The Belly of Paris Audiobook

" Excellent view of les Halles market in 1860's Paris. A book I wish could go on & on. "

" While I am glad to have read an Emile Zola novel (admittedly my first from beginning to end), The Belly of Paris is not - at least in my opinion - one of the best food books ever. "

" OK, but not one of Zola's best. Personal and political intrigue set in Les Halles market in Paris in the 1850s. Zola is obsessed with providing very detailed descriptions of the look and smell of various foods. At one point, the story grinds to a halt while he devotes two pages to descibing the smells of various cheeses. But...Zola does immerse you in the life of ordinary people in that historic era, which makes it an interesting read. "

" The Belly of Paris contains many excellent literary images of Paris in the late 1850s: The action, such as it is, takes place between 1858 and 1859, mostly in the market area of Les Halles. Zola created many three-dimensional characters, but marooned them in a lame plot with a weak, predictable climax. If you enjoy excellent prose - there's a reason we're still reading Zola in the 21st century - and don't demand slam-bang action on every page, try The Belly of Paris. You'll learn a lot about what it was like being a working-class citizen (some might say a peasant) in the city back in the times of Napoleon III. Just don't expect excitement. "

" took me a long time to read this book, but I am glad that I did "

" Interesting read. Very descriptive. This is always on the foodie/Bourdain reading lists. Hard to get into the story but I am glad I read it. "

" I couldn't read this while I was hungry. "

" Typical Zola. An average plot, made good by wonderful descriptions of the setting. Kept getting hungry while reading this. "

" I'm reading the English version: The Fat and the Thin. I couldn't really get through it. It was dense with description--not much on story (at least for the first 87 pages which is where I stopped.) "

" I really tried to like it but I couldn't get through it. I wanted to learn the rest of the story without having to put up with the author. "

" I'm a little over half-way through, one of the best novels I've read. "

" This novel set in the food markets of 1850 Paris is a very good book. "

" Surprisingly delightful and entertaining. Zola's descriptions of the food markets are incredible - both sensual and disgusting. I need to do more reading of things that weren't written in the past decade. "

" i as a huge fat slob appreciate a fat positive novel in these fat-shaming times. "