Nana

Table of Contents

Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics

Quizzes

Textbook chalkboard and apple. Fruit of knowledge. Hompepage blog 2009, History and Society, school education students

The Literary World (Famous Novels)

Books. Reading. Publishing. Print. Literature. Literacy. Rows of used books for sale on a table.

Name the Novelist

Portrait of young thinking bearded man student with stack of books on the table before bookshelves in the library

Famous Novels, First Lines Quiz

Young woman with glasses reading a book, student

Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz

Nana

novel by Zola

verifiedCite

While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.

Select Citation Style

Share to social media

Facebook Twitter

URL

https://64.176.36.150/topic/Nana-novel-by-Zola

Feedback

Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).

Feedback Type

Your Feedback

Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

Internet Archive - Nana, a Novel

verifiedCite

While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.

Select Citation Style

Share to social media

Facebook Twitter

URL

https://64.176.36.150/topic/Nana-novel-by-Zola

Feedback

Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).

Feedback Type

Your Feedback

Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

Internet Archive - Nana, a Novel

Written and fact-checked by

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Nana, novel by Émile Zola, published in French in 1880. Nana is one of a sequence of 20 novels that constitute Zola’s Rougon-Macquart cycle.

The title character grows up in the slums of Paris. She has a brief career as an untalented actress before finding success as a courtesan. Although vulgar and ignorant, she has a destructive sexuality that attracts many rich and powerful men. Cruelly contemptuous of her lovers’ emotions, Nana wastes their fortunes, driving many of them to ruin and even suicide.

Britannica Quiz

Famous Novels, First Lines Quiz

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.