The Belly of Paris Book

I've challenged myself to read the classic Rougon-Macquart book series by Émile Zola - in order. The Belly of Paris is the third of twenty novels, so it'll 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's.
This loosely linked series was written over a twenty two year period and is seen as Zola's greatest achievement. The books I've read so far have been accessible (especially the modern translations) and many of the novels have been turned into films and tv series.
It's the 1859 in Paris. Louis-Napoléon 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'état enabling him to dissolve government and take complete control of France. This period, known as the Second Empire is the backdrop to Zola's book cycle.
Rather than being all about politics though, Zola's 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's 4am and they kindly pick him up and deliver him to his estranged brother and sister-in-law, who own a smart 'Charcuterie' adjacent to 'Les Halles'. We learn the man is called Florent, has escaped from a far flung prison and is making his way home - he's a quiet, thoughtful, idealist who was incarcerated during the 1848 revolution.
Florent is at first an enigma to those around him, then he's 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.
Thís is a colourful, bustling, story set among Paris's 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