📖 About Rougon-Macquart

Rougon-Macquart is a series universe written by Emile Zola. The complete collection runs to 20 books across 1 series, published between 1870 and 1893.

The main series is Publication Order of Rougon-Macquart Books with 20 books. It opens with The Fortune of the Rougons (1870) and currently runs to Doctor Pascal (1893).

Series included on this page:

🎯 Where to Start with Rougon-Macquart

New readers should begin with the first book of the main series in publication order: The Fortune of the Rougons (1870), book 1 of Publication Order of Rougon-Macquart Books. Reading in publication order lets the world and characters develop the way the author intended, and it avoids spoilers that later books may contain.

Each of the 1 series on this page is expandable — click a series heading to see every title it contains, in order, with a direct link to buy the book on Amazon.

📚 Rougon-Macquart Books in Order

Publication Order of Rougon-Macquart Books
20 books
1
The Fortune of the Rougons book cover1The Fortune of the Rougons1870Buy on Amazon
The Kill / The Rush for the Spoil book cover2The Kill / The Rush for the Spoil1872Buy on Amazon
The Belly of Paris / The Fat and the Thin book cover3The Belly of Paris / The Fat and the Thin1873Buy on Amazon
The Conquest of Plassans book cover4The Conquest of Plassans1874Buy on Amazon
The Sin of Father Mouret / The Sinful Priest / Abbe Mouret's Transgression book cover5The Sin of Father Mouret / The Sinful Priest / Abbe Mouret's Transgression1875Buy on Amazon
His Excellency Eugene Rougon book cover6His Excellency Eugene Rougon1876Buy on Amazon
The Drinking Den / The Dram Shop / L'Assommoir / The Gin Palace book cover7The Drinking Den / The Dram Shop / L'Assommoir / The Gin Palace1877Buy on Amazon
A Love Episode / A Page of Love / A Love Story book cover8A Love Episode / A Page of Love / A Love Story1877Buy on Amazon
Nana book cover9Nana1880Buy on Amazon
Restless House book cover10Restless House1882Buy on Amazon
The Ladies' Paradise book cover11The Ladies' Paradise1883Buy on Amazon
The Bright Side of Life / How Jolly Life Is / Zest for Life book cover12The Bright Side of Life / How Jolly Life Is / Zest for Life1883Buy on Amazon
Germinal book cover13Germinal1885Buy on Amazon
The Masterpiece / His Masterpiece book cover14The Masterpiece / His Masterpiece1886Buy on Amazon
The Soil / Earth book cover15The Soil / Earth1887Buy on Amazon
The Dream book cover16The Dream1888Buy on Amazon
The Beast in Man / The Beast Within book cover17The Beast in Man / The Beast Within1890Buy on Amazon
Money book cover18Money1891Buy on Amazon
The Downfall / The Debacle book cover19The Downfall / The Debacle1892Buy on Amazon
Doctor Pascal book cover20Doctor Pascal1893Buy on Amazon

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How many Rougon-Macquart books are there?
There are 20 books in the Rougon-Macquart collection, organised into 1 series and published between 1870 and 1893.
What is the first Rougon-Macquart book?
The first book is The Fortune of the Rougons, published in 1870.
What order should I read the Rougon-Macquart books in?
Most readers use publication order, which is the order the books were originally released. A chronological order is also provided on this page for readers who prefer to follow the internal timeline of the story.
Who wrote the Rougon-Macquart books?
The Rougon-Macquart books were written by Emile Zola.
Is the Rougon-Macquart series finished?
The main series, Publication Order of Rougon-Macquart Books, has 20 books so far. The most recent title listed on this page gives the current end point of the series.
When did the Rougon-Macquart series start?
The earliest title in this collection was published in 1870, and the most recent in 1893.