NANA

Born in April 1840, Emile Zola was a political journalist and outspoken critic of Emperor Napoleon III. A prolific author of famous works of history, Nana (1880) was the ninth novel in a series which follows a girl from the streets of Paris as she begins her meteoric rise to stardom. Using her sexuality as a weapon, she brings ruin to many of the men who pursue her in a stunning portrait of the decadence and corruption of late 19th century France. Extremely controversial at the time, Nana was nonetheless a great commercial success. Zola died in September 1902 from carbon monoxide poisoning. 428pp in new full price paperback.