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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
I hadn’t read Zola in years (“Thérèse Raquin” was forced on me in college and it left a bitter taste in my mouth – despite the fact that I barely remember anything about it now), but last year, I binged-read everything Anthony Bourdain wrote, and he mentions “The Belly of Paris” over and over again as his favorite book. He was one of my favorite humans, so I take his book recommendations seriously, and got my hands on a copy of what he referred to as “the greatest work of food porn ever written”.
Anthony did not lie to me. The food descriptions in this book are… well… obscene. Not in a bad way, though I must say that not unlike porn, it occasionally gets a little disturbing and overwhelming. Vegetarians beware!
The story follows Florent, a rather naïve man, who after escaping wrongful imprisonment, is taken in by half-brother and his wife, and lands a job as an inspector in Paris’ central food market, les Halles. This situation will put him in the middle of a strange rivalry between his sister-in-law and a stubborn fishwife, but will also expose him to the plotting of a group of would-be revolutionaries who want to stage another uprising of the working-class and topple the Empire. Side plots involving orphans who grew up between the markets stalls and a cynical but friendly painter punctuate Florent’s story.
Zola was fond of painting vividly detailed pictures of the best and the worst aspects of humanity. The school of Naturalism was about observing (through the lens of “natural sciences”) and commenting, but this movement certainly had a strong tendency to focus on less savory aspects of human behavior. There is precious little optimism to be found in Zola’s work, and when it’s there, you kind of know it will end badly anyway. The constant conflicts between the “fats” and the “thins”, the mean-spirited gossip, the strange hierarchy of Paris’ famous food market paint a pretty bleak picture. But Cadine and Marjolin's story cuts through it with its innocent and liberated joy - albeit for a rather short interlude. It is also lovely to see that Zola created strong, clever and realistic female characters, who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty, work hard and plan the downfall of the monarchy.
Zola’s prose is simply amazing: it is so evocative that you can see, smell and feel the settings he describes, from the odorous fish market to the warm and cozy charcuterie store. He captures the demeanor of his characters perfectly, and while their huge number can sometimes be confusing, I could picture them as well as if I had been sitting on those quarrelsome meetings in the poultry shop. People, full of thoughts, contradictions, needs and wants, clashing or agreeing with each other truly come alive through his pen.
A beautiful book, that food lovers might just drool all over. I’m going to go have a snack now…
Anthony did not lie to me. The food descriptions in this book are… well… obscene. Not in a bad way, though I must say that not unlike porn, it occasionally gets a little disturbing and overwhelming. Vegetarians beware!
The story follows Florent, a rather naïve man, who after escaping wrongful imprisonment, is taken in by half-brother and his wife, and lands a job as an inspector in Paris’ central food market, les Halles. This situation will put him in the middle of a strange rivalry between his sister-in-law and a stubborn fishwife, but will also expose him to the plotting of a group of would-be revolutionaries who want to stage another uprising of the working-class and topple the Empire. Side plots involving orphans who grew up between the markets stalls and a cynical but friendly painter punctuate Florent’s story.
Zola was fond of painting vividly detailed pictures of the best and the worst aspects of humanity. The school of Naturalism was about observing (through the lens of “natural sciences”) and commenting, but this movement certainly had a strong tendency to focus on less savory aspects of human behavior. There is precious little optimism to be found in Zola’s work, and when it’s there, you kind of know it will end badly anyway. The constant conflicts between the “fats” and the “thins”, the mean-spirited gossip, the strange hierarchy of Paris’ famous food market paint a pretty bleak picture. But Cadine and Marjolin's story cuts through it with its innocent and liberated joy - albeit for a rather short interlude. It is also lovely to see that Zola created strong, clever and realistic female characters, who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty, work hard and plan the downfall of the monarchy.
Zola’s prose is simply amazing: it is so evocative that you can see, smell and feel the settings he describes, from the odorous fish market to the warm and cozy charcuterie store. He captures the demeanor of his characters perfectly, and while their huge number can sometimes be confusing, I could picture them as well as if I had been sitting on those quarrelsome meetings in the poultry shop. People, full of thoughts, contradictions, needs and wants, clashing or agreeing with each other truly come alive through his pen.
A beautiful book, that food lovers might just drool all over. I’m going to go have a snack now…
Is was fascinating to find that I enjoyed the delicious descriptions more than the plot line.
I loved the parts describing food but beyond that I had a hard time staying focused and eventually put it down for good.
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Some of the most evocative, poetic and vivid descriptions of food and food preparation you’ll ever read. One of Bourdain’s favourites and it’s clear why. Very sexy. Very French.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
7o% food descriptions, 30% plot (if that). there is a moment in the second half where some violence occurs, and i thought that we can finally get the story going.... only for zola to pivot back to obssessively detailed food descriptions. zola was such a troll for that lol. not for the first time i note that zola's realism (or naturalism, if you wish) to take grotesque and supernatural forms. each character introduction is prefaced with the way they mimic the food they sell, which get old at some point. if i were to describe the novel in one word, it would be 'flesh'
Probably would've been a higher rating if I read this when I wasn't feeling so ill.