Description
Book SynopsisThe nineteenth century saw a fundamental change in the practice and psychology of shopping with the appearance of the department store: La Samaritaine in Paris (1869), Macy's in New York (1858) and Harrods in London (1849) were early representations of Western consumer culture.
The Sentiment of Spending examines this shift first on a socio-historic level and then through the literary lens of some of the century's most vital authors, the exponents of Naturalism Emile Zola, Guy de Maupassant, and Jori-Karl Huysmans as well as the fascinating, if rarely studied, Rachilde. In the works discussed, the characters reveal through their interpersonal, sexual, and sentimental relationships the penetrating effects of a consumerist culture. As both a literary and social analysis, this book also addresses the moral question inherent in a world where shopping and sentiment are so inextricably intertwined.
The Sentiment of Spending provides profound insights into some essential texts,
