The Champagne Standard

"The Champagne Standard" by John Lane is a series of witty observations on social expectations and materialism in the early 1900s. It scrutinizes how chasing wealth and status – symbolized by the luxurious "Champagne Standard" – affects people's behavior, particularly upper-class society. The book begins with a dinner party where the lack of champagne sparks a conversation about social pressures and the need to appear wealthy. The narrator then uses this scene to explore the broader impact of this "Champagne Standard," which represents insincere and showy practices accepted by society. The story looks at how these norms influence different social groups and what it means to individuals like the hostess, stuck between doing what's right and meeting social demands. Ultimately, the opening creates a humorous yet critical view that the rest of the book continues.