Un monde en toc

by Rinny Gremaud

Edmonton au Canada, Pékin, Kuala Lumpur, Dubaï, Casablanca: un tour du monde en cinq escales, choisies parce qu'elles abritent ces monstres du commerce mondialisé que sont les malls géants. Prétendant transformer la planète en parc d'attractions pour consommateurs manipulés, ces centres commerciaux démesurés sont comme des villes à l'intérieur des villes, avec vocation à absorber la ville réelle. On y vient de loin, on y fait tout, manger, dormir, se divertir, nager, skier, se photographier, acheter, naturellement; mourir, éventuellement, bien que la seule chose qui ne soit pas prévue, ce sont les cimetières.

L'auteure y fait ou y suscite des rencontres, usagers, employés, cadres commerciaux à l'inénarrable discours d'extraterrestres. Elle nous dresse les portraits étonnants des bâtisseurs de ces " meilleurs des mondes " ménageant à la fois le stéréotype (les mêmes marques internationales partout) et l'inattendu, le spectaculaire, l'insensé. Elle promène sur ces immenses miroirs aux alouettes un regard curieux, critique, ironique sans être jamais malveillant, de plus en plus halluciné à mesure qu'elle avance dans son étrange voyage.

Née en 1977 à Busan en Corée du Sud, Rinny Gremaud est journaliste. Elle vit et travaille à Lausanne.

176 pages, Paperback

First published March 8, 2018

Reviews

[Camille Ammoun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beau récit sur l’enlaidissement du monde. Le chapitre sur Dubaï est particulièrement réussi.

[Selina Streahorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Those that say it's bleak and have a hard time reading it, that's understandable. But that also means the main take away from her message isn't actually reaching the way it's impact should.

From the books I've read thus far this year, this can be compounded into the many, that our global society's main goal is to suck dry those of lesser income, and build a franchise globally on the main stay that we are attaining for the main attractive look and style of western society. Ew.

This was made blatantly clear with each mall the author visited and the main stores that showcased yet again the same merchandise over and over again no matter the country.

Some malls without natural light, or access by foot path into its halls. Sounds dismal and disheartening. Most see this book as depressing and not worth reading. I see it as a continual reminder that capitalism is succeeding because we're so consumed by ideas that are sold to us. Then proliferated on social media sites abundant with hashtags talking about how amazing it is to see and experience yet another showcase of money we really don't have.

If you hate it, that's fine. I for one loved it. But that's my takeaway. ✌🏻

[Joanna K · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing is stilted and I found myself feeling bleak with every visit at every mall. The author doesn’t seem to like malls…no idea why she chose to write about them. Took me over 2 months to finish this book because I kept reading others instead.

[Lynne · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Read my full review here.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A long time ago, during my university spring break, I spent an entire week at West Edmonton Mall.

It may sound crazy, but before I left, my friends had asked me to bring back something from either “The Gap,” “Beaver Canoe,” or “Benneton.” Can you believe it?

Little did I know my time at the mall would profoundly impact me. The monotonous air that filled the mall seemed to seep into my very being. I became just another consumer, mindlessly browsing.

Years later, those very same stores opened in my hometown. As malls continue homogenizing, I couldn’t help but wonder if there’s any reason to visit them anymore. They all offer the same products, competing for the same dollars.

I realized that allowing kids to hang out at malls is a deceptive ploy, an indoctrination into a shallow consumer culture. It’s as if a hand constantly reaches into our wallets, leaving us with nothing.

In Rinny Gremaud’s book, “All The World's a Mall,” she embarks on a journey across the globe to explore these temples of consumption and excess. I have to say, it was one of the most horrifying reads of the year. Every mall, no matter where Rinny went, was eerily similar. They are the result of men’s egos, each trying to outdo the other in size and catering to the misguided notion of what women want. It’s disheartening.

Take, for example, the presence of sharks and penguins in a mall in Dubai. It may sound like a strange sight, but the answer to that question is truly depressing.

After my experience at West Edmonton Mall, I sympathized with Rinny. Thankfully, I developed a strong aversion to shopping malls. I no longer have the desire to browse or shop aimlessly. I genuinely hope Rinny is doing okay. The mall environment is a microcosm of all the problems that plague humanity.

And I genuinely hope those penguins and sharks have a good sense of humour.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hands up, former mallrats.
That's what we did back in the day - pre-Internet, pre-cell phones. We went to the mall, to "see and be seen".
Thank you to zgreads and U of A Press for my gifted copy of All The World's A Mall for review!
These are not simply profiles of noteworthy malls from around the world.
Swiss author Rinny Gremaud takes us into her travels, often weary and jet-lagged, as she visited 11 very different shopping meccas in 2014.
She tells us about the cities and histories of each center and documents the noteworthy features in each mall. But there are also very human details she noted along the way.
It's a travelogue, with malls as destinations.
Gremaud's slightly lyrical, at times nearly poetic, writing style was most unexpected.
And this former mallrat found the read a pleasant surprise. Recommended!
Featured:
Lausanne
Edmonton
Vancouver
Beijing
Singapore
Kuala Lampur
Bangkok
Dubai
Istanbul
Casablanca
Lisbon