French Literature, History and Culture

Birth of the department storeFrench Literature, History and Culture

Shigeru Kashima, "The Birth of Department Stores" - Why Do We Want to Buy? What is the secret of learning from the long-established department stores in Paris?

According to Kashima, "department stores are not only a purely capitalistic institution, they are its ultimate expression.

Why is this, he says, because "the inherent capitalist process of buying things not by necessity but by desire is precisely the one triggered by department stores.

In other words, the birth of the department store was so significant that the capitalist system we live under today began here. Why do we "want things"? In this book, we can learn the origin of the desire capitalism that stimulates it.

This book is a very valuable work as a business bible. It is a very stimulating and interesting work of cultural and world history, but it is also an extravagant book in which you can learn about the mechanics of business.
French Literature, History and Culture

Masakatsu Adachi, "Sanson the Executioner," model for Jojo Part 7 Gyro Zeppeli! Recommended work to learn about the life of Monsieur de Paris!

This work depicts the human drama of the Sanson family, a family destined to be a family of executioners.

You may have an image of executioners as ruthless, bloodless, and barbaric, but this book will change that image dramatically.

At the time, Sansone continued to question how to live a virtuous life as a human being in a profession that was discriminated against and looked down upon by the people around him.

One can only be amazed at this man who lived so hard, caught up in the turbulence of the French Revolution, and who continued to ask the ultimate question.
French Literature, History and Culture

Gaston Leroux's "Phantom of the Opera" Synopsis and Impressions - The original musical by the Shiki Theatre Company was full of suspense!

The Phantom of the Opera is a musical that I also love. It was a very enjoyable read of its original work. It is best to think of it as something completely different from the musical. This is one story that can be enjoyed as such. It is easy to read and the harrowing developments made it a quick read.

I highly recommend it to fans of musicals. It shows what a monster Andrew Lloyd-Webber was in adapting this original story into a musical. This was very interesting to me as well. I highly recommend you pick up a copy.
French Literature, History and Culture

R.J. Goldsteen, "Political Censorship: in Nineteenth-Century Europe," The Turbulent Nineteenth Century. What did it mean for publishing, music, and culture?

The book takes a closer look at what censorship actually was in the 19th century from a variety of angles.

As far as censorship in publishing is concerned, Russian literature, which we have been discussing on this blog, is a very relevant item. Dostoevsky, Turgenev, Tolstoy, and Chekhov have all suffered from censorship.

It was a very interesting book to learn about how censorship is practiced not only in Russian literature but also in other European countries.
French Literature, History and Culture

Shigeru Kashima, "Girardin, King of Newspapers" A book recommended to learn about the birth of media journalism! What is the amazing life of the man who transformed the newspaper industry?

This work is a masterful look at the life of Girardin, a media revolutionary, along with the historical background.

We are surrounded by television, newspapers, and the Internet to the extent that we cannot live without them in our daily lives, but in this book we can learn about when the commercial media began and what it means. This book is set in France in the middle of the 19th century, but it has direct relevance to us living in modern society.

This is definitely one of the best books of all time! It is a very interesting book!
French Literature, History and Culture

Haruki Murakami's "Dance Dance Dance" Synopsis and Impressions - My reading history began with this work.

Looking back, it seems to me that this work was the beginning of my becoming a full-fledged bookworm. In high school, I was not able to read that many books because I was mainly studying for entrance exams. Of course, I liked books themselves, but I think it was the baptism of "Dance Dance Dance" with a bang in my freshman year, right after entering university, that shaped my reading history.

It is "Dance Dance Dance" that reminds me of my school days and my twenties. This work is a treasure for me today.
French Literature, History and Culture

Balzac's "Disillusionment" Synopsis and Impressions - A naked expose of the inner workings of the media and publishing industry, where anything goes if it sells! A shocking work!

This is a remarkable work that exposes the realities of the French media and publishing industry in the mid-19th century. Balzac himself was in the publishing business, and he knows the ins and outs of the industry. In this work, Balzac's relentless criticism of the media unfolds. Of course, this is not mere criticism; it is also Balzac's heartrending wish. His wish for a world in which truly good things are properly appreciated is evident in this work.
French Literature, History and Culture

Summary and Impressions of Kosei Ogura's "The Social History of "The Secret of Paris"" - What is Eugène Hsu's Newspaper Novel that Influenced Dostoevsky and Marx?

In this book, we will look at the work of Eugène Hsu and see what an outstanding achievement this man was.

It is a very exciting work that also gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the publishing and media industry in nineteenth-century France. It is interesting. I highly recommend it.

There are a series of points that are very interesting not only for French literature, but also for Russian literature, British literature, and Marx. Why not pick up a copy?
French Literature, History and Culture

Shigeru Kashima, "A Literary Guide to Paris" - A guidebook to Paris for fans of French literature! Read this and you will want to go to Paris!

This book will be a guide to Paris by Shigeru Kashima, a well-known French literary scholar on our blog.

The most unique feature of this work is that it allows visitors to see the places associated with literature in Paris, accompanied by Kashima's famous commentary.

This book is a must for fans of French literature, as he discusses each of Paris' famous landmarks in relation to its literature.

This book will definitely make you want to go to Paris. I highly recommend this book.
French Literature, History and Culture

Tsuji Chang's "The Life of Victor Hugo" Summary and Impressions - A recommended biography of the great Frenchman Hugo!

This is a biography of the great French writer Victor Hugo. Author: Mr. Tsuji昶

He is a French literary scholar who has translated Hugo's "Les Misérables" and "Ninety-Three Years," among others.

I think this work, which squeezes Hugo's tumultuous life into a single volume, is extremely valuable. I highly recommend this work as it is very easy to read.