Florent Quenu returns to Paris after being unjustly imprisoned and finds the city utterly changed. The great new food market, Les Halles, has been built, and food dominates the political and social life of the capital. The third in Zola's Rougon-Macquart series, The Belly of Paris appears in a vibrant new translation.
Molière, a master of French comedic drama, honed his craft while performing with traveling troupes before gaining recognition in Paris. His controversial play "Tartuffe," which premiered in 1664, critiques religious hypocrisy through the story of Orgon, who is deceived by the false piety of Tartuffe. Initially censored due to its satirical take on religion, the play underwent revisions before achieving success at the Palais-Royal theatre. This edition features Curtis Hidden Page's translation and an introduction by John E. Matzke.