A man who steeped himself in the literature of the ancient greeks , who modelled his being on the writing of balzac and stendhal and pater , who read dante every day in prison , might have seen a new kind of hell in the global triumph of american-style pop culture .
In " lost illusions , " balzac observes that it was standard practice in paris to bribe editors and critics with cash and lavish dinners to secure review space , while the city was plastered with loud posters advertising new releases .