David H. Walker is Professor of French at the University of Sheffield and was formerly President of the Society for French Studies and President of the Association of University Professors of French. His books include 'Outrage and Insight: Modern French Writers and the ‘fait divers’'. Oxford, Berg French Studies, 1995 and a number of critical editions of the work of André Gide.

Walker’s prose remains clear, readable, even playful. The greatest strength of this book lies in the author’s ability to synthesize vast amounts of information from primary and secondary works in order to tell a coherent story. Works of fiction unfold in time and in tandem with a thoroughly documented history of consumer culture in modern France.

• AcknowledgementsIntroductionI. WAITING FOR THE CONSUMER SOCIETY1. Earning, Yearning and Making Do: Huysmans, 'Les Soeurs Vatard'2. 'Flaneurs and Shoppers: Huysmans, 'En menage'3. From Shopping to Schopenhauer: Huysmans, ' A vau- l'eau'II. ECONOMIES OF CONSUMPTION (1)4. Transactions and Value: Gide, 'L'Immoraliste'III. SMALL SHOPS5. 'La lente Agonie du petit commerce? Balzac, 'Grandeur et decadence de Cesar Birotteau' and Zola, 'Au bonheur des dames'6. 'Eleve dans le commerce: Celine, 'Mort a credit'7. The Emprium Strikes Back: Dutourd, 'Au Bon Beurre'IV. BIG STORES8. The Big Sell9. The 'grand magasin': Zola, 'Au bonheur des dames (2)'10.'Les Venus des comptoirs' : Feminism and Shopping in the 1920's11. Total Retail: Figures of the Dystopian SuperstoreV. ECONOMIES OF COMSUMPTION (2)12. Speculations on ValueVI. REFLECTIONS ON THE CONSUMER SOCIETY13. Post-wr visions of Paradise: The Dawning of the Consumer Society14. Managing the Consumers (1): Motivational Analysts15. Managing the Consumers (2) Advertisers16. The Consumers Managing 1: Making Do by Instalments17. The Consumers Managing 2: Making Do and ProducingConclusion: A Good Buy?BibliographyIndex

David H. Walker is Professor of French at the University of Sheffield and was formerly President of the Society for French Studies and President of the Association of University Professors of French. His books include 'Outrage and Insight: Modern French Writers and the ‘fait divers’'. Oxford, Berg French Studies, 1995 and a number of critical editions of the work of André Gide.

Walker’s prose remains clear, readable, even playful. The greatest strength of this book lies in the author’s ability to synthesize vast amounts of information from primary and secondary works in order to tell a coherent story. Works of fiction unfold in time and in tandem with a thoroughly documented history of consumer culture in modern France.

• AcknowledgementsIntroductionI. WAITING FOR THE CONSUMER SOCIETY1. Earning, Yearning and Making Do: Huysmans, 'Les Soeurs Vatard'2. 'Flaneurs and Shoppers: Huysmans, 'En menage'3. From Shopping to Schopenhauer: Huysmans, ' A vau- l'eau'II. ECONOMIES OF CONSUMPTION (1)4. Transactions and Value: Gide, 'L'Immoraliste'III. SMALL SHOPS5. 'La lente Agonie du petit commerce? Balzac, 'Grandeur et decadence de Cesar Birotteau' and Zola, 'Au bonheur des dames'6. 'Eleve dans le commerce: Celine, 'Mort a credit'7. The Emprium Strikes Back: Dutourd, 'Au Bon Beurre'IV. BIG STORES8. The Big Sell9. The 'grand magasin': Zola, 'Au bonheur des dames (2)'10.'Les Venus des comptoirs' : Feminism and Shopping in the 1920's11. Total Retail: Figures of the Dystopian SuperstoreV. ECONOMIES OF COMSUMPTION (2)12. Speculations on ValueVI. REFLECTIONS ON THE CONSUMER SOCIETY13. Post-wr visions of Paradise: The Dawning of the Consumer Society14. Managing the Consumers (1): Motivational Analysts15. Managing the Consumers (2) Advertisers16. The Consumers Managing 1: Making Do by Instalments17. The Consumers Managing 2: Making Do and ProducingConclusion: A Good Buy?BibliographyIndex

David H. Walker is Professor of French at the University of Sheffield and was formerly President of the Society for French Studies and President of the Association of University Professors of French. His books include 'Outrage and Insight: Modern French Writers and the ‘fait divers’'. Oxford, Berg French Studies, 1995 and a number of critical editions of the work of André Gide.

Walker’s prose remains clear, readable, even playful. The greatest strength of this book lies in the author’s ability to synthesize vast amounts of information from primary and secondary works in order to tell a coherent story. Works of fiction unfold in time and in tandem with a thoroughly documented history of consumer culture in modern France.

• AcknowledgementsIntroductionI. WAITING FOR THE CONSUMER SOCIETY1. Earning, Yearning and Making Do: Huysmans, 'Les Soeurs Vatard'2. 'Flaneurs and Shoppers: Huysmans, 'En menage'3. From Shopping to Schopenhauer: Huysmans, ' A vau- l'eau'II. ECONOMIES OF CONSUMPTION (1)4. Transactions and Value: Gide, 'L'Immoraliste'III. SMALL SHOPS5. 'La lente Agonie du petit commerce? Balzac, 'Grandeur et decadence de Cesar Birotteau' and Zola, 'Au bonheur des dames'6. 'Eleve dans le commerce: Celine, 'Mort a credit'7. The Emprium Strikes Back: Dutourd, 'Au Bon Beurre'IV. BIG STORES8. The Big Sell9. The 'grand magasin': Zola, 'Au bonheur des dames (2)'10.'Les Venus des comptoirs' : Feminism and Shopping in the 1920's11. Total Retail: Figures of the Dystopian SuperstoreV. ECONOMIES OF COMSUMPTION (2)12. Speculations on ValueVI. REFLECTIONS ON THE CONSUMER SOCIETY13. Post-wr visions of Paradise: The Dawning of the Consumer Society14. Managing the Consumers (1): Motivational Analysts15. Managing the Consumers (2) Advertisers16. The Consumers Managing 1: Making Do by Instalments17. The Consumers Managing 2: Making Do and ProducingConclusion: A Good Buy?BibliographyIndex