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Book Summary: The Flood by Emile Zola

The Flood was published in 1880 and written by Emile Zola. It tells the story of prosperity life
becomes a tragic. The storyteller was named by Louis Roubien and lived the age of seventy years old. He
lived in the village of Saint-Jory, several miles up the Garonne from Toulouse. He strived as a farmer for
14 years to turn into bread and wine. Louis is the richest famer in the parish. Louis live in fully blessed and
have a big family ahead of him, his young brother is Pierre, an old bachelor and retired sergeant and his
sister named Agathe, who came to him after the death of her husband, Louis son’s named Jacques and
his wife Rosie with three of Louis grandchildren’s named Aimee, Veronique, and Marie. Amie was married
Cyprica Bouisson and they had two children, one two years old and the other ten months. While
Veronique was soon to marry Gaspard Rabuteau. Louis was a great grandfather or great-grandfather.
When they are in the table they eat joyfully. The kids have a hearty appetite. Pierre invented games and
related stories of his regiment. Agathe made cakes for the girls. Marie knew some canticles, which she
sang like a chorister.

When the month of May comes, their crops was grown and so many surprising blessings in their
farm. Where they had fascinating crops like vines and wheat, one of their cows had a new calf as well as
they also had about hundred head of animals such as cows, sheep and horses. Veronique and Gaspard
will have a wedding and they had come to arrange the day for the wedding. Veronique invited Gaspard
for having a dinner with her family. After eating Louis went to the window and Gaspard joined him. They
talk about the recent rains that happen just past few days. They were worried about the crops. Louis
exclaimed positively nothing will happen and he portrayed there is nothing to do this time as the weather
was beautiful. Suddenly a terrible cry rang out. “Garonne, Garonne” they rushed out to the yard. Then
appeared two men and three women, one of them holding a child in her arms. They looked crying out,
distracted and terrified faces. The waves arrived with a thunder. They are continued running through the
water that swirled about their knees to the yard. Louis offered to get them into the house, and he said
nothing to fear. His son Jacques was said to him that the water had come up into the yard in 55’s and the
deep was into a foot. Louis ask their servants to come upstairs and ask to forget saving the animals.

Then the water has risen to the room they went up to the attic and settled themselves. But the
two servants died, they were drowned. The water was within a yard of the roof. They had a plan to go to
the church by jumping across each roof of the neighboring house. But one house which the house of
Raimbeaus was too high. Cyprien was the one who volunteered to survey the route if there is a safe way
to the church. But his wife saw him and insists to come with him, and Cyprien let her wife join him. After
a while Cyrpien had arrived at the Raimbeaus house. But it did not stop him, he jumps to chimney of the
house with such agility. But unfortunately, the house collapse. Leaving Cyprien hanging between to
beams. Her wife was frightened. Louis and Pierre tried to help Cyprien but when they started heading for
the second house, the second house collapse. Nowhere to go. Cyrpien tried to free himself from the
entanglement but it’s no use. The current is getting stronger and the water had covered his hair. Few
moments later Cyprien will die. There were only five of them left now. Most of them died due to massive
currents splashing through them. Pierre had enough. He surrendered. He drowned himself in the water.
He cannot take it anymore. Then Gaspard suddenly suggested that he will swim towards the church with
Veronique at the back. He will do what it takes to make them safe, but he failed. Marie on the other hand
drowned herself too. He realizes that there is no reason behind to live in this world. He wished to recover
the bodies of his family, to bury them beneath a slab, where he should soon rejoin them.