Nana

The aspiring actress Anna Koupo, nicknamed Nana, wins the hearts of all the male population of Paris in just one evening. The city's leading men compete for the heart of the young courtesan, committing one mad act after another, yet the girl's attention brings happiness to no one. Unable to manage her money, Nana sinks deeper into debt, while her admirers face tragedies: they go bankrupt, lose their families, and suffer a fall from social standing.

"Nana" — the ninth novel in the extensive "Rougon-Macquart" cycle, regarded by critics as one of the author's best works. In the character of Nana, Zola intended to reflect the outward brilliance and corrupt inner essence of the Second Empire, an era that came to an end with France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870.