Such was the case in "Germinal" and "La Debacle." The immensity of
socialism and the immensity of the war simply crushed Zola with all
his mental apparatus. His doctrines became very small in the presence
of such dimensions, and hardly any one hears of them in the noise of
the deluge, overflowing the mine and in the thundering of Prussian
cannons; only talent remained. Therefore in both those books there are
pages worthy of Dante. Quite a different thing happened with "Docteur
Pascal." Being the last volume of the cycle, it was bound to be the
last deduction, from the whole work the synthesis of the doctrine, the
belfry of the whole building. Consequently in this volume Zola speaks
more about doctrine than in any other previous volume; as the doctrine
is bad, wicked, and false, therefore "Docteur Pascal" is the worst and
most tedious book of all the cycle of Rougon-Macquart. It is a series
of empty leaves on which tediousness is hand in hand with lack of
moral sense, it is a pale picture full of falsehood--such is "Le
Docteur Pascal." Zola wishes to have him an honest man. He is the
outcast of the family Rougon-Macquart. In heredity there happens such
lucky degenerations; the doctor knows about it, he considers himself
as a happy exception, and it is for him a source of continuous inward
pleasure. In the mean while, he loves people, serves them and sells
them his medicine, which cures all possible disease.
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