Emile Zola was born in Paris. His father, François Zola, was an Italian engineer, who acquired French citizenship.

2. EEmmiillee ZZoollaa wwaass bboorrnn iinn PPaarriiss.. HHiiss
ffaatthheerr,, FFrraannççooiiss ZZoollaa,, wwaass aann IIttaalliiaann
eennggiinneeeerr,, wwhhoo aaccqquuiirreedd FFrreenncchh
cciittiizzeennsshhiipp..
FFrreenncchh nnoovveelliisstt aanndd ccrriittiicc,, tthhee
ffoouunnddeerr ooff tthhee NNaattuurraalliisstt mmoovveemmeenntt
iinn lliitteerraattuurree.. ZZoollaa rreeddeeffiinneedd
NNaattuurraalliissmm aass ""NNaattuurree sseeeenn tthhrroouugghh
aa tteemmppeerraammeenntt..""

3. NNaattuurraalliissmm
was a literary movement taking place
from the 1880s to 1940s that used
detailed realism to suggest that social
conditions, heredity, and environment had
inescapable force in shaping human
character.

4. It was depicted as a literary movement that seeks
to replicate a believable everyday reality, as opposed
to such movements as Romanticism or Surrealism,
in which subjects may receive highly symbolic,
idealistic, or even supernatural treatment. Naturalism
is the outgrowth of literary realism, a prominent
literary movement in mid-19th-century France and
elsewhere.
Naturalistic writers were frequently criticized for
focusing too much on human vice and misery.

5. BBeeffoorree hhiiss bbrreeaakktthhrroouugghh aass aa wwrriitteerr,, ZZoollaa
wwoorrkkeedd aass aa cclleerrkk iinn aa sshhiippppiinngg ffiirrmm aanndd tthheenn
iinn tthhee ssaalleess ddeeppaarrttmmeenntt ffoorr aa ppuubblliisshheerr ((
HHaacchheettttee)).. HHee aallssoo wwrroottee lliitteerraarryy aanndd aarrtt
rreevviieewwss ffoorr nneewwssppaappeerrss
AAss aa ppoolliittiiccaall jjoouurrnnaalliisstt ZZoollaa ddiidd nnoott hhiiddee
hhiiss aannttiippaatthhyy ttoowwaarrdd tthhee FFrreenncchh EEmmppeerroorr
NNaappoolleeoonn IIIIII,, wwhhoo uusseedd tthhee SSeeccoonndd RReeppuubblliicc
aass aa sspprriinnggbbooaarrdd ttoo bbeeccoommee EEmmppeerroorr..

6. During his formative years Zola wrote several
short stories and essays, four plays and three
novels.
Zola did not much believe in the possibility of
individual freedom, but emphasized that "events
arise fatally, implacably, and men, either with or
against their wills, are involved in them. Such is the
absolute law of human progress."

7. At first hhiiss ppllaann wwaass lliimmiitteedd ttoo 1100 bbooookkss,, bbuutt
uullttiimmaatteellyy tthhee sseerriieess ccoommpprriisseedd 2200 vvoolluummeess,,
rraannggiinngg iinn ssuubbjjeecctt ffrroomm tthhee wwoorrlldd ooff ppeeaassaannttss
aanndd wwoorrkkeerrss ttoo tthhee iimmppeerriiaall ccoouurrtt.. ZZoollaa
pprreeppaarreedd hhiiss nnoovveellss ccaarreeffuullllyy.. TThhee rreessuulltt wwaass aa
ccoommbbiinnaattiioonn ooff pprreecciissee ddooccuummeennttaattiioonn,,
aaccccuurraattee ppoorrttrraayyaallss,, aanndd ddrraammaattiicc iimmaaggiinnaattiioonn;;
tthhee llaasstt hhaadd aaccttuuaallllyy lliittttllee ttoo ddoo wwiitthh hhiiss
NNaattuurraalliisstt tthheeoorriieess..

8. Zola died of carbon monoxide poisoning caused by
a stopped chimney on the 29th of September 1902.
He was 62 years old. His funeral on 5 October was
attended by thousands, according to the New York
Times.