COMPLETE [FICTION] L'Assommoir by Emile Zola - mla

Illiterati · Post by **Illiterati** » January 21st, 2009, 7:51 am

L'Assommoir by Émile Zola (1840-1902). [Translated by Ernest A. Vizetelly (1853-1922)].

This project is now complete! All audio files can be found on our catalog page: http://librivox.org/lassommoir-by-emile-zola/

Émile François Zola (French pronunciation: [emil zɔˈla]) (2 April 1840 – 29 September 1902) was an influential French writer, the most important exemplar of the literary school of naturalism.

More than half of Zola's novels were part of a set of twenty novels about a family under the Second Empire collectively known as Les Rougon-Macquart.

L'Assommoir (1877) is the seventh novel in the series. Usually considered one of Zola's masterpieces, the novel—a harsh and uncompromising study of alcoholism and poverty in the working-class districts of Paris—was a huge commercial success and established Zola's fame and reputation throughout France and the world. (Summary edited from Wikipedia.)

How to claim a part, and 'how it all works' here
To find a section to record, simply look at point 5. below at the sections. All the ones without names beside them are “up for grabs.” Click "Post reply" at the top left of the screen and tell us which section you’d like to read (include the section number from the left-most column in the reader list, please). Read points 6. to 8. below for what to do before, during and after your recording.
New to recording?
Please read our Newbie Guide to Recording!
Is there a deadline?
Target completion date of this project: 1.12.2009 – but try to send your recordings as soon as you can. Please note that if we haven't heard from you for two months, your section(s) will automatically be re-opened for other readers. If you cannot do your section, for whatever reason, just let me know and it’ll go back to the pool. There’s no shame in this; we’re all volunteers and things happen.
Where do I find the text?
Source text: Gutenberg source text, Archive.org scan for Author's note and introduction, but please read from the links in Magic Window only.
Please claim sections (the numbers in the first column below)!
If this is your first recording, please let me know under which name or pseudonym you'd like to appear in the LibriVox catalogue. We can also link to a personal website/blog.

BC will DPL this project. Level of prooflistening:

-- Are there mistakes or differences from the original text that markedly alter the meaning or content?
-- Do the intro and disclaimer match the instructions in the first post of the project thread?
-- Are there any long silences or pauses that ought to be edited out? If so, note the time.
-- Are there any stumbles or repeats that ought to be edited out? If so, note the words and the time.
-- Is there excessive background noise, a constant hiss or buzz that detracts from the reading?
-- Did you need to turn your volume up unusually high to listen to the recording? (Or did you find the recording too loud?)
-- Are the correct closing words used at the end of the recording, as per the first post of the project thread?
-- Are there 5 seconds of silence (10 if the recording is more than 30 minutes long) at the end of the file?

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MAGIC WINDOW:

(BC admin)
BC - please provide *all of* the following:
- Number of sections (files) this project will have: 60
- Does the project have an introduction or preface: y
- Link to author on Wikipedia (if available): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emile_Zola
- Link to title on Wikipedia (if available): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Assommoir
- Short description:
  Émile François Zola (French pronunciation: [emil zɔˈla]) (2 April 1840 – 29 September 1902) was an influential French writer, the most important exemplar of the literary school of naturalism.
  
  More than half of Zola's novels were part of a set of twenty novels about a family under the Second Empire collectively known as Les Rougon-Macquart.
  
  L'Assommoir (1877) is the seventh novel in the series. Usually considered one of Zola's masterpieces, the novel—a harsh and uncompromising study of alcoholism and poverty in the working-class districts of Paris—was a huge commercial success and established Zola's fame and reputation throughout France and the world. (Summary edited from Wikipedia.)
- Date of first publication: 1877, translation 1885
- Year of author's death: 1902, translator Ernest A. Vizetelly 1922, Edmondo De Amicis (writer of the introduction) 1908
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BEFORE recording:
Please check the Recording Notes:
http://librivox.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6427#6430

Set your recording software to:

Channels: 1 (Mono)
Bit Rate: 128 kbps
Sample Rate: 44.1 kHz
DURING recording:
Make sure you read the complete text of your section, including the Librivox disclaimer and chapter notes. Also, please remember to check this thread frequently for updates!
AFTER recording:
Need noise-cleaning?
Listen to your file through headphones. If you can hear some constant background noise (hiss/buzz), you may want to clean it up a bit. The new (free) version 1.3.3. of Audacity (Mac/Win) has much improved noise-cleaning. See this LibriVox wiki page for a complete guide.

Save files as
128 kbps MP3
lassommoir_##_zola.mp3 (all lower-case) where ## is your section number. (e.g. lassommoir_01_zola.mp3). You can find the exact name of your file from the end of the document you are reading from.

ID3 V2 tags
(To find out more about ID3 tags, go to our wiki: http://librivox.org/wiki/moin.cgi/WhatIsID3)
Add the following tags to your .mp3 file (how you do this depends on which software you use – if you are unsure about ID3 tags, send me a message). You can find the exact tags for your file from the end of the document you are reading from. Please mind upper and lower case!

Title: ## - Chapter XX, part #
Artist: Emile Zola
Album: L'assommoir

Please ignore tags for Genre and Track Number - these will be filled in automatically at the cataloguing stage.

Transfer of files (completed recordings)
Please always post in this forum thread when you've sent a file.
Also, post the length of the recording (file duration: mm:ss) together with the link.
- Upload your file with the LibriVox Uploader (when your upload is complete, you will receive a link - please post it in this thread):
  http://upload.librivox.org
  
  (If you have trouble reading the image above, please message an admin)
  You'll need to select the MC, which for this project is: mla - AmethystA
- If this doesn't work, or you have questions, please check our How To Send Your Recording wiki page.

Any questions?
Please post below or PM me.

Advice on pronunciations:

ChipDoc wrote:
Here's a trick I've used to deal with unfamiliar pronounciations: Say it in whatever way seems best to you, but say it WITH AUTHORITY. If you sound like you know what you're talking about, most folks will believe you. Even if you're dead wrong, most folks who know "the right way" to pronounce a word will pause and consider if possibly YOU are right if you speak the word with easy conviction.

Illiterati · Post by **Illiterati** » January 21st, 2009, 7:56 am

Hello world!

Provided there will be interest in reading this work, I will probably start other works in this Les Rougon-Macquart-series as well over time. All the twenty novels are individual works of art, so there is no point in trying to do them in succession or even try to do all of them.

Next on my personal list would be Germinal , of which the translation by Havelock Ellis (d.1939) will be available for everyone in 2010 and La Bete Humaine (haven't found an online translation yet - the two PD ones are the Human Brute tr Edgar de V. Vermont, Chicago 1890 and The Monomaniac, tr. Edward Vizetelly, Hutchinson 1901) - just in case anyone happens to have one of those in her/his book shelf at home.

If there are people interested in reading this series, I would love to hear their preferences on future choices as well. For more information, check the wikipedia page for the series.

AmethystA · Post by **AmethystA** » January 22nd, 2009, 12:14 pm

Hi Illiterati,

I can MC this for you. Let me get you set up....

AmethystA · Post by **AmethystA** » January 22nd, 2009, 12:26 pm

Hi,

Your Magic Window is set up. I wasn't totally sure, and went ahead and put 00 as the first file. If this is incorrect, please let me know and I can change it. Also, I put in 1-12-2010 as the target date, as the 2009 date in your first post is already past, and 2010 made more sense.

We can go ahead and move over to Readers Wanted since we have a proof listener.....Thanks so much for adding the authors birth and death dates as well as the translators. That saves me some time come catalog time. I appreciate it!

Please let me know if I missed anything else or you need anything.

Thanks!

Mary

Illiterati · Post by **Illiterati** » January 22nd, 2009, 12:33 pm

Thank you, Mary!

Your Magic Window is set up. I wasn't totally sure, and went ahead and put 00 as the first file. If this is incorrect, please let me know and I can change it. Also, I put in 1-12-2010 as the target date, as the 2009 date in your first post is already past, and 2010 made more sense.

Yes, I do need the 00 + 60 lines for sections, so 61 altogether. As for the date that's the way we say December 1st in this part of the world, but I am really happy with 12th Jan 2010 as well.

Thanks again,

I

AmethystA · Post by **AmethystA** » January 22nd, 2009, 12:45 pm

Oh, sorry I read it as January 12, 2009.

I can change it to December if you prefer. I'm used to the writing the day then month. Ooops. I added the extra line to the Magic Window for you.

Illiterati · Post by **Illiterati** » January 22nd, 2009, 12:48 pm

AmethystA wrote:Oh, sorry I read it as January 12, 2009. I can change it to December if you prefer. I'm used to the writing the day then month. Ooops. I added the extra line to the Magic Window for you.

I think this date thing is a fairly common cultural difference and cannot really be counted as any sort of mistake. I'm happy with the date you suggested. Thanks for the extra section!

All set.

Happy reading!

AmethystA · Post by **AmethystA** » January 22nd, 2009, 3:07 pm

One other thing...how do you want this tagged for the catalog? Right now I have it under Fiction and then tragedy. Or would Adventure be better? I'm not familiar with this book, so wasn't sure. I put tragedy because of what is written in the summary, but it can be changed.

Illiterati · Post by **Illiterati** » January 22nd, 2009, 3:44 pm

Definitely a tragedy. Let's make additions later.

I

AmethystA · Post by **AmethystA** » January 27th, 2009, 5:11 pm

Okay, glad I got that correct.

No problem on adding additions to it later, closer to catalog time.

Illiterati · Post by **Illiterati** » January 29th, 2009, 1:18 pm

I have added a pronunciation guide on the most common French names in the novel to the first post. Thank you ezwa - that was great!

Illiterati · Post by **Illiterati** » February 2nd, 2009, 9:40 am

This series seems to be relatively unknown. More about it here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/feb/02/emile-zola-fiction

Glad to see Mark Ravenhill agree on the series opener.

I

lezer · Post by **lezer** » February 2nd, 2009, 11:17 am

Hi Illiterati,
The pronunciation files are great!
Could I record chapter II for you, so sections 5-8?
Thanks,
Anna

Illiterati · Post by **Illiterati** » February 2nd, 2009, 11:46 am

Welcome Anna and thank you! I have signed you up for chapter II (5-8).

I

lezer · Post by **lezer** » February 2nd, 2009, 2:41 pm

hi Illiterati,
Here's section 5: http://upload.librivox.org/share/uploads/mla/lassommoir_05_zola.mp3
15:19

The others won't come so quickly, but I always love trying out a new text.
Anna