The Ladies' Paradise (Oxford World's Classics)

I have never read such idiotic reviews for a book such as for this particular publication. Do these people actually read books? I doubt it. I am fluent in French, but wanted an English translation. Emile Zola was one of the greatest of French writers and yet some reviewers wrote the most remarkable ignorant things about this novel. Pure idiotie! It is an accomplished translation reflecting the subtle capture of rhythm, balance, colour and their proliferating detail. It is published by Oxford University Press and is a scholarly edition containing pertinent information such as an Introduction, Biography, Selected Bibliography, Chronology, Explanatory Notes and even a map of the Arrondissement. I would strongly recommend this edition to anyone who does not like Reality Shows and Shopping Chanels on Television for 'entertainment'.

I didn't want to like this book. A novel about the birth of the modern department store? How could that be interesting? And once again, Zola proves me wrong. I think he could take any subject and make it gripping. Although it was set during the time of the Second Empire of France, much of the plot is as relevant today as when it was written.

Two chapters were particularly captivating: one about the day of the first big sale—the imagery of the river sucking in the customers was addictive—and another about the demise of the artisan shopkeepers using the metaphor of a death and the subsequent funeral and mourning. The protagonist, Denise, is among the few of Zola's characters in the Rougon-Macquart cycle who is sympathetic and honorable throughout the story. The transformation of Octave Mouret, who we got to know in Pot Luck (Pot Bouille), is a pleasant surprise. He was such a unlikeable character in the earlier novel. In this story, we witness growth and admire his brilliance in business.

I really enjoyed this book which I read for a book club. The detailed description of the inner workings of all of the shops and the development of a department store were fascinating. I learned a great deal and was entertained. Some have said that this is a romance novel, I totally disagree. The "romance" was the main drawback of the story. The details of Paris were wonderful. The depictions of strong women wielding the power they have available to them, though not the same as modern feminism or power, are compelling. This is a subtle but entertaining portrait of changing society. I wish there had been a few more details about the limitations that had existed on women prior to the time being described so that the new freedom of women could be more appreciated.

Outstanding, nuanced account of the growth of consumer culture and department stores in Paris. The writing is buttressed by an outstanding translation, and certainly a tremendous improvement over the Viztelly translations. Once again, the appearance of an excellent BBC series on a book ends up eclipsing the point of the novel among the reading public. The book needs to be taken in its time frame -- the BBC drama changes the story and setting -- which is fine -- but readers picking up this volume need to remember where this occurs in history as well as an understanding of the Rougon-Macquart cycle.

I strongly suggest reading Pot Luck (Pot Bouille) before this; while it is not one of my favorites, it gives good insight into Octave Mouret which helps later when reading Ladies' Paradise.

A mesmerizing and thoroughly enjoyable account of the rise of the modern department store in nineteenth-century Paris. (See other reviews for synopses.) Zola's masterful description of the sales tactics employed by the audacious entrepreneur Octave Mouret rings true; his advertisements, store arrangements and display designs were obviously effective then, and still are today.

This book should be required reading for young girls (and boys)---it might make them more thoughtful consumers instead of mindless shopaholics, like poor Madame Marty, whose shopping habit drives her husband to nervous breakdown.

Oh, and the humanizing effect of the gentle and morally upright provincial Denise Baudu on the rapacious Mouret gives the story a bright side. One of Zola's best---and this translation is spot on.

Zola's sweeping novel series, Les Rougon-Macquart, includes "The Ladies' Paradise" (Au Bonheur des dames), a fascinating look into "modern" Paris of mass consumption and new urban values. With the exacting physical eye of an entomologist and the social-moral vision of the great writer he was, Zola immerses us in a world of detail, and a complex world of people all vying for various pieces of the pie. There's the brash capitalist who owns the new megastore that dwarfs all else in the neighborhood (reflecting the actual, new reality of the department store), the hierarchy/community of the store's management, employees, and shoppers, and there's the small businesses in the neighborhood struggling to maintain their traditional values of business, personal business relationships, and quality that are being swamped by the new model of mass consumption and desire. This is all given form by the story of country girl Denise, who improbably ends up--no, let's not ruin a good book...

I love Zola, but this book ... ah ... not very interesting as far as plot goes. Most of the book was devoted to describing the department store, the ladies' paradise -- the customers, the architecture, the goods, and the overall workings. It got tiresome, even though the descriptions were superb. The plot was secondary--a love affair to which little attention was devoted. I simply began skipping all the descriptions and got to the "people-part." Also, there were many secondary characters which I never cared much about. Zola has certainly written better novels than this! And if you think the Ladies' Paradise BBC series is anything like the book, you are wrong. The TV series is much more interesting, but very few of its scenes are in the book! There is little connection.

So much detailed description of shops and merchandise, not much of a plot - leaving this reader, who hates shopping (except for books) feeling very alienated. This book is not for me.

Read the book after watching PBS series; Emile Zola's book provides much more depth to the characters

I really enjoyed this book. As a writer myself, I appreciate the metaphors used throughout. And I think it communicates a perfect balance between hope and pain. It is fairly dark (Zola was a naturalist...) in themes, but amidst the strife of human kind there still remains light and beauty. It isn't an easy read by any means, but if you go into it knowing that, you'll see it is a treasure trove of creativity.