The Belly of Paris [Paperback]

US"‘In an age when gastronomic fiction has become fashionable,’ Emile Zola's 1873 novelThe Belly of Paris... ‘seems ahead of its time,’ writes food historian Mark Kurlansky in the introduction to his new translation of the book. Set amid the bustling Les Halles market, the novel ‘revolves around the graphically illustrated conceit that the bourgeoisie not only eats too much but has an unhealthy obsession with food.’ Its descriptions of cuisine, too, are notable for their length, detail and humor.”—Washington Post

“It’s totally appropriate that food-writer Mark Kurlansky should helm Modern Library Classics’ new translation of Émile Zola’sThe Belly of Paris. Not only does he have a keen ear for Zola’s revolutionary naturalism, he also captures the passion at the heart (or gut) ofThe Belly of Paris–a passion for food." —BibliokleptEmile Zola (1840—1902) was born in Paris and worked as a journalist before turning to fiction. With the publication of L’Assommoir, he became the most famous writer in France. His work has influenced authors from August Strindberg to Theodore Dreiser to Tom Wolfe.

Mark Kurlanksy is the New York Times bestselling and James A. Beard Award—winning author ofThe Last Fish Tale,The Big Oyster, Cod,andSalt,among other books. He has translated numerous pieces from French, Spanish, and Italian for his anthology of food writing Choice Cuts. He lived in Paris for ten years but now resides in New York City.Chapter One



In the silence of a deserted avenue, wagons stuffed with produce made their way toward Paris, their thudding wheels rhythmically echoing off the houses sleeping behind the rows of elm trees meandering on either side of the road. At the pont de Neuilly, a cart full of cabbages and another full of peas met up with eigl“+