris"(Le Ventre de Paris) which is a literary monument to the Les Halles market, which no longer exists.

By 1898 it was Emile Zola All in all, a successful writer. All this changed when he published “J’accuse” in which he accused the French government and army of anti-Semitism and obstruction of the trial of Dreyfus, a Jewish officer who was unjustly accused of spying for Germany. The article caused a huge uproar and led to a retrial, but at the same time Zola was forced to flee France for a while because he was accused of slander. In the end, Dreyfus was acquitted and Zola returned to France.

Because of his involvement in the Dreyfus Affair, Zola made quite a few enemies, and when he died suddenly in his Paris home in 1902, from carbon poisoning resulting from a clogged chimney, many claimed that he had been murdered. Emile Zola is buried in the cemetery of Montmartre Later, his remains were transferred to the Pantheon and he was buried next to the greats of the French nation.

Nana's house

Start your route by exiting the Blanche metro station. Head north on Rue Lepic and turn right on Rue Veron. This is where the high-class prostitute Nana, one of the most famous characters created by Emile Zola, lived. And to be honest, this is not surprising at all, since this was once the “red light district” of Montmartre.

The house where Emile Zola wrote “I Accuse”

Retrace your steps and go to Rue Bruxelles. At number 21bis you will find one of the houses where the writer lived and where he wrote his famous “Je Accusation” following the Dreyfus Affair and where he also died of carbon monoxide poisoning in 1902.

Turn left to the end of Place Adolphe Max and left again on Rue Ballu. Zola lived in the beautiful building at number 23 on this street.

19th century lesbian bar on Rue Des Martyres

Continue straight and then turn right on Rue Blanche and then Rue Chaptal. Go to Rue Pigalle and then turn right on Rue Victor Massé and right again on Rue des Martyres. Today it is one of the most important culinary streets in Paris with some excellent patisseries, but in Zola’s time the street was famous for the lesbian bars in the area…

The large department stores of Paris – the inspiration for a “women’s paradise”

Turn left on Rue Chateaudun and right on Rue Le Peletier. Imagine the street as Nana saw it, “the last market where you can buy a person for the night.” Turn right onto Boulevard Haussmann. This boulevard marks the great urban revolution that Napoleon III made in Paris, when he created the wide boulevards on which you can read in Zola’s book “The Miscellany.” Turn left on Rue Scribe and you will pass by the large department stores. Galeries Lafayette (Galerie Lafayette) and Printemps. These department stores inspired Zola's book "La Paradis des Femmes" which describes the growth of consumer culture, which was created in department stores and the collapse of small shops in Paris.

Turn left on Rue Auber and stop for a rest at the Cafe de la Paix, located at 12 Boulevard des Capucines. This is where Zola liked to sit and drink drinks a little more spicy than just coffee…

From the “Cauldron of Passions” to the “Belly of Paris”

Go east on 4th of September Street and you will find Choiseul Street. The plot of the book “Pot Bouille” takes place in a fictional apartment building on this street where families from different social backgrounds live. Turn right onto the street Montreuil, another important culinary street in Paris. This street was the setting for Emile Zola's book "The Belly of Paris." If you want to see what the Paris wholesale market that was located there once looked like, go to 15 Rue Montmartre to the bistro Pig in the Ear And you will find there are posters showing pictures of market life. It is also a good time to sit down and enjoy a meal, as this is where our tour ends.

Addition to the itinerary: The house where Emile Zola was born

Thanks to Anat Margalit, I learned that the house where Emile Zola was born is at 10 Rue Saint Joseph, not far from the Les Halles district. It is not entirely on the itinerary, but you are welcome to come and see it after you have finished the itinerary or after visiting the stock exchange area (it is not far from there, as you can see on the map).

And speaking of “I blame”

January 13, 2018 marked the 120th anniversary of the publication of “I Accuse,” and in honor of the occasion, the article was translated into Hebrew and a very in-depth historical introduction was added. After reading the book, I came to the conclusion that although 120 years have passed and all the heroes of the affair are long gone, the ideas it raises are also true for our time, and Emile Zola’s courage is a tremendous inspiration to anyone who cares about the issue of justice.

You can buy the book in the virtual store Nurita.