The Belly of Paris

By Émile Zola

Categories: Literature & Fiction

The Belly of Paris (1873) is a novel by Émile Zola set in Les Halles, the great central food market of Paris. Florent, wrongly deported to a penal colony, escapes and returns to Paris thin and penniless. He finds his half-brother Quenu running a prosperous charcuterie with his wife, Lisa, who takes him in and finds him a job as a fish-market inspector. Among the market's piles of food and gossiping traders, Florent drifts toward a political plot.

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• Anthony Bourdain: ““@DwightGarner: What's the best novel ever written about food? Easy: Zola's "The Belly of Paris"” Yes!”