ZOLA EMILE: (1840-1902) French novelist. A.L.S., Emile Zola, two pages (written to the ...

ZOLA EMILE: (1840-1902) French novelist. A.L.S., Emile Zola, two pages (written to the first and third sides of the bifolium), 8vo, Medan, 1st June 1883, to ´Mon cher ami´, evidently a publisher and most probably Pierre-Victor Stock, in French. Zola states that his friend must have received from a young man, Louis Desprez, a manuscript entitled L´Evolution naturaliste in which Desprez studied several authors, including Zola himself, and continuing ´Je ne connais pas une de ces etudes, mais je vous les recommande vivement. Voyez donc ce qu´elles valent le plus tot possible, et si le vivre vous parait bien fait, vous m´obligerez en l´editant chez vous - ceci n´est point une recommandation banale´ (Translation: ´I do not know any of these studies, but I highly recommend them to you. So see what they are worth as soon as possible, and if you think the work is well done, you will oblige me by publishing it with you - this is not a trivial recommendation´), further asking if his friend has located an article in Debats and remarking ´Envoyez-le moi donc, pour que je me fouette un peu le sang car les premieres chaleurs m´endorment´ (Translation: ´Send it to me, so that I can whip my blood a bit, because the first heat makes me sleepy´). A letter of good content in which Zola champions the work of the young Louis Desprez. VG

Louis Marie Desprez (1861-1885) French Naturalist writer.

Desprez first met Zola in 1882 whilst researching L´Evolution naturaliste, a work which was eventually published by Pierre-Victor Stock after being turned down by other publishing houses. This was followed by the publication of Autour d´un clocher in 1884 which resulted in legal proceedings being brought against Desprez for contempt of public morals. The young writer´s trial raised numerous protests and indignation on the part of writers, in particular Zola, and took on considerable importance in the late 19th century when the question of morality and freedom were called into question on numerous occasions. Above all it was the tragic death of Desprez, at the young age of 24, following his incarceration in prison, which aroused controversy at the time and led to Zola´s famous remark ´Ceux qui ont tué cet enfant sont des gens misérables!´ (Translation: ´Those who killed this child are miserable people!´).