Therese Raquin

Thérese Raquin by Émile Zola is a pioneering novel of literary naturalism that tells the dark story of Thérese, a young woman trapped in a loveless marriage to her sickly cousin Camille. Coerced into the marriage by an overbearing aunt, Thérese’s passionate nature remains repressed until she begins a torrid affair with Camille’s friend Laurent. Together, they plot and murder Camille to be together, but their act unleashes overwhelming guilt and psychological torment that destroy their relationship. The novel explores themes of adultery, murder, guilt, and the scientific study of human temperaments and behavior under intense emotional strain. It shocked contemporary audiences with its detached and probing portrayal of human nature and has been adapted into various media. Zola described it as a study of temperaments rather than characters, emphasizing a naturalistic, objective narrative style focusing on internal drives and consequences.