These are English philosophy in the writings of Herbert Spencer, French realism in the practice and the preaching of Zola, Norwegian drama mainly through Ibsen, and Danish criticism in the essays and monographs of Georg Brandes.
Among the latest poets we may mention Wyspianski, Kisiliewski, Reymont, Mme Zapolska; the latter is the author of some powerful realistic novels and plays, and she has been called the Polish Zola.
Zola's Lourdes (Paris, 1894), a criticism from the sceptical point of view, in the form of a realistic novel, has called forth many replies from the Catholic side.
He succeeded Clemenceau as editor of the Aurore, in which Zola's letter "J'accuse" had appeared, and was president of the Association of Republican Journalists.
The history of this family, the Rougon-Macquart, was to be told in a series of novels containing a scientific study of heredity - science was always Zola's ignis fatuus - and a picture of French life and society.