Book description
At the age of seventeen Claudine is in despair having left her
beloved Montigny for a new life in Paris. Comforted by her devoted
maid Melie, her slug-obsessed Papa, and the trustworthy cat Fanchette,
Claudine's instinctive curiosity gradually leads to an awakened
interest in the city.
Ruthless, impetuous and chastely sensual Claudine records her witty
observations and adventures amongst the intriguing characters that
surround her, evoking the glamour and excitement of Parisian life.
Written with striking realism Claudine in Paris is an
inspiring portrait of a precocious young girl on the brink of
transformation into a woman for her, and our, time.
Colette, the creator of Claudine, Cheri and Gigi, and one of France's
outstanding writers, had a long, varied and active life. Born in
Burgundy on 1873 she moved to Paris at the age of twenty with her
husband the writer and critic Henry Gauthiers-Viller (Willy). Forcing
Colette to write, Willy published her novels in his name and the
Claudine series became an instant success. In 1935 she married for the
third time and lived with husband Maurice Goudeket until her death in
1954. Her writing runs to fifteen volumes, novels, portraits, essays,
chroniques and a large body of autobiographical prose. She was the first
woman President of the Academie Goncourt, and when she died she was
given a state funeral and buried in Pere-Lachaise cemetery in Paris.
