The Belly of Paris cover art

The Belly of Paris

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The Belly of Paris

By: Émile Zola, Ernest Alfred Vizetelly - translator
Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
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About this listen

Although it is little known in this country, The Belly of Paris is considered one of Émile Zola’s best novels. Set in the newly built food markets of Paris, it is a story of wealth and poverty set against a sumptuous banquet of food and commerce.

Having just escaped from prison after being wrongfully accused, young Florent arrives at Paris’ food market, Les Halles, half starved, surrounded by all he can’t have, and indignant at his world, which he now knows to be unjust. He finds that the city’s working classes have been displaced to make way for bigger streets and bourgeois living quarters, so he settles in with his brother’s family. Gradually, he takes up with the local socialists, who are more at home in bars than on the revolutionary streets. Slowly, the ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor drags the city to the breaking point.

©1996 Translation by Sun & Moon Press (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Classics Commerce

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Critic reviews

"[The novel’s] descriptions of cuisine…are notable for their length, detail, and humor." ( Washington Post)
"One of Zola’s own favorites, The Belly of Paris is a brilliant exposition of one man’s fragmentation and an often painful indictment of those who live innocent of infamy or praise." ( Publishers Weekly)
All stars
Most relevant  
Really enjoyed the story, but did not enjoy Mr Davidson’s reading of the story. His character accents are terrible.

Badly read

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Would you try another book written by Émile Zola and Ernest Alfred Vizetelly (translator) or narrated by Frederick Davidson?

I would certainly like to listen to more Zola and the translation was excellent. Frederick Davidson's rendering of the book was poor. His lazy, almost sneery, rendering together with his inability to distinguish between a comma and a full stop is pretty poor.

How could the performance have been better?

Get someone else to read the book.

Any additional comments?

Wonderful book, sadly very badly read.

Wonderful book badly read

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Emile Zola writes in very poetic way and the long descriptions of the market place never get boring. I had no issues with the performance, it was fine.

Enjoyable

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It’s an amazing story but the performer has this annoying repetitive tone that made me crazy. Listen to the sample, if his way of reading is bearable for you for hours then you’re good to go.

Read it on Kindle or get a paperback

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The manner of the reader, inserting pauses where none exist and delivering the text in an abrupt style, as if reciting a shopping list, destroyed the fluency of the text.
Please re-record this in a more appropriate delivery.

Ruined by the reader

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