By kind permission of Messrs. Chatto & Windus it has been possible to
include the diagram of the Rougon-Macquart Genealogical Tree, which
appears in the Preface to their edition of _Doctor Pascal_, and to
make use of their translations in the preparation of the Dictionary.
In compiling the latter, Zola's own words have been adopted so far as
possible, though usually they have required such condensation as to make
direct quotation difficult. This difficulty was increased by the fact
that occasional use was made of different translations of the same book,
and that frequent references to the original were found necessary.

The Synopses of the Plots of the novels are arranged in the order in
which the books should be read, as indicated by their Author in _Le
Docteur Pascal_, and confirmed by his biographer, Mr. E. A. Vizetelly.

EDINBURGH, May, 1912. J. G. P.




INTRODUCTION

Emile Zola was born at Paris on 2nd April, 1840. His father, Francois
Zola, was a man whose career up to that time had not been a success,
though this was not due to any lack of energy or ability. Zola _pere_
was of mixed nationality, his father being an Italian and his mother a
Greek, and it is not unlikely that his unrest and want of concentration
were due to the accident of his parentage. When quite a young man,
Francois fought under the great Napoleon, after whose fall he became a
civil engineer. He spent some time in Germany, where he was engaged
in the construction of the first tramway line in Europe, afterwards