Product Description

The Ladies' Paradise (Au Bonheur des Dames) recounts the spectacular development of the modern department store in late nineteenth century Paris. The store is a symbol of capitalism, of the modern city, and of the bourgeois family; it is emblematic of consumer culture and the changes in sexual attitudes and class relations taking place at the end of the century. Octave Mouret, the store's owner-manager, masterfully exploits the desires of his female customers. In his private life as much as in business he is the great seducer. But when he falls in love with the innocent Denise Baudu, he discovers she is the only one of the salesgirls who refuses to be commodified. This new translation of the eleventh book in the Rougon-Macquart cycle captures the spirit of one of Zola's greatest novels of the modern city.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #52056 in Books
• Published on: 2008-07-10
• Original language: German, English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 pages

About the Author
Brian Nelson is Professor of French at Monash University, Australia

Customer Reviews

What Do Women Want?
Ostensibly a book about the growth of the sumptuous department stores in Paris, "Au Bonheur des Dames" is also an insightful, and astonishingly prescient essay on the role of women in modern society and the degree to which they are turned into the commodities they are enticed into coveting. Zola's scientific gaze is sharp and mercilous; and even though the book is a much "happier" look at Paris in the Third Republic than most of the other Rougon-Macquart novels, it is nonetheless a sobering, sophisticated dissection of nineteenth-century capitalism at its most rapacious and seductive. This is a book that could easily fit on reading lists in Womens Studies, Economic History, or Modern Literature.

Remarkable story of the department store set in late 18th C.
"The Ladies Paradise" or "Au Bonheur des Dames" is the continuation of Zola's Rougon-Macquart series. The series' purpose, according to Zola, is to study how environment effects the character of one family line. Three "environments" have appeared in Zola's work: the first is the idyllic countryside, the second is the harsh countryside, and the third is Paris--the city. "Au Bonheur des Dames" is situated in the third of the "environments", Paris.

From his previous works, Paris is already known for its potential as a corruptionist of morality and goodness. Thus, the heroine already is facing an insurmountable task of remaining adverse to Paris' degradation of moral values. She is the ultimate martyr: her sacrifices to her younger brothers seem endless. She scrapes money together to have the youngest in a boarding house for children, and always manage to find money (even in desperate times)to give to the other spendthrift brother. All of these sacrifices she did out of love.

With such heart and of such noble spirit, she enters Paris. She is struck by the first sight she sees in Paris. A gigantic structure has swallowed an entire block of old and fading smaller stores. She is astounded, awed, and fascinated by it. Her loyalty is divided between her Uncle's small clothier and her fascination and desire to work in the store.

"Au Bonheur des Dames" has two stories: (1) the spread of the popularity of department stores and the death of smaller family owned stores in "modern" Paris, and (2) the noble heroine. Will the heroine be crushed by Paris and swallowed up by the department store? Will her nobler spirit defeat all the odds that have been predestined to be against her?

The most surprising event I find was that I did not have to answer with pessimism about "Au Bonheur des Dames". The usual gloom and sense of helplessness and resignation of being human did not reverberate in this novel. Yes, the department thrives and therefore consumed all the "moms and pops" stores along its path, but our heroine conquers that depraved city Paris with her courage, innocence, and nobility.

What a truly remarkable book, as all of Zola's magnificent work. I find this book different from any of the series, because there is more than a sense of hope for humanity in our struggle against corruption, against technological advancement, and our own weakness of spirit.

Best book I have ever read!
This book was suggested to me by my fiancee, and it is the best book I have ever read. Very timely, as we are still loosing our downtowns in the United States to the big mega-store. If you like to shop, you will love this book!