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

“She was cold by nature, self-love predominating over passion; rather than being virtuous, she preferred to have her pleasures all to herself.””

— Emile Zola

“Her anger was rekindled.'You see, I keep it to myself, but, oh! it's more than I can stand. Don't say anything, sir; don't say anything , or I'll explode!'He said nothing, and she exploded all the same.””

— Emile Zola

“He wept for truth which was dead, for heaven which was void. Beyond the marble walls and gleaming jewelled altars, the huge plaster Christ had no longer a single drop of blood in its veins.””

— Emile Zola

“When younger, he had been fun-loving to the point of tedium.””

— Emile Zola

“Monsieur Josserand died very quietly - a victim of his own honesty. He had lived a useless life, and he went off, worthy to the last, weary of all the petty things in life, done to death by the heartless conduct of the only human beings that he had ever loved.””

— Emile Zola

“Hortense and Berthe nodded, as though profoundly impressed by the wisdom of their mother's pronouncements. She had long since convinced them of the absolute inferiority of men, whose sole function was to marry and to pay.””

— Emile Zola

“És Mauduit abbé tekintetét a Kálváriára emelve, zokogásban tört ki. Sírt, mint Mária és Magdolna, sírt, mert az igazság halott, az ég üres. A márványlapok és ötvösremekek mögött magasló keresztre feszített gipsz-Krisztus testében nincs már egy cseppnyi vér sem.””

— Emile Zola

“Először egymás képébe köpnek, azután mosakszanak vele, hogy megmutassák, milyen tiszták!””

— Emile Zola

“Josserand egyébként nagyon szerényen halt meg. Megölte a becsületessége. Élete hiábavalóan telt el, úgy távozott, mint derék ember, aki belefáradt az élet csúfságaiba, megfojtotta azoknak a teremtéseknek kíméletlen önzése, akiket valaha is szeretett. Nyolc órakor Saturnin nevét suttogta, a fal felé fordult, és mindörökre elaludt.””

— Emile Zola