The story of Gervaise Macquart, running away to Paris with her shiftless lover Lantier to work as a washerwoman in a hot, busy laundry in one of the seedier areas of the city. The novel considered one of Zola's masterpieces, a study of alcoholism and poverty in the working-class districts of Paris. It established Zola's fame and reputation throughout France and the world.
The story of Gervaise Macquart, running away to Paris with her shiftless lover Lantier to work as a washerwoman in a hot, busy laundry in one of the seedier areas of the city. The novel considered one of Zola's masterpieces, a study of alcoholism and poverty in the working-class districts of Paris. It established Zola's fame and reputation throughout France and the world.