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4.7 out of 5
94.55% of customers are satisfied
5.0 out of 5 stars Attention shopaholics!
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.
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic novel for this century
The Ladies Paradise written in the nineteenth century rings true of today's consumerism. Emile Zola examines in this socialistic novel the effects of consumerism on customers and employees. The customers who are women are drawn to the items that are displayed on the tables. Octave Mouret, the storeowner, knows what women desire and sets forth to use it to bring in profits. The lace, stockings, velvet are feminine fabrics that entice women to spend money, even if they don't have it.As a retail employee, I have dealt with customers who don't have the money to buy the items but want to get it. I am a customer who buys what is displayed because I think it is going to be an investment. I can relate to small stores like Uncle Baudu's. Businesses like his struggle to stay afloat amongst corporate expansion. They entice clients with their sales and bargains--things that I look for when I shop. Small stores can provide what the big stores don't have. One way or the other, the consumer can get some sort of balance. Working at both a community store and a corporate store, one thing that matters most to customers is service. Customers want to be treated with respect and they expect sales associate to be enthused and answer their questions; even if it is trivial.Denise Baudu, a simple country girl, arrives in Paris to get a job at her uncle's drapery shop. To her disappointment he doesn't have a job for her because his store is losing customers to the Ladies Paradise. The mall provides goods that are cheaper than the small shops and have a selection of fabrics not only from the mother country, but imported from Asia. He suggests to his niece that she get a job there.The store fascinates her but she does feel some betrayal towards her uncle. Her uncle's business, along with the small stores, are struggling to stay afloat. With the expansion of the mall, these stores are forced to close because they can't compete with them. Uncle Baudu's hopes of his business staying for the long haul are shattered.Denise is at first, shy and awkward. She is the target of cruel and malicious slander from the employees including assistant buyer Madame Aurelie. Zola unfolds the lives of the sales employees. The money they make in retail isn't sufficient to support them. The women take to prostitution. Claire has three men supporting her material needs. Pauline befriends Denise and suggests that she get herself a lover to support her financially. Denise doesn't take that advice because it is not in her interest to be a prostitute. She is determined to keep herself and her family together without falling apart which makes the women envious of her.The novel is centered around an actual person Aristide Boucicaut who founded Le Bon Marche which remains today at the center of Parisian culture. Denise is believed to be the model of his wife Marguerite. Zola puts into a social perspective that exists til this day.
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable and quite good.
The Ladies Paradise was good, enjoyable, pretty well done. It is a pleasant way to get away from current news events and transport yourself to another time and place. This series is similar to Selfridge in theme, The beginning of Department Store shopping and how it grew coupled with the idea of a foreign entrepreneur, the beginning of women in the workplace and what would be called white collar jobs, the mysterious death of his wife. There are also elements of class differences which is one of Emile Zola's themes found in many of his writings.
5.0 out of 5 stars Different to the BBC series and much better
I had never read a Zola book and found it extremely interesting. Different from the BBC series, it has more depth, inasmuch as the characters and the plot are both more intricate and deep. The relationship among the characters is also more intriguing. There is the natural backstabbing, which you find in almost every workplace, and envy, but also friendship and love. Denise's plight in the beginning of the book is touching -- I can't imagine what working with her ruined shoes would be like. Also, Denise does not have these "ideas" she has in the series. She is just a shop girl who falls in love with her boss. Some readers complained about the excessive describing used by Zola, but this is a characteristic of the age, and it also helps you realize the grandeur of the department store, whereas in the series it seems it is so small.José Eduardo's wife
3.0 out of 5 stars I love Zola, but this 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.
5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic Read - One of Zola's finest.
This book is everything I hoped it would be. Zola has a unique style of writing - descriptive and full of imagery. He also is a great social commentator. The story is fabulous and has been enhanced by the recent TV dramatisation. As is often the case, the book is far better than the TV series - but then I loved the TV series too.The translation of this book has been done thoughtfully and thoroughly, capturing Zola's language beautifully.A recommended read for lovers of fine literature.
MUST READ!!!
Vintage Emile Zola
Five Stars
I watched the paradise on Netflix and couldn't wait to read this book!
What was life like before going to the mall? Find out here!
As a writer he is not my favourite in terms of style but if you want to understand our western consumer lifestyle all you need to do is read this book. This book is about the advent of the modern department store. Scores of respectable middle class ladies began shoplifting - their heads were turned by the enticing displays of luxury goods - other families went bankrupt - and of course there are plenty of romances and scandals behind the counter - ‘Commesse’ or ‘Are you being served?’ - this is the original! It all starts here!
Dazzling department store drama
I first read Au Bonheur des Dames several years ago, but had forgotten what a great and exciting book it is. This modern translation is way ahead of the century-old, bowdlerised translations by Vizetelly. It's the story of how Octave Mouret grows his great department store in Paris, devouring all rivals, captivating and simultaneously despising his customers, exploiting his staff, full of visions for new business...good grief, it sounds like Bolo.There are amazing set-pieces: the great sales, the machine-like workings of the store, the hypnotic effect on the customers, the astonishing displays, the expanding buildings, and many more.Actually, the book reflects the true story of the great Paris store Bon Marche. Inside Mouret's swashbuckling progress you'll find the romantic story and business career of Denise, impoverished shopgirl from the provinces, and the dreadful tragedies of the small shopkeepers driven into bankruptcy by the great store. The book is full of lessons for our own times, and anyone with any interest in retailing ought to read it. If you've ever shopped at John Lewis, Selfridges or even M&S -- read it. Don't worry about the tie-in to the rather soppy BBC series based on Zola's book; that only affects the cover.
A good read
I bought this book for my wife after watching The Paradise. It is a good book to read and she thoroughly enjoyed it.
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The Ladies' Paradise (Oxford World's Classics)
BHD10919
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