Life as a dream and a lie -- The golden age and after? -- The disciplines of beatitude -- The bittersweet saga of dullness -- The extremists of routine -- Real life is not absent -- "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! -- The crime of suffering -- Impossible wisdom -- Conclusion Madame Verdurin's croissant