“The Belly of Paris”

Off the Shelf

The Belly of Paris

 

In our Zoom meeting this month we discussed Emile Zola’s ‘The Belly of Paris’. Les Halles (the belly of Paris) was the huge central market of the capital and the centre of this mid 19th century novel. Florent was wrongly imprisoned on Devil’s Island for murder in the coup of 1851. Florent manages to escape and return to his native Paris where he lives under a false identity with his half-brother Quenu and his wife Lisa, above their charcutier shop. He is found a position in the market as a fish inspector.

This is a story of intrigue, petty jealousy and rival social positioning amongst the working class of Les Halles and depicts the widening gap between the rich and poor of Paris. Florent is an ineffectual character who, after being tested to his limits by the stall holders, finally gains the respect of the market traders. However, his true identity is discovered by his sister-in-law’s jealous neighbours. Florent who has involved himself with a group of socialist activists, is turned in, is arrested and deported again.

We felt that although there was not much of a story to the plot, Zola perfectly described the market, and the lives and social conditions of those who worked there. He depicts the poverty, and the constant striving for social standing and respect by the working class. In his vivid description of the market halls, the stalls and the characters, he takes us into the homes of the traders, describes their clothes, food, habits, and language. His portrayal of the produce and the sights and smells of the market provided such an atmosphere that we felt we could be taking a live tour of Les Halles. We gave the book a score of 8/10.