Émile Zola's first novel exhibits a good deal of the power of language he would become famous for, without exhibiting notable power as a dramatic narrative. Ostensibly somewhat autobiographical, CLAUDE'S CONFESSION tells a first-person tale of a poverty-stricken young man who takes in a prostitute even more destitute than he, becomes deeply attached to her both romantically and as an exercise in salvation, only to learn that she may not only be unsalvageable but a threat to his own well-being. The story is replete with examples of actions and attitudes that irritate one in their naïvete, self-pity, and stupidity, yet at moments charity and compassion rule enough of the tale to elevate it into near-tragedy, if only transitorily. ( )