Customer Reviews

Gigi and The Cat (Penguin Twentieth Century Classics)

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Gigi was really about a time, a place and a way of life that is no more--the Belle Epoque and the demimonde of Paris.

The "demimonde" or twilight or half-world, was the domain of paid courtesans, not prostitutes, but professional "artistes" who made their living as the paid companions of rich men. They often were dancers or actresses and didn't marry--"We never marry in our family" states Gigi's mother. The Belle Epoque ended with World War One and saw the revitalizaton of Paris by Hausmann and others, creating the city's magnificent architecture that we still love today.

Gigi is a young girl of 16. She falls in love with a rich gentlemen of 33, Gaston. But contrary to custom, she wants something quite different that her family has planned for her. This reflects the idealized dream that Colette had of love with a much older man. She herself pursued this dream disastrously by marrying the highly unsuitable Willy, and also assigned her alter-ego Claudine the same but happier dream in her Claudine novels.

Read this for the wonderful evocation of Paris in the gay 90's, and realize that it has little to do with the musical--this is about a way of life that has passed, along with horse drawn carriages, laced hourglass corsets, and women's hats the size of cartwheels.

'Gigi', the musical, was heavily based on the first novelette, so if you enjoyed the movie, it is a lovely read.

The second novelette, 'The Cat' is more sophisticated. Set in Paris around the turn of the century, it is the story of the beginning of a marriage where the husband has a prior claim on his love.

This is a beautifully balanced story. It is rare to find a novelette in which the scope of the plot is so well suited to the length.

The books of Collette all seems to whisk you right into the world of turn of the century Paris (GiGi). For those who think a relationship between a 16 year old and a 33 year old odd, it most certainly is by today's standards, but not for 1900 - try to think that quite a few women were groomed for marriage or to be courtisans as soon as they were old enough back then. Perspective is required when reading historical fiction, and Collette's works are some of the finest.

Not to say that Gigi isn't worth reading. It's a classic novel that has got the attention it's deserved. But the second novel The Cat is neglected. I can't blame this when another story is attached to a novel it seems to be a filler but this isn't the case.
The Cat deals with a sensitive young boy. He's lives a quiet life with his mother and has a special relationship with his cat. Actually he has a deep understanding of cats that no one can seem to make sense of. He is thrust into a marriage with a local girl Camille.
Afer marriage he realizes she wasn't the girl he thought. She's more needy and isn't satisifed with the marriage. He begins to think about the cat he left at home. Then a fierce battle between the cat and the wife begins.
An interesting concept and Colette pulls it off well.

These are the first works I've read by Colette, and all I can say is that I am amazed by the evocative power of her descriptions. The time and place she describes is long gone, but that atmosphere is sucessfully conveyed by these pages.

"Gigi" is the story of a young girl raised by three older women (her mother and two aunts). In a sense it is about the division between duty and feelings, following convention or following one's heart. This story is not as deep as the second one, but one can't help being amused by the title character and her reactions to the education the three women impose upon her.

"The Cat" is longer the the first story and more ambitious. This novella, which is often considered a study in jealousy, follows a young couple as they live the first moments of their marriage. Interestingly enough, Camille does not have to compete with another woman for Alain's love, but with his beloved cat, Saha. All three characters are developed in a masterful manner, and all of them act according to understandable human motives, including the cat. The final paragraph of the story is simply outstanding. It is almost a revelation, and such an important insight into Alain's personality.

As you know, Colette is one of the many great women of the French literary tradition. Her style is clear, simple, and deep. If you enjoy evocative literature, you won't be disappointed by this book, and if you happen to like cats, you will be amazed by Colette's understanding of them in the second story. Both selections, however, constitute an unforgettable reading experience.
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Later...

I love the way Colette writes, her descriptions and words just take me back to that period of time, turn of the century Paris. She gives flavor to the book making us feel what the Parisian culture was like at that time. I totaly love Gigi. I've watched the movie first which is why I bought the book in the first place. I like the book because it describes more of the affair and courtesan stuff which the movie sugars up to give it a G rating. I just wish that Colette could've had Gigi go be Gaston's arm ornament at some party like Gigi did in the movie.

I confess, having recently read Alan Lerner's autobiography "The Street Where I Live" (which see, I recommend it), I sought Collette's "Gigi" to compare it with the Lerner-Loewe musical movie adaptation. I find I don't remember the Lerner-Loewe musical movie adaptation all that well unfortunately. At least I noticed the book has no Maurice Chevalier character. In fact, all its characters except Gaston are female. Well, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, but afterward I couldn't help wondering how we should feel about a thirty-three year-old man desiring a fifteen year-old girl, given even the social exigencies of the time and Gilberte's feisty charms, and about Gilberte taking Gaston for her sugar daddy, so to speak. I also wonder whether to call this a novel or a short story. The difference as I see it is one of structure, not length, so it resolves nothing to call it a novella--a novella is merely a short novel, and "Gigi" is too flat for that

The story of Gigi is a wonderful piece of work. It discards the old fashioned minds of the era and brings to light the truth. Colette brings her own life experience into this short story. Bringing into the story the way how to catch a man and how many is so important in some people lives and love dies away (but not exactly dies just hidden).

I don't know, I just found this book to be completely bizarre. I had to read this for a French class (so I'm referring to the French edition, maybe its better translated, as rare as that is) and when I was finished I was like "huh"? Gigi is 16 and Gaston is 33! I haven't seen the movie, which now I think I must do. It was one of those books that really made me wonder at the end. Gigi was just too immature, even for a 16 year old, and Gaston seemed to be too much the playboy type. I just thought the whole thing was too unbelievable. I do like Colette's style of writing, she describes things so well you feel as if you were there, but I was disappointed with this book.