"There was a riot, the press of a crowd heated up by a month of advertising, eyes turned upwards and jaws hanging before the monumental façade of Au Bonheur des Dames...the temple raised to the extravagant follies of Fashion"
Au Bonheur des Dames is the glittering Paris department store run by Octave Mouret. He has used charm and drive to become director of this mighty emporium, unscrupulously exploiting his young female staff and seducing his lady customers with luxurious displays of shimmering silks, satins, velvets and lace. Then Denise Baudu, a naïve provincial girl, becomes an assistant at the store, and Mouret discovers that he in turn can be charmed.
With its vivid portrayal of greedy customers and gossiping staff, its lavish descriptions and sense of theatre, Au Bonheur des Dames is a rich and exciting novel. The eleventh in Zola's great cycle Les Rougon-Macquart, it is a timeless commentary on modern consumer society.
This edition, which was translated by Robin Buss, includes an Introduction, full bibliography, full Zola chronology and explanatory notes.
