(1840-1902) He was a French j oumalist and novelist known for his series of 20 novels known collectively as Les Rougon-Macquart (1871-1893). Zola s style was called literary naturalism; his novels were attacked and even banned for their frankness and sordid detail, and caused quite a bit of controversy in their day. The same traits made him a best selling author and a star of French literature in his day. In 1898 he then further incurred the wrath of French officials when he published the open l ...