summary

Summary

The Ladies' Paradise is a novel by Émile Zola, the eleventh volume in the Rougon-Macquart series. Set in Paris during the latter half of the 19th century, it revolves around the world of fashion, focusing on the ups and downs of Denise Baudu, a young woman from the provinces who arrives in Paris and begins working at the large department store, The Ladies' Paradise, owned by Octave Mouret. The novel explores themes of capitalist consumption, competition, the new economy and its impact on traditional businesses, as well as romantic relationships in the commercial world. This work serves as both a critique and a celebration of the power of new commerce and the retail revolution, which Zola saw as inevitable and beneficial for society.