The novel by Émile Zola, Nana, was published in 1880 but was initially serialized in the newspaper Voltaire (from October 16, 1879, to October 5, 1880). The book, which would become one of the most popular works of French literature, sparked various intense reactions in its time. From Flaubert: "Outstanding! [...] Masterful! Nana's death is Michelangelesque," to Huysmans: "The bourgeoisie rose up," even the government briefly considered banning its publication.

Nana, a luxury prostitute whose deeds and days we follow in this novel, is elevated by Zola to the absolute feminine. Entire fortunes are consumed for her sake, a host of dazzling characters are dragged exhausted to her feet to the point of suicide, and even women attempt to mimic her appearance. However, her insatiable thirst for luxury and pleasures will also be the cause of her downfall.

The book is a hymn to male desire but also a social fresco of the era of the Second Empire, in which the heroine is nothing but a destructive force that ravages a corrupt and decaying society. In Nana, Zola masterfully composes his multi-level indictment, denouncing the hypocrisy and moral decay of the City of Light.

Recognizing the impending outbreak of war, Zola leads the modern, cosmopolitan courtesan to her demise while simultaneously stripping the political regime of its laurels. Sexuality, history, and myths are born and die in a violent literary achievement.