Germinal is Émile Zola's most powerful social novel, a harrowing depiction of coal miners' lives in 19th-century northern France. Centered on Étienne Lantier, a wandering laborer who becomes involved in an underground workers' movement, the novel unfolds with raw realism and emotional intensity. Zola's unflinching portrayal of exploitation, poverty, and resistance has made Germinal a symbol of working-class struggle. Vivid, brutal, and deeply human, the novel is a landmark of naturalist literature and a call for dignity in the face of dehumanizing systems.