The Ladies' ParadiseThe 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. |
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Common terms and phrases
Alençon lace asked assistant buyer Baron Hartmann Baugé Bon Marché Bourdoncle Bourras Bouthemont cash-desk centimes Clara coat Colomban counter crowd customers Deloche Denise Denise's display door dress Edited ÉMILE ZOLA everything eyes face Favier feeling felt finally floor Fontenailles gallery Gaujean Geneviève girl going hand head heart Henriette Hutin Jean Jouve lace Ladies ladieswear department laugh Lhomme Liénard linen lingerie looking Madame Aurélie Madame Baudu Madame Bourdelais Madame de Boves Madame Desforges Madame Guibal Madame Marty Marguerite ment Michodière Mignot Monsieur Mouret Monsigny morning murmured never pale Paradise Paris Pauline Pépé piles Pot-Bouille replied Robineau round salesgirls salesmen seemed silence silk department smile stood street suddenly surprise talking there's things thought thousand francs turned uncle upstairs Vallagnosc Valognes Vieil Elbeuf voice waiting walking wanted whole woman women young Zola