Les Halles : le cœur brisé de Paris

The Belly of Paris, the third novel in Émile Zola's 'Les Rougon-Macquart' series, is set in the great central food market of Paris, Les Halles. The story follows Florent, a man who returns to Paris after escaping from a distant prison where he was held for his involvement in the 1848 revolution. Florent is taken in by his brother and sister-in-law, who own a charcuterie near Les Halles. The novel is a critique of the excesses and injustices of the Second Empire, highlighting the contrast between the abundance of food at the market and the poverty and hunger of many Parisians. Zola's detailed descriptions of the market and its inhabitants expose the moral ambiguities of the French cult of gastronomy and the social divisions of the time.