"The Work" is a novel by the famous French writer Emile Zola. This is a masterpiece of naturalistic literature, which tells about the fate of the artist Claude Lantier and his search for artistic perfection. The main character is filled with the desire to create a huge community, but his witty plans are destroyed by his own whims and internal conflicts. Zola highlights the problems of creativity, the desire for success and the realities of the artistic world of the 19th century, revealing the psychology of the heroes against the background of harsh social reality. "Essay" is an impressive and deep novel that will not leave indifferent any lover of literature.