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Les Rougon-Macquart #3

亘胤賳 亘丕乇賷爻

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賰丕賳 丕賱亘賱丕胤 賯丿 兀氐亘丨 夭賱賯丞 毓賱賶 丕賱乇睾賲 賲賳 噩賮丕賮 丕賱胤賯爻貙 兀賰賵丕賲 賲賳 爻賷賯丕賳 丕賱兀乇囟賷 - 丕賱卮賵賰賷貙 賵兀賵乇丕賯 丕賱禺囟丕乇 賰丕賳鬲 鬲噩毓賱 丕賱胤乇賷賯 賲丨賮賵賮丞 亘丕賱賲禺丕胤乇貙 賰丕賳 賷鬲丨爻爻 賰賱 禺胤賵丞 賯亘賱 兀賳 賷禺胤賵賴丕貙 賵囟丕毓 賲賳賴 賱丕賰丕賷 賮賷 卮丕乇毓 賮賵賮賷賱賷賷賴貙 賵賲賳 賱賷賴丕賱 丨鬲賶 兀乇賵賯丞 丕賱賯賲丨貙 賰丕賳鬲 兀胤乇丕賮 丕賱卮丕乇毓 鬲鬲賲鬲乇爻 亘丨賵丕噩夭 噩丿賷丿丞 賲賳 丕賱毓乇亘丕鬲貙 賮賯乇乇 丕賱廿丨噩丕賲 毓賳 丕賱賲賯丕賵賲丞貙 賱賯丿 丕爻鬲毓丕丿鬲賴 爻賵賯 賱賷賴丕賱貙 賵噩乇賮賴 丕賱鬲賷丕乇 賲乇丞 兀禺乇賶貙 賵氐賱 亘亘胤亍貙 賵賵噩丿 賳賮爻賴 毓賳丿 賳丕氐賷丞 卮丕乇毓 爻丕賳鬲 兀賵爻鬲丕卮.
孬賲 乇丕丨 賷爻鬲賲毓 賱氐賵鬲 丕賱賲爻賷乇丞 丕賱胤賵賷賱丞 丕賱鬲賷 鬲賳胤賱賯 賲賳 賱賷賴丕賱貙 亘丕乇蹖爻 鬲賴賶 丕賱賱賯賷賲丕鬲 賲賱賷賵賳賷 賳爻賲丞 賴賲 爻賰丕賳賴丕貙 賰丕賳 匕賱賰 賰賲孬賱 賯賱亘 賴丕卅賱 賷賳亘囟 亘卮賰賱 賲禺賷賮貙 賵賷囟趤 丿賲 丕賱丨賷丕丞 賮賷 賰賱 丕賱卮乇丕蹖蹖賳貙 噩毓噩毓丞 賮賰賷賳 毓賲賱丕賯賷賳貙 囟噩賷噩 鬲丨丿孬賴 噩賱亘丞 丕賱鬲夭賵丿 亘丕賱賲丐賳貙 賲賳 囟乇亘丕鬲 爻賷丕胤 丕賱亘丕卅毓賷賳 亘丕賱噩賲賱丞貙 丕賱賲賳胤賱賯賷賳 賳丨賵 丕賱兀爻賵丕賯 丕賱氐睾賷乇丞 賮賷 丕賱兀丨賷丕亍 丨鬲賶 丿亘賷亘 禺賮丕賮 丕賱爻賷丿丕鬲 丕賱賮賯賷乇丕鬲 丕賱鬲賷 賷賲乇乇賳 賲賳 亘丕亘 廿賱賶 亘丕亘 賷毓乇囟賳 丕賱禺囟乇賵丕鬲 賮賷 爻賱丕賱.

396 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1873

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About the author

脡mile Zola

2,684books4,228followers
脡mile Fran莽ois Zola was an influential French novelist, the most important example of the literary school of naturalism, and a major figure in the political liberalization of France.

More than half of Zola's novels were part of a set of 20 books collectively known as Les Rougon-Macquart. Unlike Balzac who in the midst of his literary career resynthesized his work into La Com茅die Humaine, Zola from the start at the age of 28 had thought of the complete layout of the series. Set in France's Second Empire, the series traces the "environmental" influences of violence, alcohol and prostitution which became more prevalent during the second wave of the Industrial Revolution. The series examines two branches of a family: the respectable (that is, legitimate) Rougons and the disreputable (illegitimate) Macquarts for five generations.

As he described his plans for the series, "I want to portray, at the outset of a century of liberty and truth, a family that cannot restrain itself in its rush to possess all the good things that progress is making available and is derailed by its own momentum, the fatal convulsions that accompany the birth of a new world."

Although Zola and C茅zanne were friends from childhood, they broke in later life over Zola's fictionalized depiction of C茅zanne and the Bohemian life of painters in his novel 尝'艗耻惫谤别 (The Masterpiece, 1886).

From 1877 with the publication of L'Assommoir, 脡mile Zola became wealthy, he was better paid than Victor Hugo, for example. He became a figurehead among the literary bourgeoisie and organized cultural dinners with Guy de Maupassant, Joris-Karl Huysmans and other writers at his luxurious villa in Medan near Paris after 1880. Germinal in 1885, then the three 'cities', Lourdes in 1894, Rome in 1896 and Paris in 1897, established Zola as a successful author.

The self-proclaimed leader of French naturalism, Zola's works inspired operas such as those of Gustave Charpentier, notably Louise in the 1890s. His works, inspired by the concepts of heredity (Claude Bernard), social manichaeism and idealistic socialism, resonate with those of Nadar, Manet and subsequently Flaubert.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 627 reviews
Profile Image for Kalliope.
714 reviews22 followers
October 19, 2020



The cover of this novel should come with a warning. Well, may be not even just a warning, for it should be sold with a calorie counter. I am afraid I may have put on several kilos while reading this. Perhaps it would be advisable to read it while running on the treadmill. The lush descriptions of succulent food could well activate and stimulate the production of a peculiar kind of literary enzymes which multiply by ten the energy provided by ingested food if it has been deliciously described.

Warnings should go also for the vegetarians. Or the sections dealing with raw meat on display, black pudding, lard and all kinds of sausages, could make them feel disgusted with Zola. These ought to be marked and those who want their cholesterol (the LDL kind) somewhat high would be interested in giving it a pass. The pescetarian types could instead go direct to the Fish pavilion and read and smell the bounty piscary. Zola鈥檚 account of the fish counter has the variety and range of an oceanic aquarium. In all shapes and tints.

Flesh and Fish then. If these victuals are often presented in opposition Zola exploits this by making it drive some aspects of the novel. For the plot moves along the rivalry between the Butcher and Fishmonger ladies.

Other people may prefer to move ahead and read the counter on cheeses and butters over and over again. Never would I have thought that anyone would ever write such an Ode to the Cantals, Gruy猫res, Bries, Port-Saluts, Roqueforts, Monts-d鈥橭r, Neufch芒tels, of this world. Sumptuous and delectable. I certainly belong to that group, and if I could only put one update for this book, it would be this glorious passage. But then, I am a lacto-addict.

And even if the book first pays attention to the vegetables, it may be of interest to leave that section to read at the end. I always liked the French custom of eating salad at the end of meals. I don鈥檛 know why Zola did not follow this commendable habit here. No matter, his vegetables sparkle like colourful jewels.

But not everything is the food. There is history too. Although I have read a fair amount of Zola in the past, for its literary appeal, I was now drawn for its documentary value. And I have not been disappointed. This novel can be read as an intense social, economic and political document.

Although published in 1873, when France had installed the Third Republic, the novel is set in the early years of the Second Empire when the population of Paris had doubled in just a few decades. This was the time of the Haussmannization of the city, and amongst other projects, the Central Market of Paris was rebuilt in a structure of glass and steel pavilions to accommodate the provisioning of the city. Balzac had already been fascinated by the logistics required for the supply of food for the daily consumption of Parisians. And Zola followed Balzac鈥檚 steps in this too. Reading his Ventre de Paris one feels the compulsion to google all kinds of data relating to Les Halles of Victor Baltard (1805-1974).





But what fascinated me the most during this read was Zola鈥檚 exploration of the nature of substantiality and his blurring of the borderline separating the human from the material. In some of his descriptions there is a symbiosis between the individual and the corporeality of her/his world that goes beyond anthropomorphism.

Inevitably, I had to think of Arcimboldo鈥檚 fantasies..




For there is something Surreal in Zola鈥檚 Naturalism.
Profile Image for 尝耻铆蝉.
2,271 reviews1,179 followers
December 23, 2023
The Zola that abuses our senses the most! Taste, sight, smell, touch, hardly anything but hearing that spared, and more.
One of the masters of the description uses his talent to immerse us in the overcrowded, overheated, and overabundant world of the new Halles de Paris, the cathedral of glass and steel. The temple of the consumption of perishable foodstuffs beats in the heart of the capital, day and night, like a heart in a man's chest. This powerful machine, both the source of wealth and the haven of misery, harbors a people with disparate aspirations.
Emile Zola often cloisters his reader from the novel's beginning in a restricted space; he wraps up the neighborhood. His characters become familiar to us; we become their intimate. At this price, we can see, stripped bare, the beauty or the ugliness of their souls, spy on their gestures, analyze their thoughts, and anticipate their destiny.
"The belly of Paris" is not my favorite Zola, but it is so consistent with the Rougon-Macquart saga that it is a stunning building block nonetheless. Once again, Emile Zola understands there is a need to reserve literature for everyone.
Profile Image for Richard (on hiatus).
160 reviews207 followers
January 1, 2021
I鈥檝e challenged myself to read the classic Rougon-Macquart book series by 脡mile Zola - in order. The Belly of Paris is the third of twenty novels, so it鈥檒l take a while :)
The books tell compelling human stories and are down to earth and realistic in style. They provide a fascinating and authentic snapshot of life in France in the mid 1800鈥檚.
This loosely linked series was written over a twenty two year period and is seen as Zola鈥檚 greatest achievement. The books I鈥檝e read so far have been accessible (especially the modern translations) and many of the novels have been turned into films and tv series.
It鈥檚 the 1859 in Paris. Louis-Napol茅on Bonaparte having been elected President of France and wresting much power from the Monarchy, has taken things a massive step further - he and his party have staged a coup d'茅tat enabling him to dissolve government and take complete control of France. This period, known as the Second Empire is the backdrop to Zola鈥檚 book cycle.
Rather than being all about politics though, Zola鈥檚 aim is to study, through the branches of two very different families (the Rougons and the Macquarts) how their heritage and environment acts upon their lives.
Each book looks at a different section of French society.
In the case of this novel the theme is food and the feeding of France, with the centre of the action being Les Halles the massive glass and cast iron central market of Paris.
A rake thin, exhausted and starved man is found lying by the side of the road by a convoy of farmers as they slowly, trundle their produce into the centre of the city. It鈥檚 4am and they kindly pick him up and deliver him to his estranged brother and sister-in-law, who own a smart 鈥楥harcuterie鈥� adjacent to 鈥楲es Halles鈥�. We learn the man is called Florent, has escaped from a far flung prison and is making his way home - he鈥檚 a quiet, thoughtful, idealist who was incarcerated during the 1848 revolution.
Florent is at first an enigma to those around him, then he鈥檚 treated with warmth ......... and finally with distrust, in a narrative in which half baked political intrigue, petty rivalries and malicious gossip conspire to become very dangerous.
Life within the soaring, fretted halls of Les Halles is meticulously described. The sights, sounds and smells are palpable, stifling even. The sensuous descriptions of food are endless, and gluttony is a constant theme.
The character sketches are sharp - from the powerful, controlling matriarchs of the fish, dairy and meat markets to the men, comically self important as they ineffectually plot and scheme.
Th铆s is a colourful, bustling, story set among Paris鈥檚 working classes, shot through with social commentary and humour, and although not the most well known book of the series it was an enjoyable, fun and illuminating journey back in time.

Links to my reviews of the previous books:
The Fortune of the Rougons
The Kill
Profile Image for Axl Oswaldo.
410 reviews246 followers
January 4, 2022
Best book I read in November 2021

Si tuviera que empezar definiendo esta novela con una sola palabra, lo primero que viene a mi mente ser铆a deleite, seguido por una recomendaci贸n a cualquier lector que se anime a leerla: NO hacerlo con el est贸mago vac铆o, ya que de lo contrario ser铆a el equivalente a sufrir una tortura perpetua.

En El vientre de Par铆s, Zola nos transporta de principio a fin a un escenario del que quiere que seamos parte profunda y detalladamente: El mercado Central de Par铆s, conocido como Les Hayes y construido a mediados del siglo XIX (hoy inexistente). A trav茅s de descripciones como solo Zola las sabe hacer, somos testigos de todo lo que sucede en dicho mercado, desde las personas que trabajan en 茅l hasta los productos que se comercializan: es aqu铆 donde toma sentido mi consejo del principio, ya que al autor no le basta con que uno sepa que hay un puesto de verduras, otro de pollo, otro de pescado, etc茅tera, lo que a 茅l le interesa es que t煤 como lector puedes sentir qu茅 es lo que tienes delante, un c煤mulo de texturas, olores y en ocasiones, sabores. Para conocimiento de todos, apenas termin茅 de leer la novela y ya me puse a investigar una receta para hacer la famosa sopa de col que aparece en alguna parte de esta historia.

Por supuesto que las descripciones de la carne no se quedan atr谩s, y no lo digo porque haya sido mi parte favorita 鈥攄ir铆a que todo lo contrario siendo vegetariano鈥�, pero es importante en nuestra historia ya que Quenu y su esposa Lisa (miembro de la familia Macquart) se dedican a la venta de salchichas y embutidos en su modesto puesto en dicho mercado. 驴Y qui茅nes son Quenu y Lisa? Nada m谩s y nada menos que el hermano y la cu帽ada de nuestro protagonista, Florent.

Florent llega a Par铆s, despu茅s de haber vivido un pasado lamentable, en busca de su hermano, de quien guarda buenos recuerdos y con quien planea empezar lo que se dir铆a, un nuevo comienzo. Es justo decir, y aqu铆 es donde quiero hablar de mis dos lecturas previas del autor, Germinal y La taberna, que hay una gran diferencia entre estas dos y El vientre de Par铆s: mientras que en las primeras dos lo que m谩s importa es la historia de los personajes, su desarrollo a lo largo de la novela, as铆 como la problem谩tica que trata y su final, en El vientre de Par铆s nos encontramos con una historia donde lo que m谩s importa es el escenario, el lugar donde se desarrollan los hechos, m谩s all谩 del hecho en cuesti贸n. B谩sicamente, esta obra es una pintura, un retrato social de lo que se viv铆a en el Mercado de Par铆s durante el Segundo Imperio.

Somos espectadores de la calidad de vida, de las relaciones que se forman en dicho entorno, as铆 como de enemistades, hipocres铆a, envidia, y dem谩s detalles que hacen del d铆a a d铆a, ya de por s铆 dif铆cil, una situaci贸n cada vez m谩s insoportable. As铆, a partir de que Florent inicia a laborar en dicho mercado, nuestra historia comienza a cobrar forma en un completo y verdadero Zola. Aunado a esto, tenemos personajes que, como es una constante en los libros del autor, est谩n hartos de las condiciones en las que viven y deciden reunirse para discutir el asunto, 驴de qu茅 tanto hablar谩n?

Si bien, al lado de mis dos experiencias previas, yo definir铆a El vientre de Par铆s como una novela optimista, tampoco me animar铆a a tanto, ya que depender谩 de la lente con la que se le mire. Lo que s铆 puedo asegurar, y aunque me anim茅 a ponerle 5 estrellas por las espectaculares y sublimes descripciones tanto del sitio como de los personajes, esta novela se siente una obra menor si la comparo con Germinal o La taberna. Ojo, no es mala y no me atrever铆a a decir algo como tal, pero si has le铆do las dos anteriores y despu茅s lees El vientre de Par铆s, es dif铆cil no tener esa sensaci贸n de que le falt贸 algo aunque sabes que est谩 completa. Espero haberme explicado en este detalle lo mejor posible.

Quisiera a帽adir dos puntos m谩s: el primero es respecto a un personaje, Claude Lantier, quien hace ciertas apariciones a lo largo de la novela. Si les suena el apellido Lantier, no es sorpresa, ya que Claude es hijo de nuestra protagonista de La taberna, Gervaise Lantier, novela que ser铆a publicada cuatro a帽os despu茅s de El vientre de Par铆s. Aqu铆 es donde quiero llegar al siguiente aspecto, y no es m谩s que el asombro que se experimenta al ver c贸mo Zola es tan consistente y preciso con su saga de Les Rougon-Macquart, ya que si revisamos los datos que nos aporta en cada historia, no se le escapa ning煤n detalle y todo guarda cierta conexi贸n entre personajes y novelas.

Por este a帽o he tenido suficiente con esta saga, ser谩 la primera saga que planeo leer completa en mi vida, veinte novelas, todas ambientadas en el Segundo Imperio. Pienso que ser谩 una ardua empresa, pero con constancia y dedicaci贸n se podr谩 lograr.
Por ahora me despido y me voy satisfecho con mis tres lecturas del a帽o, acompa帽ando en sus desdichas a Les Rougon-Macquart y aprendiendo mucho de ellos, tanto en las buenas como en las malas.

Finalmente, no puedo terminar esta rese帽a sin antes recomendarles que lean a 脡mile Zola; les prometo que no se van a arrepentir. Si quieren leer algo que los destruya, La taberna es su mejor opci贸n (y si sufren mucho no digan despu茅s que no se los advert铆); si lo suyo es ver el hast铆o y puesta en escena ante un problema social que ha estado presente en nuestras sociedades por siempre, lean Germinal , la que para m铆 y para muchos es considerada como la obra maestra del autor. Y si quieren sentir que est谩n viviendo en el Mercado Central de Par铆s, dos siglos atr谩s, y no s贸lo siendo testigos, sino tambi茅n experimentado muy de cerca la vida de los comerciantes de dicho mercado, no dejen de leer El vientre de Par铆s, una buena opci贸n para adentrarse en el imponente mundo de este prol铆fico autor.

鈥擭osotros somos Flacos, 驴comprende?鈥� D铆game si, con vientres planos como los nuestros, se ocupa mucho lugar al sol.
Profile Image for Michael Finocchiaro.
Author听3 books6,125 followers
May 30, 2018
Zola leaves us with a timeless description of Les Halles as it was before the current 20y construction mess that it has become. For several centuries, this area in the center of Paris was a thriving marketplace for all Parisians and this novel was a magnificent tribute to the various people that made their living here - both for good and for not so good purposes. It is an unforgettable story and for me perhaps the best book that Zola wrote.
Profile Image for MJ Nicholls.
2,208 reviews4,687 followers
April 18, 2018
A gastronomic extravaganza for all carnivorous turophiles, the third novel in the Rougon-Macquart series is an impeccably translated parleyvous into the prickly purlieus of mid-1800s Paree, starring more big-bosomed bitchy fishwives than a Shetlandic wharf. The naive Florent is our luckless hero, plopped into the capital post-wrongful imprisonment, a thin man caught up in a bustling bourgeois world of respectable market traders鈥攁 coterie of carping chaffers keen to slap down the prosperous meat-slinger Louise, who offers our hero shelter, lardons, and bouillies. Plump in Zola鈥檚 nutritive descriptions, from the fruit and veg stalls, the preparation of meat, the pungent whiffs of blood and rotten produce, the novel evokes the period with the same exquisite vividness as the superstores in The Ladies鈥� Paradise, or the backstage scents in Nana, and shows a world where the strong-willed women wangle themselves a living as the men sit around and plot futile political revolutions. One of Zola鈥檚 finest.
Profile Image for Gabrielle (Reading Rampage).
1,146 reviews1,660 followers
February 9, 2019
I hadn鈥檛 read Zola in years (鈥淭h茅r猫se Raquin鈥� was forced on me in college and it left a bitter taste in my mouth 鈥� despite the fact that I barely remember anything about it now), but last year, I binged-read everything Anthony Bourdain wrote, and he mentions 鈥淭he Belly of Paris鈥� 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 鈥渢he greatest work of food porn ever written鈥�.

Anthony did not lie to me. The food descriptions in this book are鈥� well鈥� 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 na茂ve man, who after escaping wrongful imprisonment, is taken in by half-brother and his wife, and lands a job as an inspector in Paris鈥� 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鈥檚 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 鈥渘atural sciences鈥�) 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鈥檚 work, and when it鈥檚 there, you kind of know it will end badly anyway. The constant conflicts between the 鈥渇ats鈥� and the 鈥渢hins鈥�, the mean-spirited gossip, the strange hierarchy of Paris鈥� 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鈥檚 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鈥檓 going to go have a snack now鈥�
Profile Image for Daniela.
189 reviews90 followers
October 13, 2023
I read in another review that The Belly of Paris was Anthony Bourdain鈥檚 favourite novel. One can see why. The whole novel is permeated with the sounds and, particularly, the smells of fish, meat, blood and earthy vegetables. It鈥檚 nourishment in the cruder sense of existence.

Zola takes on this setting to transform his sensory novel in a political statement against tyranny. I start to detect a trend in the Rougon-Macquart: how injustice at the highest level of politics (beginning, in this case, with the Emperor) permeates society in the same way the smell of fish and chicken blood permeates Florent鈥檚 clothes. Florent, recently escaped from Devil鈥檚 Island, is ruined by the suspicions of his in-laws, despised and hated because he simply cannot compromise with the injustices that were perpetuated against him. It is not the respectable characters who fight Florent. It鈥檚 far more than a criticism of bourgeois respectability 鈥� one gets the feeling that it would be too easy for Zola to go there. No, it comes from Florent鈥檚 own people, those who struggle, those who suffer from the state of things.

While I enjoyed it, I still think La Cur茅e was the best one so far. The Belly of Paris gets repetitive and somewhat predictable. Now onto La conqu锚te de Plassans.
Profile Image for Teresa.
Author听9 books1,005 followers
May 22, 2015
Zola gives us both sides of the famous food markets in Paris, the sublime to the disgusting, and sometimes in the space of one sentence of his flowing prose. The descriptive passages are so visual they are like viewing paintings. At times they seem to almost literally soar: at the start of one chapter I felt as if I were flying above the rooftops of the city. The vendors seem to become what they sell, from fish to flowers. I was reminded of Dickens at several points, and Balzac at another.

As much as I liked this novel, I felt its central conceit fell flat by the end.
Profile Image for Dagio_maya .
1,045 reviews325 followers
September 14, 2021
芦Via, andiamo! Ma scherzi? Siamo gente onesta noi!禄

Parigi- 1858/1859

Florent, evaso dal bagno penale della Cayenna, torna a Parigi.
Senza forze dopo un estenuante viaggio e un prolungato digiuno fa il suo rientro sul carro di una gentile contadina che porta i suoi prodotti a Les Halles, il mercato centrale della capitale, cuore pulsante di tutto il commercio alimentare.

E鈥� notte quando Florent ritorna nella sua citt脿.
Una citt脿 addormentata nel suo tranquillo silenzio borghese ma l鈥檃rrivo dei prodotti della campagna al mercato di Parigi 猫, dapprima, un brus矛o di carri cigolanti, e poi un crescendo di vociare dei venditori pronti ad allestire la mercanzia.
description

Romanzo che comunica con tutti i sensi al lettore:
dai suoni del brulicante mercato che col giorno diventano un coro di voci concitate;
ai colori della miriade di cibi vegetali ed animali che ci sono propinati in lunghi elenchi dettagliati; alle forme architettoniche del quartiere che cogliamo attraverso l鈥檕cchio del pittore Claude Lantier; gli odori, poi, che accompagnano ogni sorta di cibo.
Zola ci accompagna in questa citt脿 nella citt脿 con una mappa sensoriale che fa da guida:
cos矛 le pagine si fanno vive e dagli ortaggi, ai pesci, alle carni ed ai formaggi, ci si ritrova in un crescendo violento di effluvi e violenti colori.

Florent torner脿 dal fratello Quenu che, in sua assenza, si 猫 sposato con Lisa Maquart ed 猫 diventato proprietario di una gastronomia.
E鈥� un rispettabile borghese, la cui vita 猫 scandita dall鈥檌nsaccare salumi ed accumulare denari.
Florent, invece, vive in modo distaccato ogni ambizione personale se non quella di sognare un mondo pi霉 equo.
Lui magro ed utopista; attorno personaggi che ostentano rotoli di carne come bandiera orgogliosa del benessere materiale.
Florent cerca di adeguarsi ma :

鈥滿a a poco a poco un鈥檌nquietudine sorda cominci貌 a roderlo, si sentiva insoddisfatto, si accusava di colpe, ma non sapeva quali, si ribellava contro quel vuoto che pareva allargarsi sempre di pi霉 nel suo cervello e nel suo cuore. Ogni tanto delle esalazioni pestifere, delle zaffate di pesce guasto gli rivoltavano lo stomaco. Fu una distruzione lenta, una noia vaga che divenne sovreccitazione nervosa.鈥�

L鈥檃ggressione sensoriale dovuta a questa abbondanza esagerata di cibi 猫 lo schiaffo morale ad una citt脿 che, in piena contraddizione, sta, invece, morendo di fame.
E鈥� Napoleone III che dopo il colpo di stato del 1851 e la repressione di ogni oppositore, ha smesso gli abiti del Presidente ed indossato quelli dell鈥橧mperatore che impugna come altri noti dittatori bastone e carota al popolo bue.

Les Halles, dunque, 猫 simbolo di tutto questo:

鈥滾a mole superba dei mercati, che traboccava di cibarie sostanziose, avevano precipitata la crisi. Per lui erano la gran bestia pasciuta e ruminante, erano l鈥檌mmagine di Parigi, che rimpinzata di cibo, intorpidita dalla grassezza, sosteneva stupidamente l鈥橧mpero.鈥�

Cos矛 il prototipo dei contemporanei centri commerciali 猫 come un ventre, il luogo dove si consuma la digestione di un popolo.

Bottegai, ruffiani, invidiosi tutti si dichiarano 芦onesti禄

鈥漃er causa loro, causa l鈥檈goismo del loro ventre, il dispotismo aveva potuto spadroneggiare cos矛, rosicchiare fino all鈥檕sso una nazione.鈥�

Ed 猫 la stessa Lisa che troneggia nel ruolo dell鈥檕nesta borghese e candidamente ammette che:

芦脠 la politica della gente onesta. Io sono riconoscente al governo quando vedo i miei affari andar bene, quando mangio in pace la mia minestra, quando posso dormire senza il pericolo d鈥檈ssere svegliata dalle fucilate. 禄

Cos矛 va il mondo, ieri come oggi.

C'猫 chi abbraccia la filosofia delle tre scimmiette (鈥漀oi siamo brava gente, non rubiamo e non ammazziamo nessuno e basta! Gli altri! Che cosa importa a noi quello che fanno gli altri. Lascia che siano fior di canaglie, se a loro piace.鈥�)

C'猫 chi soffre d鈥檌mpotenza in silenzio.

E poi, c'猫 chi crede che con la forza si possa estirpare l鈥檈goismo borghese...

Una lettura che rende satolli.
Zola in una delle sue prove migliori dipinge, colora, registra, interpreta tanto da rendere vivo lo scenario.
Uomini e donne, qui, sono esposti come in vetrina in un infido gioco delle parti mentre le cibarie sono animate e protagoniste di questa grande abbuffata.

E dunque: buona indigestione a tutti!


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-* Il Ciclo Rougon-Maquart 猫 costituito da venti romanzi collegati fra loro.
In questo esperimento, l鈥檃utore vuole fornire la storia naturale e sociale di una famiglia (e nello stesso tempo dell鈥檌ntera societ脿 francese), sotto l鈥檌mpero di Napoleone III.
Viene narrato il destino di due famiglie con avventure e vicende spiacevoli.
L鈥檕biettivo di Zola 猫 dimostrare la tesi dell鈥檈reditariet脿: inclinazioni al vizio che diventano vere e proprie tare e si trasmettono di generazione in generazione (Alcoolismo, prostituzione, corruzione, istinto omicida).
Nonostante ci貌 ognuno dei venti romanzi pu貌 essere letto indipendentemente dagli altri.
Qui il Gdl -
Profile Image for L.S. Popovich.
Author听2 books438 followers
February 17, 2020
The Belly of Pairs represents a splendid artistic development in the French novel. Combining the down and out urchin tales of Hugo and Sue, with Zola's own brand of reportage.

It is easy to forget how teeming the streets are throughout history. Especially in Paris at this time. Legions of gossip peddlers, flower sellers, ragamuffins, illicit performers, and an infinite array of characters call the streets their home.

Putting some of the tenants of Impressionism into his work, Zola's writing is characterized by a high level of detail. He writes with the sensibility of a painter, describing scenes as if he were composing a painting with words, including the tones, color, light, and composition of the scene. It will delight many readers, even today, like a very accurate, meticulous old film.

Zola cultivates a compulsive precision of atmosphere. In terms of his writing ability, one gets the sense he is showing off. What it lacks in lyricism it compensates for with sheer content. He has a remarkable range, and brings the marketplace of Les Halles to life.

The story of Marjolin and Cadine was precious and worthy of Hugo when it finally made its appearance in the second half of the novel. Before these characters arrived there was less focus on story and simply a ceaseless accumulation of nitty-gritty set-pieces. Of course, there are many charming segments of satire and humor throughout the book. Zola finds the joy of discovery in everything. Mixing the charm and grotesquerie of the lives of these poor urchins and the folk on the streets, scraping together a living by haggling over cabbage and pig's feet, the essence of life is distilled, and the writing flows. It's easy to get swept away in it.

One cannot ignore the all-pervasive meat-stink, the literal ripeness of this novel. There is an underlying fester, with the swill of blood and the cracking of bones as soundtrack. Fitting for a Post-revolutionary literary landscape, one might suppose.

Cleverly, Zola draws so much attention to butchers and fishwives, the market squabbles, and the struggling working class, it is easy to forget the political backdrop, the threat of another revolution like the one in '48, and Florent's unjust imprisonment.

Balzac's shoes were still warm when Zola already started to fill them. His 20-volume cycle (Les Rougon-Macquart) took up less space than Balzac's Human Comedy, was more methodical in structure, more researched, and more detailed in certain respects. Political, financial and artistic contexts form a multigenerational saga, and the relish and steamy splendor of the age is palpable, if not as controlled as Balzac's subdued literary experiments.

Zola's writing is reminiscent of D. H. Lawrence's. It is almost teasing, as if the author is baiting you, daring you to call his work obscene. Of course, like Lawrence, Zola was charged with publishing pornography, even though the subjects he describes are merely sensual, and not even provocative by today's standards. Still, there is a lot of flesh in this novel, most of it animal, and hanging from hooks, dripping blood onto the pavement. There are plenty of women, of course, amply described, who sort of grip the setting of the novel with their blood-doused hands. As Zola contrasts the fat and the thin in his work, most of the females are bulky, and the males tend to be frail, and foolishly ambitious. At least in this novel, the woman are working far more, sweating, putting muscle into the economy, and the men are chasing skirts and getting knocked in the head by the people in the skirts.

Zola is inexhaustible. Bringing to bear the fruit of months of research, observation and the production of his own imagination to conjure the panoply of cabbages, carrots, characters, scoundrels, drayhorses, merchantmen, and the endless catalogue of items, accessories, gewgaws and literary props, which he bandies about and piles up into two-page paragraphs stuffed with adjectives like a Dagwood sandwich. It reads like a Fellini film - if Fellini were given an infinite budget, and the film were six hours long.

Zola gravitates toward what we now call the encyclopedic mode, without quite attaining the excesses we have achieved in today's monolithic novels. To categorize his excessive inclusions, Zola nonetheless depleted the materials of his time. The central themes of the work only become clear by degrees, concealed as they are by mounds of fleshy tripe and what not.

Less subtle than Balzac, Zola is effusive, exuberant, brazen, but well-equipped for satire and straight-faced storytelling. Why does he spend so much time writing about lard, veal and glistening hare p芒t茅? you might wonder. As a device, as a distraction, and as a mode of communication, this description serves him well. He buries his true intention, and asks that you devour his language in order to uncover the messages lying at the bottom. Zola occupies the opposite end of the spectrum to Proust, who explored interiors and didn't leave his bedroom for 200 pages. Natural and social history, that is what Zola wrote about. Laying the groundwork for the movement in literature called Naturalism, you cannot ignore Zola's impressive contribution. How to represent a diseased society, how to depict human behavior as a product of its environment, and how to do it in a way that had never been done - that is the sum of Zola's achievement. The frantic pursuit of pleasure, the mask of propriety in the empire of ill-gotten freedoms - that is what Zola observed. The voracious appetite that Balzac alluded to is given free reign in the pages of Zola.

Great literature parallels life in some way. It discusses human beings confronting their own messes, both psychological and physical. The social decomposition of Paris in the 19th century is nowhere more evident than in this documentary-esque exploration of the great city, where history bleeds from the stone walls, where the people are encumbered by pounds and layers of heavy adversity.
Profile Image for Julie.
561 reviews296 followers
March 22, 2018
3.5 stars

I was both glutted, and gutted, by this third novel in les Rougon Macquart series, for the book swings from utter starvation to a surfeit of every imaginable food. It is Zola's intent to demonstrate the gluttony of state by juxtaposing it against the misery of the working poor; in both cases, I became queasy with despair, for there is never a just answer to the injustice of life.

While the contrasts worked well in the broader context of outlining the inherent sins of the Second Empire, it did not work all that well in procuring enough sympathy for the right side -- for it seems Zola lost himself in the very descriptiveness of gluttony. Rather than portraying it as a disease, he almost became the disease in an ironic twist of descriptive excess, revelling in the very lechery of his language. Page after page after page of endless descriptions of food became the nausea of the book. I found it to be quite a slog, at one point, and almost gave it up. The irony not lost on me is that I should be reading this throughout the days of Lent. (Even as a recovering catholic, I feel the weight of the purple shroud on my shoulders at this time of year. See what I mean? Now I'm doing it too -- indulging in the excess of language. It's really such a weighty book, and leaves no room for the imagination.)

Overcome by the sights and smells of Les Halles, I could not even summon the requisite sympathy for Florent, our hapless would-be protagonist. His story is overdone as well -- the luckless hero who walks right back into his own worst nightmare, pulled along more by inertia than determination to seek true justice. This character befuddled me utterly because he doesn't seem to fit, at all, into Zola's master plan: that of painting the revolutionary heroes with empathy and spirit. Instead, he comes across as a dejected and already-defeated malingerer.

I, in turn, was quite -- defeated -- by this novel. Someday I may return to it, and work my way through it again to see if it comes across more clearly. Perhaps I would have more luck if I sipped it accompanied by a pure broth.

As other reviewers have noted, this story has been done better by Dickens and Hugo. In Dickens, for one, it is a far, far better tale, told with less indigestion.

If there had been less food for thought, it might have merited a 4 star rating.
Profile Image for Alice Poon.
Author听6 books321 followers
March 28, 2016

I鈥檓 not going to lie: I was on the verge of giving up when I reached Chapter Three. The revolting description of the putrid smells of the Central Markets (present-day Les Halles), while evincing Zola鈥檚 extraordinary keen observation of details and his skills with words, was a major turn-off. I think I will avoid eating cheese for a long time to come.

Notwithstanding, I did slog along to reach Chapter Five, whence the action started to pick up steam, and by the time I finished the novel, tears filled my eyes. In the final analysis, I have to admit that I still liked Zola鈥檚 use of symbolism that is heavily laced with satire, especially in his tongue-in-cheek depiction of the hypocrisy of the haves (鈥渢he fat鈥�) towards the have-nots (鈥渢he thin鈥�) (like Beautiful Lisa鈥檚 initial superficial warmth towards Scraggy Florent, which then turns to bitter alienation when her self interest is threatened), of the envious tendencies of the wannabe haves (like the jealous malice of the gossipy and greedy Mademoiselle Saget, Madame Lecoeur, La Sarriet and Madame Mehudin), and of the invincible driving force of materialism in a bourgeois society in general (like the markets being symbolized as the 鈥済lutted, digesting beast of Paris, wallowing in its fat and silently upholding the Empire鈥�).

It seems to me that somewhere beneath all the stomach-turning descriptive lexicon, Zola wants to express just one thought in this novel, which is what the painter Claude says in exclamation at the very end: 鈥淲hat blackguards respectable people are!鈥�

In a less serious note, the novel does offer some interesting tidbits about Paris in the early days of the Second Empire. One of these was a practice where bijoutiers peddled leftover food scraps from the large restaurants, the royal households and state ministries to the underprivileged class for a few sous per portion. Another was that the fattening of pigeons was done by specially trained laborers called gaveurs, whose job was to force-feed the pigeons.
Profile Image for Margorito.
26 reviews640 followers
December 31, 2022
Et je termine encore cette nouvelle ann茅e avec un Zola, que pour des raisons bizarres j鈥檃dore lire pendant les f锚tes. Il y a de l鈥檕pulence dans ces pages satur茅es de t茅n猫bres, de descriptions vibrantes, de personnages en plusieurs dimensions, si r茅els, si palpables que j鈥檃i l鈥檌mpression de pouvoir les toucher.
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Je ne m鈥檡 attendais pas mais Le Ventre de Paris fait partie de mes plus gros coups de c艙ur dans la saga. On y suit Florent, rescap茅 de la Commune, dont la trajectoire nous interroge sur ce qu鈥檌l reste des r茅voltes. Propuls茅 dans les Halles parisiennes, comme un radeau sur une mer de nourriture et d鈥檃bondance, Florent vacille. Le texte de Zola est dense, comme la mati猫re molle du confort dans lequel s鈥檈nglue l鈥檈ngagement politique. La description des bancs de la mar茅e notamment est l鈥檜ne des plus belles qu鈥檌l m鈥檃it 茅t茅 donn茅 de lire, hallucinante de couleur et de texture. Au milieu de ce oc茅an, il reste une 卯le, un caf茅, dans lequel se r茅unissent celles et ceux qui croient encore au Grand Soir. Un groupe qui permet 脿 Zola d鈥檌llustrer la diversit茅 des attitudes politiques apr猫s le traumatisme de la Commune. Autour de cette table, 芦听la soci茅t茅 茅tait au complet听禄
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Il me reste encore quelques pages 脿 lire mais le d茅nouement est annonc茅 : gel茅e dans la tentation molle du confort, la r茅volte n鈥檃ura pas lieu. Lisa la charcuti猫re r茅sume 脿 elle seule le pourquoi : 鈥淰eux-tu que je te la dise ma politique 脿 moi ? [鈥 Cest la politique des honn锚tes gens. Je suis reconnaissante au gouvernement quand mon commerce va bien, quand je mange ma soupe tranquille et que je dors sans 锚tre r茅veill茅 par des coups de fusils鈥�
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Et moi de m茅diter sur les le莽ons de ce livre, dans lequel j鈥檃i plong茅 comme dans une mati猫re organique, pleine de morceaux, de mati猫res solides et molles, d鈥檕bjets coupants, aussi.
Profile Image for Maren.
243 reviews6 followers
October 1, 2024
Nachtrag
Gelesen ca. 2008
Re-read w眉rdig
Bald!
Profile Image for Annetius.
350 reviews112 followers
October 9, 2020
螣 螙慰位维 味慰蠉位畏尉蔚 胃伪蟻蟻蔚委蟼 渭蟺蟻慰蟽蟿维 蟽蟿伪 渭维蟿喂伪 渭伪蟼 蟿慰 蟽蟿慰渭维蠂喂 蟿慰蠀 螤伪蟻喂蟽喂慰蠉, 萎 渭维位位慰谓 蟿畏谓 魏伪蟻未喂维 蟿慰蠀, 纬喂伪 谓伪 蠂蟿蠀蟺萎蟽蔚喂 蟽蟿畏谓 蔚蟺喂未蔚蟻渭委未伪 蟿慰蠀 蟺位伪魏蠈蟽蟿蟻蠅蟿慰蠀 蟿畏蟼 蟿蔚蟻维蟽蟿喂伪蟼 伪纬慰蟻维蟼 蟿蠅谓 Halles 蠈位慰蟼 慰 蟺伪位渭蠈蟼 蟿畏蟼 蟺伪蟻喂味喂维谓喂魏畏蟼 魏慰喂谓蠅谓委伪蟼 蟿蠅谓 渭苇蟽蠅谓 蟿慰蠀 19慰蠀 伪喂蠋谓伪.

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螝伪喂 蠈位伪 伪蠀蟿维 渭苇蟽伪 蟽蔚 渭喂伪 蟽魏蔚蟺伪蟽蟿萎 伪纬慰蟻维 蠈蟺慰蠀 慰喂 纬蠀谓伪委魏蔚蟼 蟺委蟽蠅 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰蠀蟼 蟺维纬魏慰蠀蟼 蔚委谓伪喂 慰喂 渭蔚纬维位蔚蟼 伪蠁苇谓蟿蟻蔚蟼 蟺慰蠀 魏喂谓慰蠉谓 蟿伪 谓萎渭伪蟿伪 渭蔚 蠁胃慰谓蔚蟻维 尾位苇渭渭伪蟿伪 魏伪喂 蟺喂魏蟻蠈蠂慰位伪 蟽蠂蠈位喂伪 芦渭蔚 蟿慰 纬维谓蟿喂禄 魏伪喂 蠈蟺慰蠀 蟿伪 魏慰蠀蟿蟽慰渭蟺慰位喂维 胃伪 渭蟺慰蟻慰蠉蟽伪谓 谓伪 蔚委谓伪喂 慰 喂蠈蟼 蟿畏蟼 蔚蟺慰蠂萎蟼 蟺慰蠀 渭蔚蟿伪未委未蔚蟿伪喂 渭蔚 蟿伪蠂蠉蟿畏蟿蔚蟼 蠁蠅蟿蠈蟼 魏伪喂 伪谓伪蟿伪蟻维蟽蟽蔚喂 蟿畏谓 蠁伪喂谓慰渭蔚谓喂魏萎 喂蟽慰蟻蟻慰蟺委伪 伪蠀蟿萎蟼 蟿畏蟼 蟺慰位蠉尾慰蠀畏蟼 伪谓胃蟻蠋蟺喂谓畏蟼 蟽蠉谓胃蔚蟽畏蟼. 螣喂 Halles 蟺伪蟻慰蠀蟽喂维味慰谓蟿伪喂 蟽伪谓 蟿慰 渭蔚纬维位慰 蠂蠅谓蔚蠀蟿萎蟻喂 蠈蟺慰蠀 伪谓伪魏伪蟿蔚蠉慰谓蟿伪喂 慰喂 伪谓伪胃蠀渭喂维蟽蔚喂蟼 蟿蠅谓 尾蟻伪蟽蟿蠋谓 渭蟺慰蠀谓蟿苇谓, 畏 位委纬未伪 魏伪喂 蟿慰 位委蟺慰蟼 魏维胃蔚 蔚委未慰蠀蟼 蟿蔚蟻蟻委谓伪蟼 渭蔚 蟿畏 蠁蟻苇蟽魏喂伪 渭蠀蟻蠅未喂维 蟿蠅谓 渭蟺慰蠀魏苇蟿蠅谓 尾喂慰位苇蟿伪蟼 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 蠁蟻慰蠀蟿苇谓喂伪 蔚蟽维谓蟼 魏维胃蔚 蟺慰喂魏喂位委伪蟼 渭萎位慰蠀. 螒蠀蟿维 渭伪味委 渭蔚 蟿畏谓 蠂慰位萎 蟿蠅谓 伪谓胃蟻蠋蟺蠅谓 蟿慰蠀蟼 蟽蟿蟻伪纬纬委味慰谓蟿伪喂 纬喂伪 谓伪 渭伪蟼 未蠋蟽慰蠀谓 苇谓伪 伪蟻喂蟽蟿慰蠉蟻纬畏渭伪, 渭喂伪 伪蟺委胃伪谓畏 蟿蟽维蟻魏伪 蟽蟿慰 危蟿慰渭维蠂喂 蟿慰蠀 螤伪蟻喂蟽喂慰蠉 伪蟺鈥� 蠈蟺慰蠀 尾纬伪委谓蔚喂 魏伪谓蔚委蟼 蔚蠀蠂伪蟻喂蟽蟿畏渭苇谓慰蟼 魏伪喂 蠂慰蟻蟿维蟿慰蟼, 伪蟺蠈 魏维胃蔚 维蟺慰蠄畏.

螆谓伪 渭喂魏蟻蠈 未蔚委纬渭伪, 喂未慰蠉:

芦螌渭蠅蟼, 慰喂 魏蠈魏魏喂谓蔚蟼 纬伪蟻委未蔚蟼 魏伪喂 慰喂 纬魏蟻委味蔚蟼 纬伪蟻委未蔚蟼, 渭苇蟽伪 蟽蔚 蟿蔚位维蟻伪, 尉蔚蟺蔚蟻谓慰蠉蟽伪谓, 蟽蟿慰 蟽尾畏蟽渭苇谓慰, 伪蟺伪位蠈 蟿蠈谓慰 蟿慰蠀 蟽蠅蟻慰蠉 蟿慰蠀蟼, 魏维蟿喂 伪未喂蠈蟻伪蟿伪 魏慰蠀渭蟺喂维 伪蟺蠈 纬伪纬维蟿畏, 蟿伪 蠂喂位喂维未蔚蟼 渭维蟿喂伪 蟿慰蠀蟼鈥� 慰喂 伪纬魏伪胃蠅蟿慰委 魏蠈魏魏喂谓慰喂 伪蟽蟿伪魏慰委, 慰喂 蟿喂纬蟻苇 渭蟺位蔚 伪蟽蟿伪魏慰委, 味蠅谓蟿伪谓慰委 伪魏蠈渭伪, 蟽蔚蟻谓维渭蔚谓慰喂 蟽蟿喂蟼 蟽蟺伪蟽渭苇谓蔚蟼 伪蟻胃蟻蠋蟽蔚喂蟼 蟿慰蠀蟼, 魏蟻慰蟿维位喂味伪谓. 螣 桅位慰蟻维谓 渭蔚蟿维 尾委伪蟼 维魏慰蠀纬蔚 蟿喂蟼 蔚尉畏纬萎蟽蔚喂蟼 蟿慰蠀 魏蠀蟻委慰蠀 螔蔚蟻位维魏. 螠喂伪 位蠅蟻委未伪 畏位委慰蠀, 蟺慰蠀 苇蟺蔚蠁蟿蔚 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰 蠄畏位蠈 蟿味伪渭蠅蟿蠈 蟿慰蠀 蟽魏蔚蟺伪蟽蟿慰蠉 未蟻蠈渭慰蠀, 萎蟻胃蔚 魏喂 苇尾伪位蔚 蠁蠅蟿喂维 蟽'蔚魏蔚委谓伪 蟿伪 尾伪蟻蠉蟿喂渭伪 蠂蟻蠋渭伪蟿伪, 蟺慰蠀 蟿伪'蠂蔚 蟺位蠉谓蔚喂 魏伪喂 蟿伪'蠂蔚 伪蟺伪位蠉谓蔚喂 蟿慰 魏蠉渭伪, 蟺慰蠀 喂蟻委未喂味伪谓 魏喂 苇位喂蠅谓伪谓 渭苇蟽伪 蟽蟿慰蠀蟼 蟿慰蠀蟼 蟿蠈谓慰蠀蟼 蟿畏蟼 蟽维蟻魏伪蟼 魏伪喂 蟿蠅谓 慰蟽蟿蟻维魏蠅谓, 蟿慰 慰蟺维位喂 蟿蠅谓 蟽喂魏伪魏喂蠋谓, 蟿慰 蟽蔚谓蟿苇蠁喂 蟿蠅谓 蟽魏慰蠀渭蟺蟻喂蠋谓, 蟿慰 蠂蟻蠀蟽伪蠁苇谓喂慰 蟿蠅谓 渭蟺伪蟻渭蟺慰蠀谓喂蠋谓, 蟿畏 位伪渭苇 蠁慰蟻蔚蟽喂维 蟽蟿喂蟼 蟽伪蟻未苇位蔚蟼, 蟿伪 渭蔚纬维位伪 伪蟽畏渭喂魏维, 蟿慰蠀蟼 蟽慰位蠅渭慰蠉蟼. 螇蟿伪谓 蟽伪谓 谓伪 蔚委蠂伪谓 伪未蔚喂维蟽蔚喂 魏伪蟿维 纬畏蟼 蟿伪 魏慰蟽渭萎渭伪蟿伪 魏维蟺慰喂伪蟼 蟽蔚喂蟻萎谓伪蟼, 伪谓萎魏慰蠀蟽蟿伪 魏伪喂 蟺伪蟻维尉蔚谓伪 蟽蟿慰位委未喂伪, 苇谓伪蟼 蟺伪魏蟿蠅位蠈蟼, 苇谓伪蟼 蟽蠅蟻蠈蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟺蔚蟻喂未苇蟻伪喂伪, 蟿蔚蟻伪蟿蠋未畏 渭蟺蟻伪蟽蔚位苇, 纬喂纬维谓蟿喂蔚蟼 魏伪蟻蠁委蟿蟽蔚蟼, 渭蟺喂味慰蠉 尾伪蟻尾伪蟻喂魏维, 蟺慰蠀 畏 蠂蟻萎蟽畏 蟿慰蠀蟼 蟽慰蠀 未喂苇蠁蔚蠀纬蔚. 危蟿喂蟼 蟻维蠂蔚蟼 蟿慰蠀蟼 慰喂 蟻委谓蔚蟼 魏伪喂 蟿伪 蟽魏蠀位蠈蠄伪蟻伪 蔚委蠂伪谓 蠂慰谓蟿蟻苇蟼 蟽魏慰蟿蔚喂谓苇蟼 蟺苇蟿蟻蔚蟼, 尾喂慰位蔚蟿喂苇蟼, 蟺蟻伪蟽喂谓蠅蟺苇蟼, 蟺慰蠀 渭喂蟽慰魏蟻蠉尾慰谓蟿伪谓 蟽'苇谓伪 渭伪蠉蟻慰 渭蔚蟿伪位位喂味苇鈥� 魏伪喂 蟿伪 位蔚蟺蟿维 魏位伪蟻维魏喂伪, 蟿伪 蠄伪蟻慰魏蠈魏伪位伪, 慰喂 慰蠀蟻苇蟼 魏伪喂 蟿伪 蟺蟿蔚蟻蠉纬喂伪 蟿畏蟼 伪胃蔚蟻委谓伪蟼, 蔚委蠂伪谓 蟿畏 蠁喂谓苇蟿蟽伪 蟿畏蟼 位蔚蟺蟿萎蟼 魏慰蟽渭畏渭伪蟿慰蟺慰喂委伪蟼.禄

桅位蔚蟻蟿维蟻慰谓蟿伪蟼 苇谓蟿慰谓伪 渭蔚 蟿慰谓 19慰 伪喂蠋谓伪 伪谓蟿喂位萎蠁胃畏魏伪 蠈蟿喂 蟽蠂蔚未蠈谓 蟺维谓蟿伪 尾纬伪委谓蠅 魏蔚蟻未喂蟽渭苇谓畏, 渭喂伪 伪谓蟿伪渭慰喂尾萎 蟺慰蠀 畏 蟺畏纬萎 蟿畏蟼 尾蟻委蟽魏蔚蟿伪喂 蟽蟿慰 蠉蠁慰蟼, 蟿畏 纬位蠋蟽蟽伪, 蟿慰 魏慰喂谓蠅谓喂魏慰蟺慰位喂蟿喂魏蠈 魏伪喂 喂蟽蟿慰蟻喂魏蠈 background 蟺慰蠀 蟿慰谓 蟺位伪喂蟽喂蠋谓蔚喂.

* 危蟿慰 蟿苇位慰蟼 蟿慰蠀 尾喂尾位委慰蠀 蠀蟺维蟻蠂蔚喂 苇谓伪 蔚尉伪委蟻蔚蟿慰 蟺伪蟻维蟻蟿畏渭伪 渭蔚 蟿委蟿位慰 芦韦蟻蠋纬慰谓蟿伪蟼 渭蔚 蟿慰谓 螙慰位维禄 渭蔚 苇谓伪 蟺位萎蟻蔚蟼 纬位蠅蟽蟽维蟻喂 纬喂伪 魏维胃蔚 纬伪蟽蟿蟻慰谓慰渭喂魏萎 位苇尉畏 蟺慰蠀 纬委谓蔚蟿伪喂 伪谓伪蠁慰蟻维 蟽蟿慰 尾喂尾位委慰. 螚 渭蔚蟿维蠁蟻伪蟽畏 蔚委谓伪喂 蟺慰位蠉 魏伪位慰尾伪位渭苇谓畏 魏伪喂 未蔚 纬委谓慰谓蟿伪喂 蔚魏蟺蟿蠋蟽蔚喂蟼 蟽蟿畏谓 伪蟺蠈未慰蟽畏 蠈位蠅谓 蠈蟽蠅谓 渭伪蟼 未委谓蔚喂 慰 螙慰位维 蟽蟿慰 蟺喂维蟿慰 蟿慰蠀.

* 螣喂 Halles 蟽萎渭蔚蟻伪 未蔚谓 苇蠂慰蠀谓 魏伪渭喂维 蟽蠂苇蟽畏 渭蔚 蟿畏谓 蔚蟺慰蠂萎 蟿慰蠀 尾喂尾位委慰蠀. 螘委谓伪喂 蟺喂伪 苇谓伪 渭慰谓蟿苇蟻谓慰 维谓蟿蟻慰 蟿畏蟼 魏伪蟿伪谓维位蠅蟽畏蟼, 渭蔚 未蔚魏维未蔚蟼 蔚渭蟺慰蟻喂魏维 魏伪蟿伪蟽蟿萎渭伪蟿伪, 魏蠀位喂蠈渭蔚谓蔚蟼 蟽魏维位蔚蟼, 蔚蟽蠅蟿蔚蟻喂魏萎 蟺喂蟽委谓伪 魏伪喂 位慰喂蟺维. 螘委谓伪喂 蔚尉伪喂蟻蔚蟿喂魏维 蔚蠀蟿蠀蠂苇蟼 蟿慰 蠈蟿喂 蠀蟺维蟻蠂慰蠀谓 尾喂尾位委伪 蟽伪谓 伪蠀蟿蠈 蟺慰蠀 渭伪蟼 渭蔚蟿伪蠁苇蟻慰蠀谓 蟽魏畏谓喂魏维 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰 尾伪胃蠉 蟺伪蟻蔚位胃蠈谓, 蟿伪 慰蟺慰委伪 尉伪谓伪味蠅谓蟿伪谓蔚蠉慰蠀谓 渭蔚 胃伪蠀渭伪蟽蟿蠈 蟿蟻蠈蟺慰.
Profile Image for Greg.
543 reviews133 followers
July 10, 2024
Florent Quenu 鈥渆spoused an ideal of pure virtue and sought refuge in a world of absolute truth and justice鈥� and 鈥渂ecame a republican, entering the realm of republican ideals as girls with broken hearts enter a convent; and unable to find a republic where sufficient peace and kindness prevailed to soothe his troubled mind, he created one of his own.鈥� His delusional, Christ-like (his brother being his only disciple) naivet茅 feeds and nurtures the petty intrigue of the families who inhabit the Parisian food market, Les Halles. The result is one of Zola鈥檚 more masterful stories filled with intricate subplots causing the reader to have ever-changing allegiances and impressions about the characters.

Zola was a master of descriptive writing. In The Belly of Paris he creates scenes that the reader can see, feel, taste and, most impressively, smell the market, all of which are integral to the story. As in many of his stories, hypocritical, vicious gossip drives the narrative. The highlight in this novel is a scene in which Zola intertwines the voices of the women at the market with the stench of the cheeses surrounding them as their chattering sets off the events leading to a tragic, almost inevitable, conclusion. As the 鈥済reat explosion of smells鈥� combined, 鈥淸t]he stench rose and spread, no longer a collection of individual smells, but a huge, sickening mixture. It seemed for a moment that it was the vile words of Madame Lec艙ur and Mademoiselle Saget that had produced this dreadful odour.鈥�

Unlike many of the other novels I鈥檝e read in the Rougon-Macquart cycle, the first part of the story is filled with sympathetic characters. Reading on, it was like a being in a constant, unbalanced state and compelled me to keep reading. The Belly of Paris would be a great starting point for anyone interested in learning about Zola鈥檚 writing.
Profile Image for Xenia Germeni.
328 reviews40 followers
October 15, 2017
螘委谓伪喂 伪蠀蟿畏 畏 蟺委魏蟻伪 蟺慰蠀 渭苇谓蔚喂 伪谓维渭蔚蟽伪 蟽蟿伪 位伪蠂伪谓喂魏伪, 蟿伪 位慰蠀位慰蠀未喂伪, 蟿畏谓 伪胃蠅慰蟿畏蟿伪, 蟿伪 蠄伪蟻喂伪, 蟿伪 魏蟻蔚伪蟿伪, 蟿伪 蟺慰蠀位蔚蟻喂魏伪....魏伪喂 蟿慰蠀蟼 谓喂魏畏蟿苇蟼 围慰谓蟿蟻慰蠀蟼 魏伪喂 维未喂魏伪 畏蟿蟿畏渭苇谓慰蠀蟼 螒未蠉谓伪蟿慰蠀蟼...螚 伪谓胃蟻蠋蟺喂谓畏 渭喂魏蟻蠈蟿畏蟿伪 蟽蔚 蠈位慰 蟿慰 渭蔚纬伪位蔚委慰 蟿畏蟼, 畏 蟺慰位喂蟿喂魏畏, 畏 蔚蟺伪谓维蟽蟿伪蟽畏, 蟿慰 蠄蔚渭伪...慰位伪 味蠅谓蟿伪蟿蔚蠀慰蠀谓 纬喂伪 蠂伪蟻畏 蟿慰蠀 伪谓伪纬谓蠋蟽蟿畏 渭蔚蟽伪 伪蟺蠈 味蠅谓蟿伪谓慰蠀蟼 味蠅纬蟻伪蠁喂魏慰蠀蟼 蟺喂谓伪魏蔚蟼 位蔚尉蔚蠅谓, "蟺畏纬渭苇谓慰蠀蟼" 蟽蔚 位蔚蟺蟿慰渭苇蟻蔚喂蔚蟼 蟺蟻慰蟽蠅蟺蠅谓, 蟻慰蠀蠂蠅谓, 蠂伪蟻伪魏蟿萎蟻蠅谓, 慰蟽渭蠋谓, 纬蔚蠉蟽蔚蠅谓, 蠂蟻蠅渭维蟿蠅谓....蟿蠈蟽慰 未蠀谓伪蟿慰 蟺慰蠀 蟽蟿慰 蟿蔚位慰蟼 渭苇谓蔚喂蟼 渭蔚 苇谓伪 纬喂伪蟿委...伪位位维 伪魏蠈渭畏 魏伪喂 蟽萎渭蔚蟻伪 位苇渭蔚 蟿慰 委未喂慰 纬喂伪蟿委 魏伪喂 蠈位伪 伪蟺位蠋蟼 蟽蠀谓蔚蠂委味慰蠀谓...违螕 螘伪谓 蟽慰蠀 伪蟻蔚蟽蔚喂 蟿慰 蠁伪纬畏蟿慰 未喂伪尾伪蟽蔚 蟿慰!
Profile Image for Babette Ernst.
323 reviews72 followers
July 20, 2024
Ein Buch wie ein impressionistisches Bild, voller Farben, Ger眉che und Ger盲usche, mit illustren Personen best眉ckt. Dieses durchkomponierte Werk, in dem jedes Detail stimmte, und das noch dazu die Freude des Autors beim Schreiben widerspiegelte, hat mich zutiefst beeindruckt. Lag es daran, dass ich nicht so sehr viel erwartete? Ich hatte Vorurteile zu Zola irgendwo im Hinterkopf, er schriebe langatmig und langweilig. Tats盲chlich nehmen Beschreibungen einen sehr gro脽en Raum des Buches ein, wer eine spannungsgeladene Handlung sucht, ist hier fehl am Platz.

Florent, der aus der Verbannung in S眉damerika geflohen ist, kehrt zur眉ck in seine Heimatstadt Paris. Fast verhungert, kommt er ausgerechnet auf dem Markt an, wo er mit dem Blick des Hungrigen den 脺berfluss wahrnimmt. Sein Halbbruder hat inzwischen geheiratet und eine gut gehende Metzgerei er枚ffnet. Frau und Kind sowie der Halbbruder selbst sind dickleibig, so, wie viele hier auf dem Markt. Immer wieder wird Sch枚nheit mit runden K枚rperformen in Verbindung gebracht, w盲hrend die Mageren argw枚hnisch betrachtet werden. Florent wird von seinem Bruder aufgenommen und nimmt sp盲ter eine Stelle auf dem Markt an, bei der er von den Marktfrauen herausgefordert wird. Lediglich in politischen Gespr盲chen und Planungen f眉hlt er sich wirklich beheimatet.

Viel mehr Handlung darf man nicht erwarten. Das Besondere des Buches liegt in den Beschreibungen des Lebens in Paris in der Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts. Sehr detailreich werden die Produkte, die auf dem Markt und den umliegenden Gesch盲ften angeboten werden, dargestellt. Eine Symphonie f眉r die Sinne ist zu erleben, wobei sich der Anblick je nach Stimmung des Betrachters, ver盲ndert. Mal gl盲nzen die Kohlk枚pfe und strahlen Frische und Lebendigkeit aus, mal werden verwelkte Bl盲tter am Boden zusammengefegt. Wurstwaren k枚nnen das Wasser im Mund zusammenlaufen lassen, aber auch grau von Fliegen umkreist werden. Ein ganz besonderer H枚hepunkt ist ein Gespr盲ch im K盲sekeller, bei dem die K盲se entsprechend des Gespr盲chsverlaufs ihre Ger眉che verstr枚men. Neben den Esswaren wird aber auch die Konstruktion der Markthallen genau beschrieben, so dass man sie nachbauen k枚nnte.

Bei den vielen handelnden Personen wird das 脛u脽ere durch die Darstellung ihres Charakters erg盲nzt. Das geschieht immer mit einem Augenzwinkern. Nahezu alle wirken authentisch, entwickeln sich und geben ein Bild der Zeit ab. Selbst die politische Situation flie脽t gekonnt in das Gesamtbild ein. Wundervoll ist nicht nur die Darstellung der Eifers眉chteleien und Streitigkeiten, 盲u脽erst gelungen ist es ebenso, wie sich die Geschichte rundet.

Wer lange Beschreibungen genie脽en kann und ins Paris des 19. Jahrhunderts abtauchen m枚chte, findet hier das perfekte Buch.
Profile Image for Janelle.
1,521 reviews320 followers
September 27, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and loved Zola鈥檚 vivid descriptions and cast of characters.
The 3rd book in the Rougon-Macquart series, this one focuses on the Les Halles, the fresh produce market in the centre of Paris.
The French title, Le Ventre de Paris translates as The Belly of Paris but is often called The Fat and the Thin in English translations. (Although I have an old secondhand hardback from the fifties that鈥檚 titled Savage Paris!).

These markets were like some huge central organ beating with giant force, and sending the blood of life through every vein of the city.

The belly of Paris is a fitting title as this book wallows in descriptions of the food on display, the mountains of vegetables and fruit, the meat and offal, the fish, and the fresh flowers, the cheeses and butter, all the colours, smells(and stenches) and sounds of the markets. The markets are enormous and busy, the people coming and going, the auctions, the market stalls, the cellars beneath where animals are stored and killed, and all the people. Such abundance on display.
The fat and the thin refers at the most basic to the main characters, two half brothers who are opposites in appearance and character.
Florent has returned to Paris on false papers after being transported to South America. He is a scholar and teacher and thin.
Quenu is younger and becomes a good cook and works in their uncle鈥檚 butcher shop where he meets his wife Lisa (formerly macquart). They inherit the business and build it up. (Their young daughter Pauline is the main character of ). The family is round and of course making sausages etc they are surrounded by fat. Lisa comes to dislike Florent, and his leanness seems to be a reason to distrust him as much as his political beliefs!
Other characters include Cadine and Marjolin, a young couple abandoned as small children in the market who now live their lives in, around, above and below the halls. Also Claude Lantier makes many small appearances, a painter whose own story will be told in
The various fishwives and other female market sellers, old and young are quite wonderfully described as they go about their lives, jealousies and competitiveness, not to mention spite, and acting as a loud group against any officials.

The plot follows Florent as he gets a job as the fish inspector even though he objects to working for the government. He regularly meets in the evenings for a drink with other political agitators. He鈥檚 never really accepted by the all the market workers and what happens is inevitable.
But the plot doesn鈥檛 seem to me to be Zola鈥檚 main aim. It鈥檚 a description of a way of life in Paris from the sellers in the markets to the making of black pudding, the gossip, the petty infighting of all these people who exist and make their living in this distinctive environment, a world of its own.

Zola has long passages describing the poultry and meat in great detail, the gore, the shapes of the carcasses and offal, so much food that it seems to represent gluttony and greed.

Claude divides people into two categories, the fat and the thin.

In these designs Claude detected the entire drama of human life, and he ended by classifying men into Fat and Thin, two hostile groups, one of which devours the other, and grows fat and sleek and enjoys itself.

The implication is that in the battle between the fat and the thin, the fat will always win.

Those colossal markets and their teeming odoriferous masses of food had hastened the crisis. To Florent they appeared symbolical of some glutted, digesting beast, of Paris, wallowing in its fat and silently upholding the Empire. He seemed to be encircled by swelling forms and sleek, fat faces, which ever and ever protested against his own martyrlike scragginess and sallow, discontented visage. To him the markets were like the stomach of the shopkeeping classes, the stomach of all the folks of average rectitude puffing itself out, rejoicing, glistening in the sunshine, and declaring that everything was for the best, since peaceable people had never before grown so beautifully fat.
Profile Image for Th茅o d'Or .
660 reviews273 followers
Read
September 1, 2023
The strong argument of Zola's entire narrative is the place. It is said that the man sanctifies the place, but here, I'd say that the place sanctifies the man. I pass almost weekly through Les Halles - the place where the action of the story unfolds, if we can talk about action, within this story, but Zola's work falls outside the action, more precisely it uses an ingredient that is related more to the idea of belonging, of roots, of merging man with place.
Throughout the entire reading, I felt I experience the sensation of a double entity in myself, one marked by a strong character of d茅j脿 -vu , and another at the opposite pole, of ignorance and thirst for knowledge.

The streets of Paris themselves become characters, as Zola describes with a detailed eye the sights, sounds, and smells that permeate the very air. Through his prose, I can almost taste the freshly baked bread, hear the clatter of carts, and feel the surge of excitement that electrifies the air as the market comes alive each day. The knowledge that Les Halles underwent significant changes in the years following the book's publication fills me with a sense of bittersweet melancholy, the loss of the bustling marketplace and the transformation of the neighborhood into something new and modern is a sad reminder, for me - of the transient nature of urban landscapes.

In this journey of breathtaking cruelty and heart-stopping richness, one cannot help but draw parallels to the works of Balzac. Just as Balzac meticulously peered into the lives of his characters to reveal the complexities of society, Zola too unravels the layers beneath the veneer of Les Halles. Much like the interconectedness of Balzac's " La Com茅die Humaine" , Zola's " Le ventre de Paris " presents a microcosm of society, a kal茅idoscope of human desires and ambitions. Through his characters, Zola gives a voice to those often overlooked or marginalized, exposing the harsh realities of life in Les Halles, and sparking empathy within the readers. Furthermore, Le ventre de Paris exemplifies some of the concepts discussed in his " Roman Exp茅rimental " - such as heredity and environments, where he examines the role of scientific principles in literature, being actually a theoretical exploration which showcase once more Zola's commitment to realism.

In conclusion, my review of " Le ventre de Paris " as a reader deeply connected to the place is one filled with both personal considerations and profound admiration. This book serves as both a tribute to the past and a reminder of the ever-changing nature of our urban environments, and
through its exploration of themes such as capitalism, social inequality, and the human condition, " Le ventre de Paris " is also a scathing critique of the societal structures of its time. Zola skillfully exposes the underbelly of Les Halles, the hidden tensions beneath its seemingly vibrant surface, offering a critique of both the heart and the belly of Paris. I don't know how the book is perceived for others, but for me it was like a teleportation in a time in which, paradoxically, I lived once. Maybe, indeed, the place sanctifies the man...
Profile Image for Sue.
1,390 reviews635 followers
May 25, 2015
The Belly of Paris is an unusual literary feat, a seeming polemic with a virtually hidden message. In prose that describes the food markets of the city in glorious (and sometimes squalid) detail, Zola introduces us to this specialized world that feeds the rich and poor of the capital city. These descriptions are beautifully written and even the squalid details are often metaphorically lovely.

Beneath that surface, however, is the battle of the "Fats" and "Thins" (also an alternate title of the book). These are not simply to be taken as haves and have-nots. It's more complicated than that. The fat are somehow more acceptable, more successful, even if not financially so. To be thin is to be suspect.

To this milieu returns Florent Quenu, a Parisian wrongly imprisoned and exiled to Devil's Island. He has escaped and now is back, but for what purpose? The people of Les Halles, the produce market, live on gossip, spreading stories whether true or false. The government sits in the background, watching all, making plans.

There were times when I became impatient with Zola's concentration on seemingly endless description over character and/or plot. But, admittedly, these descriptions were beautifully wrought. And, in the end, I found that they served a purpose toward the overall end. There was a message about the fruits of excess and the role of the state, not the message I might like but amazingly modern. And perhaps his technique mirrored that excess.

I will readmore of Zola in the future.
Profile Image for Zahra.
219 reviews69 followers
May 11, 2021
卮讴賲 倬丕乇蹖爻 蹖丕 趩丕賯 賵 賱丕睾乇 爻賵賲蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 丕夭 賲噩賲賵毓賴 亘蹖爻鬲 讴鬲丕亘蹖 乇賵诏賳 賲丕讴丕乇賴 賵 丕賵賱蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 賲噩賲賵毓賴 讴賴 亘賴 胤賵乇 讴丕賲賱 亘賴 胤亘賯賴 讴丕乇诏乇 賲蹖倬乇丿丕夭賴 賵 丿乇爻鬲賴 讴賴 亘賴 倬丕蹖 卮丕賴讴丕乇蹖 賲孬賱 跇乇賲蹖賳丕賱 賳賲蹖乇爻賴 丕賲丕 夭賵賱丕 亘賴 禺賵亘蹖 鬲賵賳爻鬲賴 賮囟丕蹖 爻丕賱 賴丕蹖 丕賵賱 丨讴賵賲鬲 卮丕乇賱 賱賵蹖蹖 賳丕倬賱卅賵賳 乇賵 亘賴 鬲氐賵蹖乇 亘讴卮賴. 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 讴鬲丕亘 丨賵賱 賲丨賵乇 亘丕夭丕乇 亘夭乇诏 賵 賲毓乇賵賮 倬丕乇蹖爻 賲蹖诏乇丿賴 賵 丿賵 乇賵蹖 賲鬲囟丕丿 賮乇賵卮賳丿诏丕賳 丕蹖賳 亘丕夭丕乇 賵 亘賴 胤賵乇 讴賱蹖 賮囟丕蹖 倬丕乇蹖爻 丿乇 丿賵乇丕賳 丕賲倬乇丕胤賵乇蹖 丿賵賲 乇賵 賳卮賵賳 賲蹖丿賴. 丕夭 蹖讴 爻賵 亘丕夭丕乇蹖 乇賳诏丕乇賳诏 賵 倬賵蹖丕 賵 丕夭 爻賵蹖 丿蹖诏乇 卮乇丕乇鬲貙 禺亘丕孬鬲貙 丨爻丕丿鬲 賵 亘蹖 丕毓鬲賲丕丿蹖 賮乇賵卮賳丿诏丕賳 賳爻亘鬲 亘賴 賴賲丿蹖诏乇
Profile Image for Frau Becker.
186 reviews38 followers
March 1, 2025
Ein immersives Leseerlebnis, in dem der Schauplatz selbst zum lebhaftesten Charakter wird: die 鈥濰allen鈥�, der zentrale Gro脽markt in der Pariser Innenstadt. Die lebendige, impressionistisch-bildreiche Schilderung der St盲nde und des Marktgeschehens bildet den Kern des Romans. Zola erz盲hlt so plastisch, dass man regelrecht eingesogen wird von der Atmosph盲re. Gleichzeitig werden die verschiedenen Abteilungen symbolisch aufgeladen: Man streitet auf dem Fischmarkt, liebt sich beim Federvieh, intrigiert bei Butter und K盲se, opfert seine N盲chsten bei Fleisch- und Wurstwaren, und die Erotik eines Obststandes ist mir in dieser Weise auch noch nie bewusst gemacht worden. Dahinter droht die eigentliche Romanhandlung 眉ber weite Strecken fast zu verschwinden. Florent, Revolution盲r von 1848, ist aus der Verbannung geflohen und kehrt zu seinem Bruder zur眉ck, der aufgrund der Erbschaft des Onkels, deren eine H盲lfte dem totgeglaubten Florent zustand, gemeinsam mit seiner Frau eine Metzgerei aufgebaut hat. Als Erz盲hler ist Zola zu geschickt, um den hier naheliegenden Konflikt sofort auszuschlachten. Die Konfliktlinien sind andere, komplexere: zwischen Zugeh枚rigkeit und Au脽enseitertum, selbstzufriedener Saturiertheit und politischem Ver盲nderungsfuror, den 鈥濬etten鈥� und 鈥濵ageren鈥�, wie es die Cicerone-Figur, der Maler Claude, auf den Punkt bringt. Allein Florents Pr盲senz sorgt f眉r Unruhe, weniger durch die unterschwellige Drohung, er k枚nnte fordern, was ihm zusteht (dann w盲re man ihn wenigstens los), als vielmehr durch die Fragen, Ger眉chte, Spekulationen, die sein pl枚tzliches Erscheinen innerhalb der Marktgesellschaft ausl枚sen. Bemerkenswert ist in diesem Zusammenhang, dass diese Welt eine weiblich dominierte ist: Es sind die Frauen, die Entscheidungen treffen, die Konflikte vorantreiben, die weniger von Macht- und Besitzanspr眉chen getrieben sind (wie die Welt der Hochfinanz im Nachfolger innerhalb des Rougon-Macquart-Zyklus, 鈥濪as Geld鈥�) als vielmehr von dem Streben nach Aufrechterhaltung der hergebrachten Ordnung, Konformit盲t (ironisch, dass Florent in seiner T盲tigkeit als Marktaufseher, die er widerwillig aus眉bt, derjenige ist, der eigentlich f眉r Ordnung sorgen soll) und dem Wohlergehen der Familie. In den kleingeistigen Marktleuten karikiert Zola den selbstzufriedenen, kleinb眉rgerlichen Konservatismus des Zweiten Kaiserreichs, das Florent als Kritiker der politischen Verh盲ltnisse mit umst眉rzlerischen Ambitionen antagonisiert.
Profile Image for Nood-Lesse.
395 reviews288 followers
August 5, 2023
Troppo 猫 uguale a nessuno (R. Gary)

Nell鈥檃mmazzatoio l鈥檃cquavite portava alla perdizione, nel ventre di Parigi non si beve, ci si stordisce con il cibo. Il ventre 猫 costituito dai mercati di Les Halles dove affluiscono ogni giorno quintali di merce che poi verranno venduti al minuto. La prima bella descrizione di essi, all鈥檃pprossimarsi dell鈥檃lba, si protrae pi霉 del dovuto e purtroppo anticipa ci貌 che si ripeter脿 anche in seguito. A fronte di una trama semplice

(un uomo deportato per le proprie idee socialiste rientra a Parigi sotto l鈥橧mpero di Napoleone III e cerca di metterle in atto)

ci sono descrizioni che la rallentano in modo estenuante. Dalla verdura alla carne, quindi al pesce, ai formaggi poi ai fiori; un trionfo di colori e afrori che stordiscono e fanno dolere il (proprio) ventre. Con i personaggi le cose non vanno meglio. La prima cosa interessante 猫 il canone di bellezza ottocentesco: belle sono definite la salumiera e la pescivendola le due veline dell鈥檈poca: rotonde, prosperose, decisamente appannate, direi culone (mangiare troppo e male all鈥檈poca non si chiamava ancora body shaming). I magri sono visti di cattivo occhio, il nostro rivoluzionario Florent 猫 pi霉 sospetto per la propria corporatura che per le proprie idee.
La seconda cosa che desta interesse 猫 la bottegaiet脿, l鈥檌nvidia reciproca dei commercianti di Les Halles che nella versione femminile raggiunge il picco. La palma d鈥檕ro (siamo pur sempre in Francia) va a M.lle Seget: zitella, pettegola, falsa, cospiratrice, maligna, taccagna, un vero e proprio stereotipo.
Il romanzo fa parte dei 20 libri del Ciclo dei Rougon-Macquart
Se ne avete letti, indicatemi quello che vi 猫 piaciuto di pi霉. Per l鈥檃mmazzatoio (Assommoir) avevo acceso tutte le stelle e assegnato il mio scudo anobii 2023; avevo aspettative nei riguardi del Ventre e invece l鈥檋o trovato flaccido e prominente.
------
Un bel contributo trovato in rete
Profile Image for C茅sar Lasso.
354 reviews110 followers
July 11, 2016
El vientre de Par铆s es el hoy desaparecido Mercado Central de Par铆s o mercado de Les Halles que se construy贸 durante el Segundo Imperio franc茅s. El escritor Zola nos lo describe con todo lujo de detalles y profusi贸n de productos. Las verduleras, pescaderas, salchicheras, etc. son protagonistas absolutas junto con los innumerables art铆culos que venden. Parece que Francia en el momento de la trama atravesaba una ola de prosperidad burguesa. Es el triunfo de la comida, de las digestiones pesadas, del colesterol (aunque entonces a煤n no se llamase as铆), de la gordura ostentosa. Pero en ese fondo de prosperidad los valores humanos no han avanzado. La novela es escenario de envidias, rivalidades, cotilleos para derribar la reputaci贸n de los vecinos, y el protagonista, un hombre bueno, excesivamente bueno hasta el punto de la estupidez, acabar谩 siendo engullido por ese mercado.

Todo un cl谩sico.
Profile Image for BAM doesn鈥檛 answer to her real name.
2,031 reviews447 followers
November 29, 2016
Otherwise titled "Obsessed with Vegetables"

Zola proves his point that there is a great divide between the high and low status quo through the discussion of food and its mongers. French society seems to have always been based on cuisine. The era of the French Revolution is no different. What's stunning is the grade of filth, rot, and stench related to it. Poor health, fetid atmosphere, mangy animals are all consequences. Politics, of course, are discussed over evening soup. "Scum dislike the emperor", but the emperor doesn't seem to improve life.
Of the handful of Zola novels I have read, I've enjoyed this one the least. It may be because I'm fortunate enough not to be able to relate, although I adore the idea of little cobbled streets with tiny shops to buy my fare.
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