This classic first published in 1886 is long, but it is precisely the abundance of details and extremely detailed descriptions that leave a profound mark on the reader and make it hard to forget.
The novel recounts the fictional tragic life of an original and genious artist misunderstood by the Parisian art world of the 19th century. It is said to actually reflect Zola's friendship with now famous painter Paul Cézanne.
(Photo: The Bathers, 1905)