Germinal is a novel by French writer Emile Zola. It tells the story of Etienne Lantier, a young miner who arrives at the coal mining town of Montsou in northern France. Etienne quickly becomes involved in the struggles of the miners, who are living in terrible conditions and working long hours for low pay.
As Etienne becomes more involved in the miners' fight for better working conditions, he also falls in love with a young woman named Catherine. The novel follows the lives of the miners as they organize strikes and protests against the mine owners, who are exploiting them for profit.
Germinal is a powerful and moving story that explores themes of class struggle, poverty, and the human cost of industrialization. It is considered one of Zola's masterpieces and a classic of French literature.