At the center of "The Ladies' Paradise," the eleventh volume published in 1883 from the novel cycle "Les Rougon-Macquart," Émile Zola (1840-1902) depicts the fascination of the modern world of goods. The overwhelming selection of fabrics and accessories at a large Parisian department store captivates the targeted female clientele "without need" in a kind of "compulsive consumption." At the same time, Zola reveals the monotonous workflows of the cramped living employees who make this shopping paradise, with its strikingly modern marketing aimed at specific demographics, possible.