Colettin románek či novela dvou dospívajících dětí, zasazený do rámce krásné přímořské krajiny, bývá často srovnáván se starobylým příběhem o Dafnisovi a Chloé. Hrdinové, Vinka a Fil, jsou v Colettině podání nejen zamilovanou dvojicí, ale reprezentují plně mladé lidi z konce 19. století.
Milostný příběh mladé talentované ženy, která se po rozvodu živí jako tanečnice, se odehrává v Paříži na počátku století.
In the last in the series of Colette's Claudine books, we find Claudine separated from her tubercular husband, Renaud, who is recuperating in a Swiss hospital. She goes to the countryside to stay with her friend, Annie, and experiences relief from her depression in the pleasures of the natural world-- and in encouraging her friend to have an affair. RETREAT FROM LOVE was written a few years after the four original Claudine tales, and rumor has it that Colette wrote it to have a small revenge on her first husband, Monsieur Willy, on whom Renaud (who dies in the end) was apparently based.
Focusing on the themes of childhood and familial bonds, the narrative explores the life of Sido, a nurturing mother in late-nineteenth-century rural France. Sido is depicted as a vibrant figure, deeply connected to her village, garden, and children, especially her youngest, Minet-Chéri. Unlike Colette's other works that delve into romantic love, this story highlights Sido's profound influence on her community and her daughter, who would become an acclaimed writer. The portrayal emphasizes the richness of maternal relationships and their lasting impact.
Colette's celebrated novels about an older courtesan and her young lover, now in a new translation and published in one volume. Colette’s Chéri (1920) and its sequel, The End of Chéri (1926), are widely considered her masterpieces. In sensuous, elegant prose, the two novels explore the evolving inner lives and the intimate relationship of an unlikely couple: Léa de Lonval, a middle-aged former courtesan, and Fred Peloux, twenty-five years her junior, known as Chéri. The two have been involved for years, and it is time for Chéri to get on with life, to make something of himself, but he, the personification of male beauty and vanity, doesn’t know how to go about it. It is time, too, for Léa to let go ofChéri and the sensual life that has been hers, and yet this is more easily resolved than done. Chéri marries, but once married he is restless and is inevitably drawn back to his mistress, as she is to him. And yet to reprise their relationship is only to realize even more the inevitability of its end. That end will come when Chéri, back from World War I, encounters a world that the war has changed through and through. Lost in his memories of time past, he is irremediably lost to the busy present. Paul Eprile’s new translation of these two celebrated novels brings out a vivid sensuality and acute intelligence that past translations have failed to capture.
Exploring themes of independence and self-reflection, the novel delves into the renunciation of love as the protagonist seeks solace in nature's beauty following a personal upheaval. Set against the backdrop of Saint-Tropez, where Colette found a new home after her second marriage, it offers a collection of profound insights into love and existence. This work stands out for its stylistic boldness and depth, reflecting Colette's own journey of self-discovery during a pivotal time in her life.
Die Geschichte entfaltet sich in einer spannungsgeladenen Atmosphäre, in der die Protagonisten seit zwei Tagen wach sind und sich Herausforderungen stellen müssen. Ihre Entschlossenheit, trotz der Erschöpfung weiterzumachen, zeigt den ungebrochenen Willen, neue Horizonte zu erkunden. Inmitten dieser Anspannung entwickeln sich Beziehungen und Konflikte, die die Charaktere tief prägen und sie an ihre Grenzen bringen. Der Roman thematisiert die Suche nach Freiheit und die Belastungen, die damit einhergehen.
Roman
Das Kultbuch der Colette – wiederentdeckt! Die schöne Renée Néré, durch eine Erbschaft finanziell unabhängig, führt ein unbeschwertes Leben: Sie pendelt zwischen Paris und der Riviera, ausgedehnte Reisen führen sie in die Schweiz und quer durch Europa. In Nizza lernt sie Jean und May kennen, ein lebenslustiges Paar, und beginnt eine leidenschaftliche Affäre mit Jean. Doch das Glück ist nicht von Dauer. Nach der Trennung ist Renée zutiefst getroffen, sie will Jean nicht aufgeben… Ebenso meisterhaft wie berührend beschreibt Colette den inneren Widerstreit ihrer Heldin zwischen dem Impuls, der wahren Liebe zu folgen und dem Wunsch, ein freies, ungebundes Leben zu führen. »Colettes Heldinnen sind zu stolz und zu unabhängig, um an einer enttäuschten Liebe zu zerbrechen.« Simone de Beauvoir Die Fortsetzung von »La Vagabonde«