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Gigi and Selected Writings
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1963
About the author
Colette
984 books1,821 followersColette was the pen name of the French novelist and actress Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette. She is best known, at least in the English-speaking world, for her novella Gigi, which provided the plot for a famous Lerner & Loewe musical film and stage musical. She started her writing career penning the influential Claudine novels of books. The novel Chéri is often cited as her masterpiece.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 18, 2012
Gigi & Selected Writings by Collette
I have a strong appreciation for French culture so whenever I have a chance to read books by French authors, I really dig deep into it. And also, I had a good experience reading “Pere Goriot” by Honore de Balzac so I thought I’ll try another one.
But I’m greatly disappointed with “Gigi and Selected Writings.” I didn’t enjoy reading the book at all. I don’t know if it’s just me or it’s really a boring book. I should’ve gotten a clue when I couldn’t find more details about the book on the Internet.
“Gigi & Selected Writings” is a compilation of excerpts of Collette’s stories. I think one of the reasons I didn’t enjoy it is because it contains only excerpts so I often found myself wondering where-the-hell is this story going? What I read were only selected scenes from the stories.
If I were to review “Gigi” alone, I’ll give it 5 stars. That story is simply endearing. Add to that is I get to picture actress Audrey Hepburn as Gigi.
The other titles/excerpts are so slow in pacing. They are teeming with details, descriptions, but very few conversations. Sometimes, a dress merits three paragraphs of description which I find really irritating.
I may not have full appreciation for what many high-brow readers call “legitimate literature” because Collette is one of the most-loved and celebrated writers. But at the end of the day, what makes a good book for me is one that I enjoyed reading; a read where I shared different emotions with the writer; and a book that I kiss when I finished it.
Unfortunately, “Gigi & Selected Writings” is not one of them.
I have a strong appreciation for French culture so whenever I have a chance to read books by French authors, I really dig deep into it. And also, I had a good experience reading “Pere Goriot” by Honore de Balzac so I thought I’ll try another one.
But I’m greatly disappointed with “Gigi and Selected Writings.” I didn’t enjoy reading the book at all. I don’t know if it’s just me or it’s really a boring book. I should’ve gotten a clue when I couldn’t find more details about the book on the Internet.
“Gigi & Selected Writings” is a compilation of excerpts of Collette’s stories. I think one of the reasons I didn’t enjoy it is because it contains only excerpts so I often found myself wondering where-the-hell is this story going? What I read were only selected scenes from the stories.
If I were to review “Gigi” alone, I’ll give it 5 stars. That story is simply endearing. Add to that is I get to picture actress Audrey Hepburn as Gigi.
The other titles/excerpts are so slow in pacing. They are teeming with details, descriptions, but very few conversations. Sometimes, a dress merits three paragraphs of description which I find really irritating.
I may not have full appreciation for what many high-brow readers call “legitimate literature” because Collette is one of the most-loved and celebrated writers. But at the end of the day, what makes a good book for me is one that I enjoyed reading; a read where I shared different emotions with the writer; and a book that I kiss when I finished it.
Unfortunately, “Gigi & Selected Writings” is not one of them.
November 10, 2019
Only two stories stand out in this collection. And that's Gigi (4 stars), and The Sick Child (what a beautiful short story--5 stars). I was on my third story when I realized how different the stories were, there was no common thread. If I were to describe this collection in one word, it would be diverse.
Having seen the movie musical Gigi many times as a child, it's heartwarming to see how faithful the movie was to the book. Except for Maurice Chevalier, who does not exist in the book, but is a welcome addition to the movie. The Sick Child is utterly beautiful for its enchanting prose and flights of fancy. The rest of the stories pale in comparison to the two I've earmarked. But one thing I noticed while reading through them: it felt like I was reading a Russian writer's work. The material, the characters, and the settings felt familiar, like the short stories of Chekhov or Nabokov. But not Tolstoy or Dostoyevsky.
Having seen the movie musical Gigi many times as a child, it's heartwarming to see how faithful the movie was to the book. Except for Maurice Chevalier, who does not exist in the book, but is a welcome addition to the movie. The Sick Child is utterly beautiful for its enchanting prose and flights of fancy. The rest of the stories pale in comparison to the two I've earmarked. But one thing I noticed while reading through them: it felt like I was reading a Russian writer's work. The material, the characters, and the settings felt familiar, like the short stories of Chekhov or Nabokov. But not Tolstoy or Dostoyevsky.
January 2, 2019
This was sitting on the shelf... something my wife has had since high school, and it looked unusual and slim so I figured I'd give it a quick read.
It's ... interesting. While Gigi itself is a complete story, several pieces in here are simply excerpts, or little literary studies. I found some snippets quite interesting (especially the autobiographical pieces), some social commentary wickedly cutting, and could appreciate the quality of her (translated) prose... but lets just say that economy of style was not the fashion in Paris at the time of Colette's writing.
I would be interesting in reading other complete works of Colette's, although I don't know that I would put much effort in searching them out. But as a collection? It's a bit underwhelming.
It's ... interesting. While Gigi itself is a complete story, several pieces in here are simply excerpts, or little literary studies. I found some snippets quite interesting (especially the autobiographical pieces), some social commentary wickedly cutting, and could appreciate the quality of her (translated) prose... but lets just say that economy of style was not the fashion in Paris at the time of Colette's writing.
I would be interesting in reading other complete works of Colette's, although I don't know that I would put much effort in searching them out. But as a collection? It's a bit underwhelming.
July 25, 2016
Interesting. Today, it is pretty creepy to think of a thirty-something man asking a 15 year old girl to be his mistress, and then when she says she"doesn't want to," he proposes marriage .... And also pretty creepy that the two old women raise this child to not have any friends while educating her on how to eat ortolans and select cigars, preparing her for the life of a mistress. ("We don't marry.") Still, the story has a certain charm. Mostly, it made me want to watch the old Leslie Caron/Lois Jordan musical.
August 27, 2018
Lest they be disappointed, potential readers should know that "Gigi" occupies a mere 47 pages in this slim 254 page book. Colette's "novels" are short stories, my favorite being "The Sick Child," which also appears in this volume.
November 5, 2023
Colette is a chatty writer who goes off almost in a stream-of-consciousness narrative about whatever is on her mind, and makes it into a vignette or story. In addition to Gigi, my favorite stories in this collection are Armande and The Potograher's Missus, simply because the stories woven are less autobiographical. Stories such as The Priest on the Wall, or excerpts such as Break of Day and The Blue Lantern seem too self-indulgent.
October 28, 2021
Short stories, excerpts from novels, and Gigi, which is a novella – almost 50 pages in my edition, but it’s tiny print, so I think it qualifies as a novella.
In the 1920s and 1930s, many considered Colette the greatest French female author. Katherine Anne Porter (Ship of Fools) considered her the greatest living French writer – period. (I use a lot of info from the Wikipedia entry on Colette in this review.)
Gigi is the story of a 16-year old girl being ‘trained’ to become a prostitute to rich men in the then-world of the ‘demimonde.’ The 1958 film Gigi won best picture (Leslie Caron and Louis Jourdan) and made Colette known to Americans. (In the earlier stage play Colette hand-picked the then-unknown Audrey Hepburn to play Gigi.)
Colette was a stage actress for much of her early career and many of her stories and novels reflect this. In fact in her 1949 novel, Le Fanal Bleu, she reflected on the problems of a writer whose inspiration is primarily autobiographical.
In the excerpt from Music Hall Highlights, we get a feel for the excitement of being in a traveling performance group waiting for the next train. We eavesdrop on the bitching and moaning of the troupe, the ‘cattiness’ of the women to each other, complaints about their beds and food (although many have known hunger over the years).
Two of the short stories are about her mother and her mother’s death: Where are the Children and My Mother and Illness. Jealousy is about family life and a husband kind of kidding his wife about carrying on with the tradesmen when she shops. Another story, The Savages, from the novel Sido, that may be autobiographical, is the story of an older woman reflecting back on her now-deceased three older siblings, especially a brother who, even in his 60’s, never grew up.
A chapter from The Last of Cheri is about a married man (Cheri), who comes back to Paris after serving in WW I and perhaps expects to re-start an affair with his old flame. He hasn’t seen her in five years. If he thinks the homefront will fall at his feet in gratitude for his military service, he is sadly mistaken. I also read Chéri
A couple of stories were too cutesy for me; one about talking pets. And chapter excerpts from novels don’t always hang together the way a short story does. Still, I enjoyed the book and recommend it although I like better her novel The Vagabond. I reviewed that and it is considered an early feminist novel (1910).
Colette led an amazing life (1873-1954). Long before Cher and Madonna thought they invented “first names only,” there was Colette. (There’s a word for that: mononymous.) And long before gay rights, Collette, who was bisexual, flaunted her numerous lesbian affairs. Of course this was Paris, not Peoria. Her life was also the subject of two films; a French film in 1991, Becoming Colette, and a 2018 film Colette, starring Keira Knightley.
Colette wrote vivid descriptions of the landscape and flowers and here is a link to a story about Colette being a gardening enthusiast: https://lithub.com/how-plants-helped-...
Top photo: a still from the 1958 movie from imbd.com
The author from brainpickings.org
The author from britannica.com
[Edited 12/23/23]
In the 1920s and 1930s, many considered Colette the greatest French female author. Katherine Anne Porter (Ship of Fools) considered her the greatest living French writer – period. (I use a lot of info from the Wikipedia entry on Colette in this review.)
Gigi is the story of a 16-year old girl being ‘trained’ to become a prostitute to rich men in the then-world of the ‘demimonde.’ The 1958 film Gigi won best picture (Leslie Caron and Louis Jourdan) and made Colette known to Americans. (In the earlier stage play Colette hand-picked the then-unknown Audrey Hepburn to play Gigi.)
Colette was a stage actress for much of her early career and many of her stories and novels reflect this. In fact in her 1949 novel, Le Fanal Bleu, she reflected on the problems of a writer whose inspiration is primarily autobiographical.
In the excerpt from Music Hall Highlights, we get a feel for the excitement of being in a traveling performance group waiting for the next train. We eavesdrop on the bitching and moaning of the troupe, the ‘cattiness’ of the women to each other, complaints about their beds and food (although many have known hunger over the years).
Two of the short stories are about her mother and her mother’s death: Where are the Children and My Mother and Illness. Jealousy is about family life and a husband kind of kidding his wife about carrying on with the tradesmen when she shops. Another story, The Savages, from the novel Sido, that may be autobiographical, is the story of an older woman reflecting back on her now-deceased three older siblings, especially a brother who, even in his 60’s, never grew up.
A chapter from The Last of Cheri is about a married man (Cheri), who comes back to Paris after serving in WW I and perhaps expects to re-start an affair with his old flame. He hasn’t seen her in five years. If he thinks the homefront will fall at his feet in gratitude for his military service, he is sadly mistaken. I also read Chéri
A couple of stories were too cutesy for me; one about talking pets. And chapter excerpts from novels don’t always hang together the way a short story does. Still, I enjoyed the book and recommend it although I like better her novel The Vagabond. I reviewed that and it is considered an early feminist novel (1910).
Colette led an amazing life (1873-1954). Long before Cher and Madonna thought they invented “first names only,” there was Colette. (There’s a word for that: mononymous.) And long before gay rights, Collette, who was bisexual, flaunted her numerous lesbian affairs. Of course this was Paris, not Peoria. Her life was also the subject of two films; a French film in 1991, Becoming Colette, and a 2018 film Colette, starring Keira Knightley.
Colette wrote vivid descriptions of the landscape and flowers and here is a link to a story about Colette being a gardening enthusiast: https://lithub.com/how-plants-helped-...
Top photo: a still from the 1958 movie from imbd.com
The author from brainpickings.org
The author from britannica.com
[Edited 12/23/23]
April 22, 2024
My first time reading this remarkable author of keenly observed, described and felt glimpses of life. Definitely a different time from our own.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews