Nana is a captivating novel by the French naturalist author Émile Zola. It is the ninth installment in the 20-volume Les Rougon-Macquart series, which presents "The Natural and Social History of a Family under the Second Empire."

The story follows Nana Coupeau, who rises from the grimy streets of Paris to become a high-class escort. Born to drunken parents in the slums, Nana's journey to the top of society is both mesmerizing and destructive. She uses her charm and sensual skills to captivate and eventually ruin the lives of the men who fall for her allure.

Nana becomes a symbol of a corrupt society, and her hedonistic appetite for luxury and pleasure knows no bounds. The novel vividly portrays the opulence and decadence of her world, making Nana a mythical figure in French realism.

Émile Zola masterfully captures the essence of the Second Empire's society, presenting a compelling narrative that explores themes of power, desire, and downfall.

Handsome would-be poet Lucien Chardon is poor and naive, but highly ambitious. Failing to make his name in his dull provincial hometown, he is taken up by a patroness, the captivating married woman Madame de Bargeton, and prepares to forge his way in the glamorous beau monde of Paris.

But Lucien has entered a world far more dangerous than he realized, as Madame de Bargeton's reputation becomes compromised and the fickle, venomous denizens of the courts and salons conspire to keep him out of their ranks. Lucien eventually learns that, wherever he goes, talent counts for nothing in comparison to money, intrigue, and unscrupulousness.

Lost Illusions is one of the greatest novels in the rich procession of the Comédie Humaine, Balzac's panoramic social and moral history of his times.

The Heart takes place over twenty-four intense hours following a tragic accident involving three teenage boys. After a morning of surfing, a car crash leaves one boy brain-dead, while his heart continues to beat.

This audacious novel explores the emotional journey of all involved in the heart transplant that follows. Life is taken from a young man and offered to a woman on the brink of death. With gorgeous, ruminative prose, the story delves into the deepest feelings of grieving parents and dedicated medical professionals as they navigate profound decisions of life and death.

With the precision of a surgeon and the language of a poet, de Kerangal crafts an epic tale of grief, hope, and survival. This novel is as stylistically bold as it is emotionally explosive, mesmerizing readers worldwide.