Rome by Emile Zola

Too much travelogue, not enough novel
Originally published in 1896, Rome is the second volume in the Three Cities trilogy by French novelist Emile Zola, the first and final volumes being Lourdes and Paris, respectively. In this trilogy Zola delves into the history and politics of the Catholic church.

The protagonist of all three novels is Abbé Pierre Froment. In Lourdes Pierre seemed in danger of losing his faith, but Rome opens with the young priest experiencing a newfound fervor toward his calling. He has spent the last few years working to aid the poor, and has developed an enthusiasm for the concept of Christian socialism. He believes the Catholic church should focus less on acquiring wealth and political influence and concentrate more on alleviating human suffering and fostering brotherhood among mankind. He writes a book on the subject, in which he advocates a reversion by the church to the principles and practices of its primitive apostolic origins. His book is denounced by the Congregation of the Index, a committee of Vatican officials who compile a blacklist of books deemed dangerous to the church. Pierre travels to Rome to defend his book, hoping for an audience with the Pope himself. There he lodges with the Boccanera family, a formerly great and influential house that, like many of Rome’s aristocracy, has recently fallen on hard times. While maneuvering through the Vatican bureaucracy in an attempt to save his beloved book, Pierre becomes involved in the romantic and political dramas of his host family.

The story takes place in the late 19th century, shortly after Italy has gained its independence and absorbed the former Papal States. Zola repeatedly contrasts the former glory of Imperial Rome with the city’s present state of financial ruin and decay. The populace of Rome is split between two factions, the “black” and the “white”—those faithful to the Vatican and those loyal to the new Italian government. The church in turn is divided among those who adamantly cling to time-honored dogma and those who think the church must make concessions and broaden its appeal in order to survive in the modern world. Zola, ever the skeptic, inquires whether religion even has a place in the modern world, given the triumphs of science over superstition.

This is an ambitious work full of big philosophical ideas, and for that it is to be admired. Yet one wishes there were more of a novel here. Despite a few memorable scenes, there just isn’t enough story. In Rome, Zola is guilty of many of the same sins he committed in Lourdes. The first half the book is primarily a travelogue, with extremely detailed descriptions of the Roman skyline from various vantage points, accompanied by historical commentary. Meanwhile, Pierre makes little progress in his quest for a hearing, and the reader must endure a lengthy succession of fruitless meetings with various Cardinals, priests, and prelates, many of whom are indistinguishable from one another. In the second half the characters actually begin to develop, and the reader is treated to some suspenseful intrigue, but the plot is soon overcome by Pierre’s internal philosophical dialogue, which reads like a series of essays espousing Zola’s views on the church.

The book’s saving grace is that Zola actually has some interesting ideas on the subject. Nevertheless, it takes a particular type of reader to appreciate the Three Cities trilogy. On the one hand, you must have some interest in the history and philosophy of religion. On the other hand, Zola’s perspective is ultimately anti-religious, and will appeal mostly to non-believers. For those willing to walk that tightrope, don’t dive into Rome unless you’ve already tackled Lourdes and found it to your liking.
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