L'ingenue Libertine

by Colette

Elancée, des yeux noirs superbes, des cheveux si blonds qu’ils paraissent argentés, Minne est une ravissante personne adorée par sa maman. Elle suit les cours des demoiselles Souhait pour y rencontrer des jeunes filles bien élevées, et à l’occasion, s’y instruire…
Tout a été arrangé pour que Minne ait une vie des plus douillette. Mais Minne rêve d’autre chose, elle veut connaître ce qu’elle appelle l’Aventure.
Mariée, déçue, humiliée, mais maintenant renseignée et ayant compris que l’Aventure, c’est l’Amour, Minne va alors chercher avec détermination l’homme qui lui donnera ce bonheur merveilleux dont toutes les femmes qu’elle connaît parlent et tous les livres aussi.

Genres: Fiction, Classics, France, French Literature, Romance, Literature, Feminism

192 pages, Pocket Book

First published January 1, 1909

About the author

Colette 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.

Reviews

[Yann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Colette et le lion

La curiosité m'a mis ce petit roman dans les mains, et je l'ai dévoré d'une traite, avec le plus grand plaisir. Il est question de Minne, une jeune fille de bonne famille, qui, quoiqu'elle paraisse la plus rangée du monde, ne laisse pas d'être fascinée par le monde sauvage et brutal des brigands des bas-fonds de la capitale dont elle lit en cachette les exploits dans les journaux. Mais elle dissimule cette fascination, nourrissant l'espoir d'être enlevée par le Frisé, le plus audacieux de ces apaches qui vivent libre en tenant tête à la police. Son cousin Antoine est hypnotisé par cette petite jeune fille qui dit des horreurs. Il ne tarde pas à en tomber amoureux, mais sa jolie cousine lui tient la dragée haute, elle que ses rêve porte bien loin de cette petite vie douillette qui l'étouffe.

Après quelques péripéties, Minne est mariée. Elle n'est sans doute pas malheureuse en ménage, au contraire, mais il lui manque une certaine chose, dont toutes ses amies parlent, dont tout les romans parlent, et qu'elle cherche en vain chez des amants. Malheureusement, sont dépit augmente à mesure qu'ils prennent ce qu'elle voudrait recevoir elle-même, et qu'ils lui volent. Ces coquins sont d'autant plus agaçants qu'ils la poursuivent de leurs assiduités sans jamais la satisfaire, et elle a toutes les peines du monde à se défaire de ces miauleurs impénitents quoiqu'elle les accable des pires rigueurs sous le coup de l'irritation. Mais qu'arriverait-il si, par aventure, l'un d'eux trouvait et retirait la petite épine aiguë qui lui pince le cœur ?

Un excellent petit roman, propre à susciter autant de frissons de terreur que de plaisir, qui me donne envie d'en lire d'autre de Colette.

[Jennie Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sensual & intelligent Madame Bovary -- if she didn't get lust & love all tangled up.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pesar de que lo que está contando es sumamente oscuro, Colette consigue llenar sus páginas de luz y belleza. Existe un contraste evidente entre la historia y el cómo escribía la autora francesa: consigue, a pesar de que nos demos cuenta de lo horrible que es Minne como persona, transmitirnos su “joie de vivre”, haciéndola excitante y atrayente. Y, algo que me ha sorprendido, se intuye su sentido del humor entre líneas. El anterior libro de ella que leí carecía de este aspecto, por lo que Colette se me reveló como una escritora ácida y bastante juguetona.

Necesito leer más de Colette porque era una escritora maravillosa. Aunque hay poco traducido y de ello, mucho está descatalogado.

[Mighty Aphrodite · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una sera, in una calma via di Parigi, Minne è seduta al tavolo e finge di scrivere un tema di storia. La madre, seduta in poltrona, dà le spalle alla figlia e scandisce il tempo con le sue continue domande e la sua preoccupazione per gli occhi di Mimme, affaticati dalla scrittura a tarda sera. Il viso di Minne, però, non è chino sulle sorti della Francia, bensì sulle pagine di “Paris la nuit”, giornale nel quale si raccontano con dovizia di particolari le avventure della criminalità parigina.

Quelle storie permettono all’immaginazione di Minne di superare – con un solo battito di ciglia – i limiti angusti e soffocanti della propria casa, di immergersi in un mondo diverso dal suo e, proprio per questo, più eccitante, selvaggio, pieno di promesse. Mentre si appassiona a quelle lotte, mentre immagina di essere la regina di una masnada di delinquenti, può dimenticare la vita noiosa e bugiarda che sente di condurre.

Solo attraverso quei truculenti fatti di cronaca, Minne si sente sollevata, viva, sente di poter dare voce alle passioni del suo cuore, di colmare la distanza tra ciò che appare agli altri e ciò che – in realtà – pensa di essere. È terribilmente sola Minne, presa tra una madre che la adora ed è a lei completamente sottomessa e uno zio che ne giudica costantemente il comportamento.

Continua a leggere qui: https://parlaredilibri.wordpress.com/...

[Naksed · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ingénue libertine? C’est une trop élégante description pour la protagoniste de cette histoire, une sociopathe dévergondée et pleine de délusions qui trompe son mari au pêle-mêle parce qu’il ne sait pas comment la faire jouir. Malheureusement pour elle, ses amants ne sont pas plus habiles que son cocu mari. C’est finalement une crise de jalousie qui mène ce mari et sa femme à un orgasme mutuel. Une histoire assez débile. Hors les Claudines et Gigi, je n’ai jamais été charmée par le reste de l’oeuvre de Colette. Quel dommage…

Translation:

The naive libertine? It's too elegant a description for the protagonist of this tale, an amoral, delusional sociopath who cheats on her husband with every Tom, Dick and Harry because he doesn't know how to get her off. Unfortunately for her, her lovers are no cleverer than her cuckolded husband. It's finally a fit of jealousy that opens the path to mutual orgasm for this husband and wife. A rather idiotic story. Except for the Claudines and Gigi, I have never been too impressed by the rest of Colette's backlist. Too bad...

[Margot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost forgot how much I love Colette. I read "Chéri" and "The end of Chéri" a few years ago and really enjoyed the books. I started reading "L'ingénue Libertine" a few days ago and it was amazing. I love the way Colette's writing seems so simple and nude at first sight but suddenly when you turn a page, some beautiful and poetic sentences make you touch the stars. She has such an ability to describe her characters in a way that you understand them immediately. I mean... not that you identify yourself with them but you can properly portray them in your head in all of their complexity and wealth.
Minne is just one of the most beautiful and touching character I have ever seen. So stubborn, but so fragile at the same time... her quench of something she can't put her finger on... everything makes her a utterly beautiful character.
Then there is Maugis. Oh God! I like him from the right beginning but he surprised me in a good way at the end of the novel and now I like him even more!
And Antoine... Oh, Antoine! So desperate, so deeply in love with a moving shadow, a perfumed wind that is escaping his embraces. He gaves her the most beautiful thing in the world. His love, without conditions, without questions, without borders. "Romeo and Juliet" is a romantic story but by reading this novel, (and from time to time either), I start wondering if true love is not this one.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Free download available at Project Gutenberg

I made the proofing of this book for Free Literature and Project Gutenberg will publish it.

[Sylvia Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely novel demonstrating female agency. I love Colette's writing style!

[Céline · Rating 4 out of 5]

L'ingénue Libertine
J'ai lu ce livre durant mon adolescence vers 15 ans je me souviens, à la fin, de cette envie de le rouvrir à la 1ere page comme si c'était la 1ère fois ...
Il fait partie de ces livres, lus étant jeune et que j'ai peur de relire à l'âge adulte par crainte de me rendre compte que mon impression d'alors était faussée par ma jeunesse.
J'en garderai donc à jamais un souvenir attendri.

[Réminiscence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Petite bourgeoise Minne a une existence bien tracée, couvée par sa mère et protégée par son cousin elle est loin des voyous et de la délinquance mais au sein de sa petite vie morose elle est à la recherche de l’adrénaline.
La première partie du livre se concentre sur la jeunesse du Minne qui vagabonde dans la nuit parisienne à la recherche des criminels qu’elle découvre dans les journaux.
Ingénue d’apparence libertine clandestinement à l’image de la fameuse Marquise de Merteuil Minne cherche son indépendance dans le libertinage.
Emprisonnée dans son mariage avec son cousin elle a quelques amants pour enfin trouver ce "ça" dont tout les livres, toutes les femmes parlent.
Colette nous livre un récit de femme découragée, d’un bonheur asphyxiée dans l’étouffement perpétuel des hommes.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

So… I haven't read anything by Colette until now.

I thought Minne was a spoiled brat in the beginning. At first I felt sorry for her. Only child, over protective mother, and an over active imagination. Her imagination was borderline delusional though when she goes in search of her Curly, whom she imagined was in love with her from his glances. And then how, after seeing the harshness of Paris outside of her own little bubble, and never finding Curly, I guess this is where her childhood really ends.

Second part of the book though, Antoine and Minne are now married, which, again, I start feeling sorry for her. But the poor guy does care for her in his own possessive way. And she's off having her little affairs, which I found quite amusing, and then felt sorry for Antoine (Feeling sorry was a theme in my head throughout sections of this book). But would someone please just get this girl off already, so she finally knows what she's missing? Stop going for the found ones Minne! That's you're first problem!

But then FINALLY, at the very end, Antoine, after conceding that Minne is getting her kicks elsewhere, but is content as long as she is still his, gives her the big O that she's been craving. At least, that's how I interpreted it. Picking up another Colette work now, and I hope it's better than this one.

I liked the second half much better than the first, but as a whole, it fell short.

[Emanuela Siqueira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Acho que uma das coisas mais difíceis de ler um romance como esse, sobre confronto de costumes, é entender a potência que era falar abertamente da sexualidade de mulheres cisgêneras na virada do século 19 para o 20. O tédio que já era herança de Emma Bovary aqui se dissolve numa virada (normativa) em desejar e ter prazer.

[Marisolera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Qué duro debía de ser ser mujer en esa época en la que las mujeres no tenían ni la más mínima educación sexual ni casi de ningún tipo. Pero, a pesar de la tristeza que te pueda provocar este tema, Minne es para darle una colleja desde el principio al final de la historia.

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time reading Colette. Not sure what I expected. My edition, FSG 1978, was found randomly in a metal newspaper box outside the grocery store almost two decades ago, and has a somewhat suggestive cover (somewhat crude line art drawing of nude woman next to a clothed man; cover/edition not on GR). At first, Minne comes off as a spoiled brat, but there's something infectious about her curiosity. Her desire for experience and excitement come to life on the page. We move from her adolescent fantasizing of being the partner of dangerous gang leader to her real adult life, where she seeks her own pleasure outside of her marriage but continually finds she's merely the means to men's pleasure. Her character ends up having both complexity and innocence as she struggles to find a balance between agency and submission.

[Gwynplaine26th · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insuperabile narratrice, la grande Colette ha riscritto questo romanzo almeno tre volte, tanto teneva alle vicende di Minne, ragazza immaginosa e un po' aggressiva. Il marito dell'autrice infatti aveva trovato il testo troppo rischioso e l'aveva costretta a diluirlo e a dargli anche un seguito. Con il divorzio però Colette, appena possibile, rifuse insieme i due libri con ulteriori aggiunte, creando questo romanzo, seppur meno conosciuto e premiato di suoi altri, pieno di vibrante forza vitale.

[Catalina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The wonderful journey of Minne from the little, full of fantasies girl to the beautiful and accomplished woman!
The classic case of 'girl wanting the bad guy', in this case Mannie's fantasies were fueled by the crime pages of a newspaper she was reading in secret; a band frontman being her 'secret lover'. The constant exceeding of the barrier between real and fantasy marks the events in her life, ending as a young, alone and sexually unsatisfied wife.
But as always, when you search for something impetuously, you find it next to you or already possessing it; the exact, same thing, happens to Minne! This is made possible by Antoine, who achieves emotional maturity, clearly seeing Minne's fragility and need of love and understanding that his love for her has no boundaries, nothing is a sacrifice as long as it makes her happy.
"None of them ever loved me enough to read in my eyes the the disappointment, hunger and thirst for what I longed" she confessed to Maugis; but Antoine does prove her his love is complete, so, along with the 'miracle' she realizes, she loved him all along, since they were kids!

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Je ne lis pas souvent de romans de Colette mais à chaque fois que je le fais, je retombe sous le charme de son écriture.

J’avoue que j’ai eu un peu de mal avec la première partie de L’Ingénue Libertine. Le style est toujours aussi agréable mais j’ai trouvé le personnage de Minne assez désagréable et j’ai éprouvé peu de sympathie pour les autres personnages. La deuxième moitié du roman a été beaucoup moins pénible à lire mais je trouve que globalement il a mal vieilli. J’ai trouvé certains passages un peu ridicules tant ils semblaient naïfs et désuets à la fois. Les autres œuvres de Colette sont généralement assez intemporelles, ce qui n’est pas le cas ici.

J’ai hésité à donner deux étoiles à ce livre mais j’aime quand même beaucoup Colette, ce qui explique les trois étoiles :)

[Johan van Haersolte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly well written (surprising for me at least) giving the false impression it is lighter than air. Colette was not satisfied with the original version which had the scars of her then husband Willy’s literary incompetence. So she rewrote it. Minne, the protagonist, starts as a 14 years old young innocent romantic girl in search of excitement and adventure but develops into a young woman with a strong sexual appetite a marriage to her cousin Antoine notwithstanding. Colette herself was bigger than life and lived to write many more books which I have not (yet) read. In this book she proves her being a master of the French language and often made me wonder how many words she had at her disposal to describe with so much subtlety feelings, situations and actions.

[Mireya]

60%.. no he conseguido pasar. He amado conocer la historia de Colette, me he lanzado con esta primera novela y no sé si he fallado en la elección o su escritura no es para mi.
🙁Me siento triste, pensaba que me iba a encantar. Espero intentarlo más adelante con otra novela y tener otros sentimientos.

[Mara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Primo romanzo che leggo dell'autrice. L'inizio non mi convinceva ma andando avanti la scrittura diventa più fluida e interessante. Lettura piacevole. Quello che incuriosisce di più è la figura dell'autrice stessa al di là del testo

[Rafael Fontes · Rating 3 out of 5]

White people problems e mimimis da burguesia francesa.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lire et relire et relire et relire éternellement...
Mon livre de chevet !

[Lisa Reich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I built my whole persona based on this book thanks Colette, you that b X

[Miranda Bahr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eu DEVOREI esse livro em um dia.
Para mim ele alcançou a perfeição. Direto ao ponto, excelente vocabulário e fluidez, engraçado, sarcástico, sexy, erótico sem ser vulgar, as coisas acontecem rápido, e… claro, o cenário de Belle Époque sempre me deixa encantada.

Minne é uma mulher inteligente que se encontra frustrada por não saber o que é um orgasmo. Apesar de não utilizarem o termo específico, fica muito claro o que ela busca no casamento e em seus casos extraconjugais.

“Porém, uma vez mais, ele sucumbe só, e Minne, ao contemplá-lo imóvel tão perto de si, mal ressuscitado de uma bem-aventurada morte, decifra no íntimo de si mesma os motivos de um ódio nascente: detesta ferozmente o êxtase dessa criança fogosa, o desmaio que ele não sabe lhe dar…”.

Gente, isso é um livro de 1909!!!! Imagino o choque que foi o lançamento de uma obra tão explícita sobre a liberdade e o desejo feminino, mesmo que publicado como anônimo na época.

“Esse prazer, ele o rouba de mim! É minha, é minha essa fulminação divina que o derruba em cima de mim! Eu a quero! Ou então, que ele deixe de conhecê-la por mim!”.

O final foi feliz e um tanto fantasioso pra mim. Colette resolveu o problema do casamento de uma forma muito fácil. Maaasss eu fiquei bastante satisfeita do começo ao fim.

[nanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Já dizia minha amiga contemporânea Duda: "Será que eu que sou burra ou esse é o conceito do livro?".

Minhes amigues que vós ler essa resenha, não existe pessoa mais sem parafuso na cabeça que a protagonista. Essa garota faz o demônio ter medo de bicho papão e medo da loira do banheiro, na primeira parte dessa história ela faz tanta coisa que não deveria fazer que só uma camisa de força pra prender essa menina. Não sei se a tradução que não ajuda, mas o livro difícil de entender (talvez também porque eu sou burra), tinha que ler cinco vezes a mesma frase e continuava sem entender. Não digo que foi o pior livro que já li, pois Somente sua da Elizabeth Lowell continua no seu pódio intacta.

Recomendo a leitura? Não.
Porém não sou sua mãe/pai/qualquer parente próximo de você então ler por sua conta.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este libro de 1909 se resuelve con final feliz con el primer orgasmo de la protagonista, con eso ya digo bastante.
Minne es bellísima y por eso los hombres aspiran, esnifan, devoran su belleza.
Ella se deja, entre la indiferencia y el anhelo de sentir lo que ellos sienten. Pero el amor romántico solo demanda, se alimenta del otro, lo deja en los huesos.
Minne se va rompiendo entre el rencor, la ira y la tristeza por ese intercambio injusto que la convierte en objeto de decoración, pastel de limón o proyección imposible de humanizar.
Hasta nosotres leyendo el libro nos enamoramos de algo falso que solo a través de la vulnerabilidad y la ternura consigue volverse real.

[Lili · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why incest though?

[Reanna Druxerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

KAM personified

[Maxence · Rating 3 out of 5]

Une deuxième Emma Bovary, bien plus méchante, irréfléchie et dans ses rêveries.

[Maria Lucero Arretxe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amé esta novela muy conmovedora dentro de todo, llena de emociones y descubrimientos. Motiva mucho a seguir leyendo a Collete!