Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille): A Realistic Novel

by Émile Zola

“Piping Hot!” (Pot-Bouille) follows the adventures of a young and ambitious man, Octave Mouret, who moves into a house on Rue de Choiseul, one of the immense "maisons bourgeoises" in Paris, in which several characters of the novel live and interact. In the beginning of the story, Octave Mouret meets Madame Hédouin, owner and director of a nearby shop, “The Ladies' Paradise,” where Mouret is employed as a salesman. “Piping Hot!” is a fascinating story of love and ambition which...