This is an earthy, visceral novel describing the harshness of mining life in 19^th-century France. The hero, Etienne, comes into a mining society, and tries to end its unendurable oppression by the capitalist system. Etienne starts a strike, which slowly spreads throughout the mining area; we are dragged through an emotional mill as the story moves towards its dramatic, painful denouement.

'Germinal' is not a brainless "noble, oppressed workers of the world unite" book; Zola gives a nuanced account of the owners, some of whom are well-meaning and financially unable to provide their workers with better conditions.

It is almost difficult to believe that Zola had pretensions to writing 'scientific' novels (scientific in approach, not in subject matter); this is one of the most emotionally-charged tales you are likely to come across. It is also a valuable account of a dark time in the history of the West, and a reminder that suffering of this kind has not been wiped out - it still exists elsewhere in the world.

A 'worthy' book, to be toiled through or just avoided? Well, that depends on your attitude to life.

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