Actually there are two novellas in this folio paperback edition: L’Inondation is the second story and while L’Inondation is typical Zola, Pour une nuit d’amour takes the writer into pure horror story territory; darker than dark. The length of the story reminded me of those tales written by Edgar Allan Poe, where you know that the main character is going to come to a sticky end and the horror is in how he gets there. Zola’s story is similar but he takes the reader into a darker world of sexual perversion: a place where Edgar Alan Poe dared not go.

Julien Michon is a young man living in a small town in Northern France. He is something of a gentle giant, but he is clumsy with his large hands and he is very shy. The village girls make fun of him and he keeps himself to himself taking solace in playing a flute in the evenings in his small apartment across a courtyard from a mansion owned by the Marquise. Thérèse is the daughter of the Marquise and she has a troubled child hood, her only friend being Colombel the son of her maid. Colombel is a small boy with a large head and even he can mock Julien, however Thérèse has a cruel streak and she tortures little Colombel jumping on his back and whipping him as if he was a horse. Thérèse is packed off to a convent and the story picks up when she returns home at a marriageable age, living in an apartment across the courtyard from Julien. He is enamoured by her and waits at his window to catch a glimpse of her. Thérèse has a reputation of being extremely religious, but her ruby red lips and pale white face hint at something more sinister. Julien attempts to attract Thérèse with his flute playing, but he is plunged into misery when he overhears her say that she is annoyed by that awful sound of a flute that she hears every night. Thérèse takes up with Colombel again and Julien sees that her shutters are closed now most of the time. One night his vigil is rewarded by seeing Thérèse opening her shutters, she blows him a kiss and beckons him over to her apartment. We know that things are not going to go well for Julien.

The Flood is a more straightforward story which tells of the River Garonne bursting its banks one late afternoon and flooding a nearby village. Zola focuses on one of the most successful farms on the edge of the village and the story of the horrific night is told by the 70 year old man who is the head of a large family. It is Zola and so we know that the happy successful family are going to be devastated by the forces of nature.

The novella or shorter story format seems to reign in Zola a little, but he is still able to create plenty of atmosphere and some readers might find this format more easily digestible. I like a full blown Zola but after reading Pour une nuit d’amour I kind of wish that there were more shorter stories available. 5 stars from me. ( )

vraiment excellent ! ( )