<p><strong>Doctor Pascal is the twentieth and final novel of the Rougon-Macquart series by Émile Zola. </strong>This volume serves in many respects as an epilogue to the series -- but it's also a fine tale in its own right. Doctor Pascal approaching old age looks back on his life and finds himself asking whether he has made the right choices . . . and the answers he finds aren't always what you'd expect. Those who enjoy Zola's better-known novels will find much to appreciate here as well.</p>