Le Ventre de Paris - Oeuvres Completes - Les Rougon-Macquart, III

Le Ventre de Paris describes the urban transformation of the capital under the Second Empire, that of the area around Les Halles in particular. The architectural modernity of the Pavillon Baltard and the "colossal still lifes" of the market provide the backdrop for the eternal "battle of the Haves and Have-Nots".