Customer Reviews

Belle de Jour

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I read this book in French (a language I'm imperfect in) several years ago. Written in the '30s,the story of a bourgeoise deliberately entering a part-time life of prostitution was probably daring for its time, even in blasé France.The Buñuel film gives a religious (i.e. repressive) reason as clue to Severine's entry into prostitution, and a brief shot of herself being molested when young. The former would follow Bunuel's anti clerical atheism. The book, however, is more explicit (though brief) in describing Severine's being molested, and this is certainly one reason why any female might enter that life. She might also have had a "naughty" streak untended by her caring husband. The style of the book is simple but skilled,characters such as the criminals Severine becomes involved with through her new surroundings believable. (In Bunuel's film the main "heavy" is Spanish, in the book not). All said, an interesting, well-told twist on an old profession.

Ce roman décrit l'histoire tourmentée de Séverine Sérizy. Joseph Kessel peint de manière admirable le difficile divorce entre le coeur et la chair, entre son vrai, immense et tendre amour pour son Mari Pierre et l'exigence implacable des sens. Nous portons tous en nous ce conflit, chaque homme et chaque femme qui a aimé longtemps. Chez Séverine, il ne sommeille pas mais il déchire sa vie. Cet antagonisme peut paraître banal et maintes fois décrit dans la littérature (pensons à "Madame Bovary") mais Joseph Kessel a choisi une situation exceptionnelle ce qui donne à son roman un degré d'intensité remarquable