' He thought he could see in a flash the future of the Rougon-Macquart family a pack of wild satiated appetites in the midst of a blaze of gold & blood' Set in the fictitious Provencal town of Plassans The Fortune of the Rougons tells the story of Silvere & Miette two idealistic young supporters of the republican resistance to Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte's coup d'etat in December 1851 They join the woodcutters & peasants of the Var to seize control of Plassans opposed by the Bonapartist loyalists led by Silvere's uncle Pierre Rougon Meanwhile the foundations of the Rougon family & its illegitimate Macquart branch are being laid in the brutal beginnings of the Imperial regime The Fortune of the Rougons is the first in Zola's famous Rougon-Macquart series of novels In it we learn how the two branches of the family came about & the origins of the hereditary weaknesses passed down the generations Murder treachery & greed are the keynotes & just as the Empire was established through violence the 'fortune' of the Rougons is paid for in blood ABOUT THE SERIES For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features including expert introductions by leading authorities helpful notes to clarify the text up-to-date bibliographies for further study & much more