Le Rêve

Le Rêve is a novel by Emile Zola published in 1888. It is the 16th tome of the series Les Rougon-Macquart.

In the novel Angelique, a daughter of Sidonie Rougon (from a previous novel in the series, La Curée), had been deserted by her mother, and was adopted by a maker of ecclesiastical embroideries, who with his wife lived and worked under the shadow of an ancient cathedral. In this atmosphere the child grew to womanhood, and as she fashioned the rich embroideries of the sacred vestments she had a vision of love and happiness which was ultimately realized, though the realization proved too much for her frail strength, and she died in its supreme moment. The vast cathedral with its solemn ritual dominates the book.