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Je t’aime: The legendary love story of Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg
Published on the 50-year anniversary of the legendary song Je t’aime… moi non plus, , deemed too risque for many American radio stations, Véronique Mortaigne’s book on Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin is a lyrical retelling of a relationship that defined an age. Synonymous with love, eroticism, glamour, music, provocation, their affair would set France aflame as the sixties ebbed, and set in motion many of the ideas we have by now come to think of as specifically ‘French’. Skipping back and forth in time, Je t'aime takes the reader from the foggy Normandy landscapes where Serge and Jane retreated, to their carefree summers on the coast. En route to their superstardom in films and music, we experience their intrigues, triangular relationships, and jealous rages, the genius and the self-torture. Tenderly told, via new interviews with key players in their story, Je t'aime details the coming together of two massive personalities, who together created a model of the rebel couple for the ages.
256 pages, Paperback
Published February 7, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 23, 2019
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000...Description: Gainsbourg and Birkin were arguably France’s most iconic couple - synonyms for love, glamour, eroticism, poetry and provocation. They met in 1968. She, an English aristocrat just arrived in Paris from Swinging London. He, the son of Russian immigrants, already the author of Le Poinçonneur des Lilas and La Javanaise and emotionally wrecked by his breakup with Brigitte Bardot.
Their love story set Paris aflame as the sixties ebbed, and set in motion many of the ideas we have by now come to think of as specifically French. Skipping back and forth in time, Je T’Aime takes the listener from the foggy Normandy landscapes where Serge and Jane retreated, to their carefree summers on the coast. En route to superstardom in films and music, we experience their intrigues, triangular relationships and jealous rages, the genius and the self-torture.
Le Monde Journalist and acclaimed author Véronique Mortaigne has talked to the pair’s friends, family and colleagues to cast new light on these two massive personalities, who together created a model of the rebel couple for the ages.
Véronique Mortaigne has been head of music and arts at Le Monde and is the author of a dozen books, including biographies of Cesaria Evora, Manu Chao, and Johnny Halliday.
Read by Jane Slavin
Abridged by Polly Coles
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4
Read
April 12, 2020Hey, maybe it's the translation, but this was a difficult read as it throws linearity out the window, often doubling back to retell a story again and again, as if the chapters were thrown together in a random order. Also, very hard to tell who's being quoted sometimes, as the author dips in and out of their subjective voice to an objective one and then adds in a quote. Who's the I? I kept asking. And I'm not sure if it answers its basic questions: why did this couple stay together?
Still, it put into context the work of some artists I only knew by name and "the hits" and got me to watch their film film together "Slogan."
Still, it put into context the work of some artists I only knew by name and "the hits" and got me to watch their film film together "Slogan."
February 25, 2019
From BBC Radio 4 - Book of the week:
Gainsbourg and Birkin were arguably France’s most iconic couple - synonyms for love, glamour, eroticism, poetry and provocation. They met in 1968. She, an English aristocrat just arrived in Paris from Swinging London. He, the son of Russian immigrants, already the author of Le Poinçonneur des Lilas and La Javanaise and emotionally wrecked by his breakup with Brigitte Bardot.
Their love story set Paris aflame as the sixties ebbed, and set in motion many of the ideas we have by now come to think of as specifically French.
Skipping back and forth in time, Je T’Aime takes the listener from the foggy Normandy landscapes where Serge and Jane retreated, to their carefree summers on the coast. En route to superstardom in films and music, we experience their intrigues, triangular relationships and jealous rages, the genius and the self-torture.
Le Monde Journalist and acclaimed author Véronique Mortaigne has talked to the pair’s friends, family and colleagues to cast new light on these two massive personalities, who together created a model of the rebel couple for the ages.
Véronique Mortaigne has been head of music and arts at Le Monde and is the author of a dozen books, including biographies of Cesaria Evora, Manu Chao, and Johnny Halliday.
Read by Jane Slavin
Abridged by Polly Coles
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000...
Gainsbourg and Birkin were arguably France’s most iconic couple - synonyms for love, glamour, eroticism, poetry and provocation. They met in 1968. She, an English aristocrat just arrived in Paris from Swinging London. He, the son of Russian immigrants, already the author of Le Poinçonneur des Lilas and La Javanaise and emotionally wrecked by his breakup with Brigitte Bardot.
Their love story set Paris aflame as the sixties ebbed, and set in motion many of the ideas we have by now come to think of as specifically French.
Skipping back and forth in time, Je T’Aime takes the listener from the foggy Normandy landscapes where Serge and Jane retreated, to their carefree summers on the coast. En route to superstardom in films and music, we experience their intrigues, triangular relationships and jealous rages, the genius and the self-torture.
Le Monde Journalist and acclaimed author Véronique Mortaigne has talked to the pair’s friends, family and colleagues to cast new light on these two massive personalities, who together created a model of the rebel couple for the ages.
Véronique Mortaigne has been head of music and arts at Le Monde and is the author of a dozen books, including biographies of Cesaria Evora, Manu Chao, and Johnny Halliday.
Read by Jane Slavin
Abridged by Polly Coles
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000...
April 20, 2020
My friend had gifted this book to me months ago, and I finally decided to give it a go.
Unfortunately, the author doesn't mention anything that isn’t common knowledge about Jane and Serge, and the format of the book appears to be all over the place. Mortaigne tries to keep each chapter in chronological order, but she backtracks repeatedly, to the point where I found myself asking "Wait...what year is she referring to now?"
There are also random sentences throughout the book (not quotations) that begin with ‘I’. I understand that Mortaigne sat down with Jane Birkin for a few interviews, but It is unclear whether the author is referring to herself, or quoting someone.
This is not something that I would have purchased at a book shop, but it’s a relatively quick read. Seeing as this book was translated from the French version, perhaps a lot of the format / structure was simply lost during translation.
Unfortunately, the author doesn't mention anything that isn’t common knowledge about Jane and Serge, and the format of the book appears to be all over the place. Mortaigne tries to keep each chapter in chronological order, but she backtracks repeatedly, to the point where I found myself asking "Wait...what year is she referring to now?"
There are also random sentences throughout the book (not quotations) that begin with ‘I’. I understand that Mortaigne sat down with Jane Birkin for a few interviews, but It is unclear whether the author is referring to herself, or quoting someone.
This is not something that I would have purchased at a book shop, but it’s a relatively quick read. Seeing as this book was translated from the French version, perhaps a lot of the format / structure was simply lost during translation.
August 12, 2022
I really should have read the reviews of this book before getting it (luckily from the library) but my god it was hard work. I think it might be a poor translation but it was all over the place and I really don’t know if I know much more about the couple than I did when I started. Lots of name-dropping and very little context or education. Will try a documentary instead!
February 19, 2019
Wanted something to read quickly, and grabbed this from the bookshop.
Interesting look at a cultural scene through the lens of a famous relationship. I learned a lot about Jane Birkin, but felt Serge Gainsbourg - a man I have always felt was an evil genius - was given an easy ride until later in the book when his cruelty comes out. How healthy or not was their relationship, is not something that the author really addresses. Strangely elliptical take on the story of their relationship, too - impressionistic rather than looking at how it developed and ended.
Interesting look at a cultural scene through the lens of a famous relationship. I learned a lot about Jane Birkin, but felt Serge Gainsbourg - a man I have always felt was an evil genius - was given an easy ride until later in the book when his cruelty comes out. How healthy or not was their relationship, is not something that the author really addresses. Strangely elliptical take on the story of their relationship, too - impressionistic rather than looking at how it developed and ended.
August 2, 2023
so obsessed with french in the 60s and the 70s, but even more about the relationship between birkin and gainsbourg. however, such a passionate and intricate relationship, was not at all done justice in this book. there seemed no apparent structure behind this and the phrases were convoluted and difficult to read.
September 17, 2023
Un récit passionnant sur un couple iconique
Avec beaucoup de tendresse et de justesse, Véronique Mortaigne retrace dans cet ouvrage la relation passionnée et tumultueuse entre Jane Birkin et Serge Gainsbourg. Leur coup de foudre au début des années 60 et leur histoire d'amour qui a marqué leur époque sont relatés avec minutie.
Au travers de nombreux témoignages ainsi que des écrits intimes des deux artistes, l'autrice parvient à saisir avec justesse la complexité de leur lien fusionnel. Portée par une plume élégante, elle dépeint leur complicité hors du commun mais aussi les zones d'ombres que leur romance atypique a pu générer.
Plus qu'un livre "people", cet ouvrage replace le couple mythique dans son contexte culturel et artistique. Il montre avec sensibilité comment leur amour mutuel a inspiré leurs œuvres respectives et nourri leur créativité.
En retraçant de manière érudite et passionnante cette love story hors norme, Véronique Mortaigne signe ici une biographie qui rend hommage à la singularité et la modernité de Jane Birkin et Serge Gainsbourg. Une lecture prenante qui permet de mieux comprendre la légende qu'ils incarnent encore aujourd'hui.
Avec beaucoup de tendresse et de justesse, Véronique Mortaigne retrace dans cet ouvrage la relation passionnée et tumultueuse entre Jane Birkin et Serge Gainsbourg. Leur coup de foudre au début des années 60 et leur histoire d'amour qui a marqué leur époque sont relatés avec minutie.
Au travers de nombreux témoignages ainsi que des écrits intimes des deux artistes, l'autrice parvient à saisir avec justesse la complexité de leur lien fusionnel. Portée par une plume élégante, elle dépeint leur complicité hors du commun mais aussi les zones d'ombres que leur romance atypique a pu générer.
Plus qu'un livre "people", cet ouvrage replace le couple mythique dans son contexte culturel et artistique. Il montre avec sensibilité comment leur amour mutuel a inspiré leurs œuvres respectives et nourri leur créativité.
En retraçant de manière érudite et passionnante cette love story hors norme, Véronique Mortaigne signe ici une biographie qui rend hommage à la singularité et la modernité de Jane Birkin et Serge Gainsbourg. Une lecture prenante qui permet de mieux comprendre la légende qu'ils incarnent encore aujourd'hui.
March 21, 2020
Appallingly badly written probably mostly due to the primary author although the translator may also have had a minor hand in the confusion and chaos. The narrative jumps backwards and forwards in time for no apparent reason, suddenly pulls in peripheral characters with no explanation of who they are or why they are there and most confusingly calls the same character by different names sometimes in the same sentence. This should have been a fascinating story but instead it was garbled and impossible to follow. (Purchased secondhand from a seller on Amazon - thank goodness. You wouldn't want to pay retail!)
May 7, 2024
Hay que tener en cuenta el contexto cultural e histórico en el que se desarrolló la historia ente Birkin y Gainsbourg. Lo que para ellos era normal hoy en día es considerado como violencia doméstica. Gainsbourg era ciertamente un tipo de lo más desagradable. Birkin, como muchas mujeres de su época, romantiza e idealiza un montón de situaciones altamente abusivas. El libro como crónica de la relación de ambos está bien escrito y documentado, pero hacia el final se vuelve bastante vago y da la sensación de que faltan muchos detalles por esclarecer.
February 25, 2019
Has some interest, but not too much.
March 29, 2020
Grabbed this book with the intention of learning of a love that held my attention, however, it was almost painful to get through considering the author’s scattered prose and aimless thoughts.
January 5, 2023
Fascinating read and unlike others, I enjoyed the writing style. A lot of the people in this book, despite (or because of) their fame and talent seemed to lead desperately unhappy lives.
April 21, 2025
read while listening to serge and janes' music on vacation in spain with my mother tannin' in march 2025
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews