The Flood
About this book
The Flood is a novel by French author Emile Zola, published in 1880. The story takes place in a small village located in the valley of the River Seine. The protagonist, a young engineer named Louis Roubien, is tasked with ensuring the safety of the village's dam during a period of heavy rain and flooding. As the water levels rise, Louis must navigate the complex relationships between the villagers, including a wealthy landowner who is more concerned with his own interests than the safety of the community. Meanwhile, Louis finds himself falling in love with the landowner's daughter, who is engaged to another man. The Flood is a powerful exploration of human nature under extreme circumstances, and a commentary on the class divisions and social hierarchies of 19th century France.Then the water began an attack. Until then the stream had followed the street; but the debris that encumbered it deflected the course. And when a drifting object, a beam, came within reach of the current, it seized it and directed it against the house like a battering-ram. Soon ten, a dozen, beams were attacking us on all sides. The water roared. Our feet were spattered with foam. We heard the dull moaning of the house full of water. There were moments when the attacks became frenzied, when the beams battered fiercely; and then we thought that the end was near, that the walls would open and deliver us to the river.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.