Vicki Baum and the "Making" of Popular Success: "Mass" Culture or "Popular" Culture?

This study examines the reasons for international literary star Vicki Baum's immense success. After first detailing the promotion of Baum and her works and briefly analyzing her 1928-29 novel stud. chem. Helene Willfüer, the study contends that advertising and writing for the marketplace were prerequisites to success, but did not ensure that she or her works would indeed become best sellers. Based on theories of "popular" rather than "mass" culture, it goes on to explore the delicate and complicated balance of power between producers and consumers that leads to popular success. (LJK)