Scan barcode
kvest's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
pooklatirelire's review against another edition
3.0
the plot was fine like all the other classics. the writing was too flowery despite the beautiful prose and i always was on the verge of falling asleep. and the only thing i can remember from the whole plot was that i read it in paris.
ljutavidra's review against another edition
3.0
Očekivala sam više od gospodina Zole. Ova priča pati od razvodnjene radnje, velikog broja (nebitnih) likova, koji pritom nisu dovoljno razrađeni da bi vam stalo do ikoga.
Glavna junakinja Deniz mi je bila bez ličnosti, kao i Oktav Mure, vlasnik robne kuće "Ženski raj". Zanimljiva je ideja da se radnja smesti unutar ovakve lokacije, ali svi ti silni opisi tkanina su me ugušili. Tragične sudbine sitnih trgovaca koji su bili konkurencija robnoj kući me nisu naročito potresle jer apsolutno ništa nisam znala o tim likovima.
Zola je mnogo 'teo, a malo toga izveo u ovom romanu. A sam kraj ne bih komentarisala, jako antiklimaktičan i... pa, bezvezan. (Dajem tricu, jer mi nekako ne ide da dam ovom čoveku dvojku.)
Glavna junakinja Deniz mi je bila bez ličnosti, kao i Oktav Mure, vlasnik robne kuće "Ženski raj". Zanimljiva je ideja da se radnja smesti unutar ovakve lokacije, ali svi ti silni opisi tkanina su me ugušili. Tragične sudbine sitnih trgovaca koji su bili konkurencija robnoj kući me nisu naročito potresle jer apsolutno ništa nisam znala o tim likovima.
Zola je mnogo 'teo, a malo toga izveo u ovom romanu. A sam kraj ne bih komentarisala, jako antiklimaktičan i... pa, bezvezan. (Dajem tricu, jer mi nekako ne ide da dam ovom čoveku dvojku.)
differentsisters's review
challenging
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
rollforlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this up at my local library in the 'blind date with a book' promotion, and a glad I did. I doubt I would have otherwise, as a percieved high chance of a dominant romantic theme generally puts me off.
Instead, I was fascinated with themes of social and economic implications in a time of great change that brought both prosperity and ruin. The romantic plot was there, and unsurprisingly I didn't care for that much but it wasn't as big an element as expected. I would recommend this book heartily.
Instead, I was fascinated with themes of social and economic implications in a time of great change that brought both prosperity and ruin. The romantic plot was there, and unsurprisingly I didn't care for that much but it wasn't as big an element as expected. I would recommend this book heartily.
kiri_johnston's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
laurencemb's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
_verena_'s review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
rakoerose's review
4.0
I may never look at a mall or department store the same way ever again. I am overly aware of every minute machination in the great machine of consumerism.
”I’m a passionate fellow; I don’t take life calmly, and perhaps that’s just why I’m interested in it.”
If you’re looking for proof that capitalism has always had negative effects and is not just a NOW problem, I recommend this book. This novel describes shopping in a way that can only be defined in my mind as beautifully horrifying. Zola shows the elegance of Mouret’s designs while also giving us the darker, manipulative reasoning behind each choice. Everything catered to make browsers spend even if they hadn’t planned to.
On the other hand, this book is also like if Jane Austen wrote novels set in a modern cityscape occurring 50 years after her death. It has a lot of the “social etiquette romance” elements that some readers may look for in classics like this. The perception of a woman by her peers, the treatment of a woman by her employers, and the struggle to maintain independence without caving in to behaviors one would loathe to do. Denise is an incredibly strong protagonist and I can’t imagine being in her shoes having to support her brothers at the young age of twenty. I found myself loving her determination as the book went on, and her personal journey was very satisfying.
I’m actually surprised at how much I liked a lot of these characters. Certain deaths (considering this book spans nearly a decade of the characters’s lives) hit harder than I thought they would.
I will leave this review with some caveats - there were some translation choices I found odd. Such as the use of describing a young woman as a “child” despite her being in her twenties… Other issues were the lack of varied representation among race or ethnicity… the intense denigration of “Women” to being solely manipulatable to use for profit… certainly some choices and I’d say to keep in mind the time this was written. I would recommend some more modern historical romances if you are looking for a fix without the potentially past-issues-charged elements of a classic.
Overall? Quite good! Entertaining in a brutal and yet also sweet way. Perhaps I will pick up another Zola novel if the mood strikes me to read French classic literature once again.
”I’m a passionate fellow; I don’t take life calmly, and perhaps that’s just why I’m interested in it.”
If you’re looking for proof that capitalism has always had negative effects and is not just a NOW problem, I recommend this book. This novel describes shopping in a way that can only be defined in my mind as beautifully horrifying. Zola shows the elegance of Mouret’s designs while also giving us the darker, manipulative reasoning behind each choice. Everything catered to make browsers spend even if they hadn’t planned to.
On the other hand, this book is also like if Jane Austen wrote novels set in a modern cityscape occurring 50 years after her death. It has a lot of the “social etiquette romance” elements that some readers may look for in classics like this. The perception of a woman by her peers, the treatment of a woman by her employers, and the struggle to maintain independence without caving in to behaviors one would loathe to do. Denise is an incredibly strong protagonist and I can’t imagine being in her shoes having to support her brothers at the young age of twenty. I found myself loving her determination as the book went on, and her personal journey was very satisfying.
I’m actually surprised at how much I liked a lot of these characters. Certain deaths (considering this book spans nearly a decade of the characters’s lives) hit harder than I thought they would.
I will leave this review with some caveats - there were some translation choices I found odd. Such as the use of describing a young woman as a “child” despite her being in her twenties… Other issues were the lack of varied representation among race or ethnicity… the intense denigration of “Women” to being solely manipulatable to use for profit… certainly some choices and I’d say to keep in mind the time this was written. I would recommend some more modern historical romances if you are looking for a fix without the potentially past-issues-charged elements of a classic.
Overall? Quite good! Entertaining in a brutal and yet also sweet way. Perhaps I will pick up another Zola novel if the mood strikes me to read French classic literature once again.