1883Naturalism
The Ladies' Paradise
Émile Zola · 1840–1902 · France
Originally Au Bonheur des Dames (French)
Why it matters
A young shopgirl arrives in Paris just as a vast new department store devours every small shop on its street: Zola's novel of modern consumerism being born in real time, glittering counters and ruined shopkeepers side by side.
At a glance
historical fictionromance
Difficulty 4/10medium pace432 pagesStraightforward romance plot cushioned in exhaustive commercial and architectural detail.
