From the Publisher
"I love this because it's the story of how you can't escape the inevitabilities of love and it's just a fantastic piece of writing." —Sue Perkins, Express
"By merging elements of the gothic and tragic with a study of petit-bourgeois banality, Zola created a work of enduring fascination." —Observer
"It was attacked by critics of the day as stinking filth and a foul sewer. Little wonder, then, that it became an instant bestseller and I'll admit I was completely riveted by its melodramatics from start to finish." —Daily Mail