"Les Rougon-Macquart" is a series of twenty novels written by French author Émile Zola between 1871 and 1893. The series explores the lives of the Rougon and Macquart families, illustrating the impact of heredity and environment on human behavior. Set during the Second French Empire, the novels depict various social classes and their struggles, providing a detailed panorama of 19th-century French society.
Each novel in the series stands alone but is interconnected through recurring characters and themes. Zola employs a naturalistic style, emphasizing realism and scientific observation. The work is considered a significant contribution to the literary movement of naturalism and remains influential in literature today.