TEHRAN – “The Death of Olivier Becaille”, a short story by French writer Émile Zola, has been published in Persian.

Ofoq is the publisher of the book rendered into Persian by Mahmud Gudarzi.

The horrific short story depicts a man, Olivier Becaille, in a temporary coma and paralytic state. This condition leads his wife to believe he is dead. 

It even fools the doctor. Funeral and burial arrangements are made and carried out. Readers’ will experience their worst fear through the eyes of Olivier Becaille.

Originally published in 1911, the book is a rare manuscript, the original residing in one of the great libraries of the world. 

This book is a reproduction of that original, which has been scanned and cleaned by state-of-the-art publishing tools for better readability and enhanced appreciation.

Restoration Editors’ mission is to bring long out of print manuscripts back to life. Some smudges, annotations or unclear text may still exist, due to permanent damage to the original work. We believe the literary significance of the text justifies offering this reproduction, allowing a new generation to appreciate it.

As a novelist, critic and political activist, Zola was the most prominent French novelist of the late 19th century. 

He was noted for his theories of naturalism, which underlie his monumental 20-novel series “Les Rougon-Macquart”, and for his intervention in the Dreyfus Affair through his famous open letter, “J’accuse.”

Photo: Front Cover of the Persian edition of “The Death of Olivier Becaille” by French writer Émile Zola. 

MMS/YAW