Nineteenth century French fiction: Victor Hugo, Joris-Karl Huysmans, Emile Zola
Justice, violence, morality, and sensation: these are the key issues at play in the three French novels we will discuss in this course. Focusing on The Last Day of a CondemnedMan by Victor Hugo (1829), Against Nature by Joris-Karl Huysmans (1884), and La Bête Humaine by Émile Zola (1890), we’ll focus on how these novels explore the inner life of their characters and the moral questions of this period.
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This course explores major currents in nineteenth-century French literature through three provocative and stylistically distinct novels: The Last Day of a Condemned Man by Victor Hugo, Against Nature by Joris-Karl Huysmans, and La Bête Humaine by Émile Zola. Moving from Romantic social protest to Decadent aestheticism and finally to Naturalist determinism, the course examines how each text confronts modernity, morality, and the limits of human freedom. Hugo’s urgent first-person narrative interrogates the death penalty and the psychology of fear, foregrounding questions of justice and empathy. Huysmans’ radically novel explores the artifice, sensation, and the rebellion against bourgeois values of the fin-de-siècle period. Zola’s grim portrayal of cycles of inherited violence and industrial modernity situates individual pathology within broader social and scientific frameworks. Together, these works invite students to analyse shifting literary movements, narrative techniques, and philosophical assumptions about human nature in a rapidly transforming century.
What will we cover?
1. From Romance to Naturalism
2.The Last Day of a Condemned Man: Week 1
3.The Last Day of a Condemned Man: Week 2
4.Against Nature:Week 1
5.Against Nature:Week 2
6;La Bête Humaine: Week 1
7.La Bête Humaine: Week 2
8.What came next: the 1870s in French Literature
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
• Have an understanding, and appreciation, of the cultural context which these three key French texts were produced. • Identify key tropes which define this genre of writing. • Analyse different forms of texts and media critically.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is for anyone who is interested in the subject. The course is suitable for all levels and you do not require any particular skills - just an enthusiasm for literature and a willingness to contribute to discussions. The course will provide an introduction to the subject but will also be useful for those wishing to build on existing knowledge in the subject area.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
The class will largely be taught through mini lectures, class discussions and group work.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
The texts are long and it is recommended that they should ideally be read in advance in preparation for the course/ the corresponding week of the course. I have suggested editions as some translations/page numbers can differ but if you already have an existing edition of any of the texts and would rather use that, that is ok though text may be slightly different.
Victor Hugo, The Last Day of a CondemnedMan (1829)
Joris-Karl Huysmans, Against Nature (1884),
Recommended Edition: Penguin Classics (2003)
Émile Zola, La Bête Humaine (1890)
All other material will be provided and available on Google Classroom.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Look up other fiction courses in the Literature programme under Culture, History and Humanities at www.citylit.ac.uk.
Dr Megan Beech is a literature scholar and performance poet. She was the winner of the Poetry Society’s SLAMbassadors national youth slam in 2011. She has performed at venues including the Royal Albert Hall, Parliament, the Southbank Centre, Glastonbury Festival and Cheltenham Literature Festival. Her debut collection 'When I Grow Up I Want to be Mary Beard' was published in 2013, and her latest book 'You Sad Feminist' was released in 2017. Her poetry has featured on the Sky One's 'Russell Howard Hour' and the BBC iPlayer series ‘Women Who Spit'. She was featured in The Guardian lists of ‘inspiring young feminists in 2014’ and ‘Must Read Books of the Year 2014’ and Evening Standard's list of 'Ten 21st Century feminist icons'. She has recently finished a PhD at the University of Cambridge.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
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https://www.citylit.ac.uk/nineteenth-century-french-fiction-victor-hugo-joris-karl-huysmans-emile-zola3037582Nineteenth century French fiction: Victor Hugo, Joris-Karl Huysmans, Emile Zolahttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/autobiography-into-poetry-hw640-1024.jpg189189GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Literature/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Literature/Fiction/Courses/Online courses228511771187118817311228511771187<p></p><p>Justice, violence, morality, and sensation: these are the key issues at play in the three French novels we will discuss in this course. Focusing on <em>The Last Day of a Condemned</em> <em>Man </em>by Victor Hugo (1829), <em>Against Nature</em> by Joris-Karl Huysmans (1884), and <em>La Bête Humaine</em> by Émile Zola (1890), we’ll focus on how these novels explore the inner life of their characters and the moral questions of this period. </p><p>We'll explore the evolution of French literary style and social mores over the course of the 19th Century, thinking about representations of crime, punishment, decadence and betrayal along the way.</p><p></p>003037558Nineteenth century French fiction: Victor Hugo, Joris-Karl Huysmans, Emile Zola189189https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/autobiography-into-poetry-hw640-1024.jpgInStockEveningMonOnlineAvailable courses5-10 weeksWeekday2026-09-28T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allSep 2026Culture, history & humanitiesHLT12189189Nineteenth century French fiction: Victor Hugo, Joris-Karl Huysmans, Emile Zola189123189Megan Beechnineteenth-century-french-fiction-victor-hugo-joris-karl-huysmans-emile-zola/hlt12-2627<p></p><p>Justice, violence, morality, and sensation: these are the key issues at play in the three French novels we will discuss in this course. Focusing on <em>The Last Day of a Condemned</em> <em>Man </em>by Victor Hugo (1829), <em>Against Nature</em> by Joris-Karl Huysmans (1884), and <em>La Bête Humaine</em> by Émile Zola (1890), we’ll focus on how these novels explore the inner life of their characters and the moral questions of this period. </p><p>We'll explore the evolution of French literary style and social mores over the course of the 19th Century, thinking about representations of crime, punishment, decadence and betrayal along the way.</p><p></p>0000-Available|2026-09-28 00:00:00<p>This course explores major currents in nineteenth-century French literature through three provocative and stylistically distinct novels: <em>The Last Day of a Condemned Man</em> by Victor Hugo, <em>Against Nature</em> by Joris-Karl Huysmans, and <em>La Bête Humaine</em> by Émile Zola. Moving from Romantic social protest to Decadent aestheticism and finally to Naturalist determinism, the course examines how each text confronts modernity, morality, and the limits of human freedom. Hugo’s urgent first-person narrative interrogates the death penalty and the psychology of fear, foregrounding questions of justice and empathy. Huysmans’ radically novel explores the artifice, sensation, and the rebellion against bourgeois values of the fin-de-siècle period. Zola’s grim portrayal of cycles of inherited violence and industrial modernity situates individual pathology within broader social and scientific frameworks. Together, these works invite students to analyse shifting literary movements, narrative techniques, and philosophical assumptions about human nature in a rapidly transforming century.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Justice, violence, morality, and sensation: these are the key issues at play in the three French novels we will discuss in this course. Focusing on <em>The Last Day of a Condemned</em> <em>Man </em>by Victor Hugo (1829), <em>Against Nature</em> by Joris-Karl Huysmans (1884), and <em>La Bête Humaine</em> by Émile Zola (1890), we’ll focus on how these novels explore the inner life of their characters and the moral questions of this period. </p><p>We'll explore the evolution of French literary style and social mores over the course of the 19th Century, thinking about representations of crime, punishment, decadence and betrayal along the way.</p><p></p><p>1. From Romance to Naturalism</p><p><em>2.The Last Day of a Condemned Man</em>: Week 1</p><p><em>3.The Last Day of a Condemned Man: </em>Week 2</p><p><em>4.Against Nature</em>:<em> </em>Week 1</p><p><em>5.Against Nature</em>:<em> </em>Week 2</p><p><em>6;La Bête Humaine</em>: Week 1</p><p><em>7.La Bête Humaine</em>: Week 2</p><p>8.What came next: the 1870s in French Literature</p><p></p>• Have an understanding, and appreciation, of the cultural context which these three key French texts were produced.<br>• Identify key tropes which define this genre of writing.<br>• Analyse different forms of texts and media critically.This course is for anyone who is interested in the subject. The course is suitable for all levels and you do not require any particular skills - just an enthusiasm for literature and a willingness to contribute to discussions. The course will provide an introduction to the subject but will also be useful for those wishing to build on existing knowledge in the subject area.The class will largely be taught through mini lectures, class discussions and group work.<p>The texts are long and it is recommended that they should ideally be read in advance in preparation for the course/ the corresponding week of the course. I have suggested editions as some translations/page numbers can differ but if you already have an existing edition of any of the texts and would rather use that, that is ok though text may be slightly different.</p><p>Victor Hugo, <em>The Last Day of a Condemned</em> <em>Man </em>(1829)</p><p>Joris-Karl Huysmans, <em>Against Nature</em> (1884),</p><p>Recommended Edition: Penguin Classics (2003)</p><p>Émile Zola, <em>La Bête Humaine</em> (1890)</p><p>All other material will be provided and available on Google Classroom.</p><p>Look up other fiction courses in the Literature programme under Culture, History and Humanities at www.citylit.ac.uk.</p>LiteratureFictionvirtual189189123HLT12NONEMon28/09/26 - 16/11/2618:00 - 19:3018:0019:308 sessions (over 8 weeks)85-10 weeksEveningWeekdayOnlineOnlineMegan BeechBeginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allAvailable courses2026-09-28T00:00:00+00:00Sep 2026Culture, history & humanities189189Nineteenth century French fiction: Victor Hugo, Joris-Karl Huysmans, Emile Zolanineteenth-century-french-fiction-victor-hugo-joris-karl-huysmans-emile-zola/hlt12-2627<p></p><p>Justice, violence, morality, and sensation: these are the key issues at play in the three French novels we will discuss in this course. Focusing on <em>The Last Day of a Condemned</em> <em>Man </em>by Victor Hugo (1829), <em>Against Nature</em> by Joris-Karl Huysmans (1884), and <em>La Bête Humaine</em> by Émile Zola (1890), we’ll focus on how these novels explore the inner life of their characters and the moral questions of this period. </p><p>We'll explore the evolution of French literary style and social mores over the course of the 19th Century, thinking about representations of crime, punishment, decadence and betrayal along the way.</p><p></p>0000-Available|2026-09-28 00:00:00<p>This course explores major currents in nineteenth-century French literature through three provocative and stylistically distinct novels: <em>The Last Day of a Condemned Man</em> by Victor Hugo, <em>Against Nature</em> by Joris-Karl Huysmans, and <em>La Bête Humaine</em> by Émile Zola. Moving from Romantic social protest to Decadent aestheticism and finally to Naturalist determinism, the course examines how each text confronts modernity, morality, and the limits of human freedom. Hugo’s urgent first-person narrative interrogates the death penalty and the psychology of fear, foregrounding questions of justice and empathy. Huysmans’ radically novel explores the artifice, sensation, and the rebellion against bourgeois values of the fin-de-siècle period. Zola’s grim portrayal of cycles of inherited violence and industrial modernity situates individual pathology within broader social and scientific frameworks. Together, these works invite students to analyse shifting literary movements, narrative techniques, and philosophical assumptions about human nature in a rapidly transforming century.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Justice, violence, morality, and sensation: these are the key issues at play in the three French novels we will discuss in this course. Focusing on <em>The Last Day of a Condemned</em> <em>Man </em>by Victor Hugo (1829), <em>Against Nature</em> by Joris-Karl Huysmans (1884), and <em>La Bête Humaine</em> by Émile Zola (1890), we’ll focus on how these novels explore the inner life of their characters and the moral questions of this period. </p><p>We'll explore the evolution of French literary style and social mores over the course of the 19th Century, thinking about representations of crime, punishment, decadence and betrayal along the way.</p><p></p><p>1. From Romance to Naturalism</p><p><em>2.The Last Day of a Condemned Man</em>: Week 1</p><p><em>3.The Last Day of a Condemned Man: </em>Week 2</p><p><em>4.Against Nature</em>:<em> </em>Week 1</p><p><em>5.Against Nature</em>:<em> </em>Week 2</p><p><em>6;La Bête Humaine</em>: Week 1</p><p><em>7.La Bête Humaine</em>: Week 2</p><p>8.What came next: the 1870s in French Literature</p><p></p>• Have an understanding, and appreciation, of the cultural context which these three key French texts were produced.<br>• Identify key tropes which define this genre of writing.<br>• Analyse different forms of texts and media critically.This course is for anyone who is interested in the subject. The course is suitable for all levels and you do not require any particular skills - just an enthusiasm for literature and a willingness to contribute to discussions. The course will provide an introduction to the subject but will also be useful for those wishing to build on existing knowledge in the subject area.The class will largely be taught through mini lectures, class discussions and group work.<p>The texts are long and it is recommended that they should ideally be read in advance in preparation for the course/ the corresponding week of the course. I have suggested editions as some translations/page numbers can differ but if you already have an existing edition of any of the texts and would rather use that, that is ok though text may be slightly different.</p><p>Victor Hugo, <em>The Last Day of a Condemned</em> <em>Man </em>(1829)</p><p>Joris-Karl Huysmans, <em>Against Nature</em> (1884),</p><p>Recommended Edition: Penguin Classics (2003)</p><p>Émile Zola, <em>La Bête Humaine</em> (1890)</p><p>All other material will be provided and available on Google Classroom.</p><p>Look up other fiction courses in the Literature programme under Culture, History and Humanities at www.citylit.ac.uk.</p>LiteratureFictionconfigurable
11881187Fictionhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/humanities/literature/fiction1/2/285/1177/1187/11881/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Literature/Fiction
