Perpetual euphoria : on the duty to be happy / Pascal Bruckner ; translated by Steven Rendall.

x, 244 pages ; 22 cm

Includes index.

pt. 1. Paradise is where I am. Life as a dream and a lie -- The golden age and after? -- The disciplines of beatitude -- pt. 2. The kingdom of lukewarm, or, The invention of banality. The bittersweet saga of dullness -- The extremists of routine -- Real life is not absent -- pt. 3. The bourgeoisie, or, The abjection of well-being. "The fat, prosperous elevation of the average, the mediocre" -- What is happiness for some is kitsch for others -- If money doesn't make you happy, give it back! -- pt. 4. Unhappiness outlawed? The crime of suffering -- Impossible wisdom -- Conclusion Madame Verdurin's croissant.

Translated from the French.