Authors: Emile Zola, Douglas Parmee
ISBN-13: 9780199538690, ISBN-10: 0199538697
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Date Published: April 2009
Edition: Reissue
Queen's College, Cambridge
Ever since this morning people have been dreeing me with Nana. I've met more than twenty people, and it's Nana here and Nana there! What do I know? Am I acquainted with all the light ladies in Paris? Nana is an invention of Bordenave's! It must be a fine one!"
This rather risqu novel-for 1880 that is-tells the story of ruthless protagonist Nana's rise from the gutter to the height of Parisian society. The book's heavy allusion to sexual favors caused it to be denounced as pornography upon publication, which, of course, made it a big hit.