La Bête Humaine
by Émile Zola
La Bête Humaine is Émile Zola's 1890 novel, the seventeenth in the Rougon-Macquart cycle, serialised in La Vie populaire from 1889 and published in book form by Charpentier in Paris in March 1890. A psychological thriller among railway workers, it was filmed by Jean Renoir in 1938.
- Editions tracked
- 1
- First published
- G. Charpentier, Paris, 1890
- Series
- Les Rougon-Macquart
Which edition do you have?
Editions
- Penguin1977 Paperback · Les Rougon-Macquart 17 I own La Bête Humaine, Penguin 1977 Log in to want this
We have not yet researched the issue points for this book. If you know how to tell the first from later printings, tell us and we will credit you once it is checked against a second source.
Awards, adaptations and setting
Adaptations
- The Beast in Man film, 1921
- La Bête Humaine film, 1938
- Human Desire film, 1954
- La Bestia humana film, 1957
- Cruel Train film, 1995
Setting and characters
- Set in
- France
- Genre
- psychological thriller
In print
- Editions recorded
- 59 on Open Library, 6 in English
- Wikipedia
- Articles in 20 languages
- Free to read
- Project Gutenberg (out of copyright in the US)
From Wikidata and Open Library, both CC0. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.
More by Émile Zola
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Know what you are looking at
How to Identify a First Edition
To identify a first edition, check that your copy is the first printing of the first edition. Read the copyright …
Read the guide →6 min readBook Condition Grading: Fine to Poor Explained
Book condition grading uses a six-step trade scale: Fine, Near Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Collectors grade the …
Read the guide →7 min readDust Jackets Explained: Why the Jacket Drives a Book's Value
For most books published since the 1920s, the original dust jacket carries a large share of the value, often most …
Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
How many editions of La Bête Humaine are there?
We track 1 edition of La Bête Humaine. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
Has La Bête Humaine been adapted?
Yes, including Cruel Train (film, 1995), La Bestia humana (film, 1957), Human Desire (film, 1954), according to Wikidata.
When was La Bête Humaine first published?
La Bête Humaine by Émile Zola was first published in 1890.
What should I read after La Bête Humaine?
In order, it follows Le Rêve and it is followed by L'Argent, according to Wikidata.
Can I read La Bête Humaine for free?
Yes: the text is out of copyright in the United States and free to read on Project Gutenberg. Collectors still pay for the first edition, which is the physical object, not the words.
Where these facts come from
- La Bête humaine, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- La bête humaine (G. Charpentier, 1890), Open Library (openlibrary.org)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 23 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.
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