"Zola's gritty portrayal of his eponymous central character Thrse [is] a brilliantly radical
departure from the simpering female prototypes of Victorian convention."Los Angeles Times

In a dingy apartment on the Passage du Pont-Neuf in Paris, Thrse Raquin is trapped in a loveless marriage
to her sickly cousin, Camille. The numbing tedium of her life is suddenly shattered when she embarks on a
turbulent affair with her husband's earthy friend, Laurent. But their passion for each other soon compels the
lovers to commit a crime that will haunt them forever.

Thrse Raquin caused a scandal when it appeared in 1867 and brought its twenty-seven-year-old author
a notoriety that followed him throughout his life. Zola's novel is not only an uninhibited portrayal of adultery,
madness, and ghostly revenge but also a devastating exploration of the darkest aspects of human existence.