4th novel in Zola's Rougon-Macquart series; a study into French provincial life and the power struggles between clergy and local government, involving political intrigue, corruption, vote-rigging and financial scandal among other topical issues An ambitious and unscrupulous priest arrives in the provincial town of Plassans, intent on conquering its political and social life. His arrival has profound consequences for the Mouret family, whose lives are turned upside down. This is the fourth novel in Zola's Rougon-Macquart series, and the first modern translation for more than fifty years.
