Author: Emile Zola

Publisher: Oxford World Classics

Known in French as Au Bonheur des Dames, this book is the eleventh novel in Zola’s Rougon-Macquart series. It was serialized and published in 1883.

This is the story of Denise Baudu, and her rise from shopgirl to buyer at The Ladies’ Paradise, the biggest and most successful department store in Paris.

Denise first arrives in the city hoping to find work at her uncle’s shop. Her parents are dead, and she has assumed the role of mother to her younger brothers Jean and Pepe.

Much to her disappointment, her Uncle Baudu has no work for her. He and the other small businesses in the neighborhood are dying out because the Paradise has taken all of their customers away.

Denise goes to work at the department store, but she endures a great deal of poverty and misery thanks to the dirty politics of the other women in her department.

She endures it all with grace and fortitude, and eventually she wins everyone over with her gentle nature, including her employer Octave Mouret. His only business is the seduction of Woman–and yes, that seduction is literal and figurative–but Denise changes him. He learns what it means to really and selflessly love another person, and that all of his wealth hasn’t made him truly happy.

Of course, he is still practical enough to enjoy his wealth, because we all know financial stability can certainly be its own kind of happiness.

The other star of the show is the Paradise itself. It’s almost alive, a great machine powered by the women of Paris and the staff who live, eat, work, and sleep there.

This is the story of the rise of the department store. There’s a wonderful juxtaposition between the exciting innovations in shopping and labor happening at the Paradise and the utter heartbreak experienced by the small businesses it has literally demolished.

I found myself torn between wanting to shop at Mouret’s industrial palace (c’mon, you know you’d be curious too) and utter disgust at the treatment of the small business people, because of course now we have the gift of perspective and can clearly see the rise of The Corporation and the devastating effect it can have on local economies.

So well done, Monsieur Zola.

Sidenote for those who have seen the television adaptation, “The Paradise,” on Masterpiece Classic:

The book takes place over several years, but it basically covers the events of Season One. So Season Two will be one complete, and hopefully delightful, surprise!

Next time: Oliver and Company