Excellent - a sparkling comic tragedyAugust 31, 1999 17 out of 18 found this review helpful
I wonder why this book is not more famous - or perhaps it is this new translation which made it such an enjoyable read. If you like Zola, all the traditional elements of poverty and Paris are included, but the wry comedic aspect is quite new. Many chapters of this book could stand in their own right as short stories, and the narrative drive is quite exceptional. The contrast between light comedy and dark tragedy is extreme.
Read before the inevitable BBC Sunday Afternoon serial!
