Money (L’Argent) novel by Émil Zola
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| Money (L’Argent) By Zola |
Form prefece:
The present version of M. Zola's novel ' L'Argent ' supplies one of the missing links in the English translations of the Bougon Macquart series which the author initiated some five and twenty years ago, and brought to a close last summer by the publication of ' Doctor Pascal.' Judged by the standard of popularity.
' L'Argent ' may be said to rank among M. Zola's notable achievements, for not only has it had an extremely large sale in the original French, but the translations of it into various Continental languages have proved remarkably successful.
This is not surprising, as the book deals with a subject of great interest to every civilized community. And with regard to this English version.
it may, I think, be safely said that its publication is well timed, for the rottenness of our financial world has become such a crying scandal, and the inefficiency of our company laws has been so fully demonstrated, that the absolute urgency of reform can no longer be denied.
A work, therefore, which exposes the evils of ' speculation,' which shows the company promoter on the war-path, and the • guinea-pig ' basking at his ease, which demonstrates how the public is fooled and ruined by the brigands of Finance, is evidently a work for the times, even though it deal with the Paris Bourse instead of with the London market.
For the ways of the speculator, the promoter, the wrecker, the defaulter, the reptile journalist, and the victim, are much the same all the world over ; and it matters little whence the example may be drawn, the warning will apply with as much force in England as in France.
Information ℹ️:
Overview of Money (L’Argent)
- Publication: Serialized in Gil Blas (1890), published in book form in 1891.
- Series: 18th novel in Zola’s Les Rougon-Macquart cycle.
- Setting: Paris, 1864–1869, during the reign of Napoleon III.
- Main Character: Aristide Saccard (formerly Rougon), a bankrupt speculator seeking redemption through financial schemes.
Plot:
- Saccard’s Bankruptcy: After losing his fortune and wife (Renée, from La Curée), Saccard is desperate to reenter the financial elite.
- The Banque Universelle: Inspired by engineer Georges Hamelin’s vision of modernizing the Middle East, Saccard launches a grand financial institution.
- Speculation & Manipulation: Through stock fraud and relentless ambition, the bank rises rapidly, attracting investors across social classes.
- Conflict:
- Rivalry with his brother Eugène Rougon, a government minister.
- Hostility toward Jewish bankers, reflecting Saccard’s anti-Semitism.
- Collapse: The bank’s shaky foundations lead to inevitable ruin, devastating investors and exposing the destructive nature of speculation.