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Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “Published in 1954, when Francoise was barely eighteen, it caused quite a sensation. The title is derived from a poem by Paul Éluard, "À peine défigurée," which begins with the lines "Adieu tristesse/ Bonjour tristesse..." |
Didn’t Like It “Plain boring.” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“Plain boring.”
Zé Pedro Rodrigues wrote this review Thursday, November 19 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Very sad book, but I've re-read it a couple of times.”
Kseniya Z wrote this review Monday, October 12 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“15 year old Cecile decides to stop her beloved father from marrying with devastating consequences”
Jane H wrote this review Friday, October 9 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“angst is cool if you're french.”
Lynsey M wrote this review Sunday, August 9 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No1 of 1 members found this review helpful“Published in 1954, when Francoise was barely eighteen, it caused quite a sensation. The title is derived from a poem by Paul Éluard, "À peine défigurée," which begins with the lines "Adieu tristesse/ Bonjour tristesse..."
Ethel Cavendish wrote this review Saturday, August 8 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Seventeen-year-old Cécile spends her summer in a villa on the French Riviera with her father, a seductive, worldly man who has had many affairs. Among his women friends is Elsa Mackenbourg: she and Cécile get on well, seeing as she is the latest of many women whom Cécile has seen enter the life of her father and exit fairly quickly: young, superficial, and fashionable. Raymond excuses himself by using an Oscar Wilde quote about sin: "Sin is the only note of vivid colour that persists in the modern world," while Cecile accepts their lifestyle as typical, "I believed that I could base my life on it"
Cécile, at seventeen, is still somewhat naive and tries to disguise this by attempting to attract men of the same age as her father. Her love life is unsuccessful until she meets the young man Cyril.
The summer proves uneventful, until a friend of Cécile's late mother, Anne, arrives by way of an earlier invitation from Raymond. Very different from Raymond's other girlfriends, she is cultured, educated, principled, and intelligent. At first, Cécile admires Anne, but soon a struggle begins between Cécile and Anne for Raymond's attentions. The plot begins to focus on the relationship between the two women. When Anne announces that she and Raymond are planning to get married, Cécile devises a plan to prevent the marriage, in an attempt to make Anne recognize the life she and her father have shared. She attempts to manipulate her father and turn him against Anne by using Elsa and Cyril. Cécile misjudges Anne's sensitivity with tragic results.
Cécile and her father return to the empty, desultory life they were living before Anne interrupted their summer.
It may start as a cheesy novel but by the end you'll know better than to expect the happy end...you get a mortal finale, no fuss, no drama. take it or leave it... the purpose of the novel is to make you welcome sadness by the end of it. Nothing is really important. Short and cold sentences, impersonal writing, francoise tells a story about the parisian society. ”A mixture of trivial situations and existential truth”, as a critic calls it.
So ”hello sadness””
“read this book as a young woman. loved it. became a fan of francoise sagan's other books too.”
alison mackie wrote this review Thursday, July 16 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I read this for a school exame, but I enjoyed doing it. It's a funny story, with intrigue, love and beautiful images. It's a very light reading, ideal to read on the beach or in that spare time we have between work/school - home. ”
Nícia C wrote this review Thursday, June 4 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This is a little gem of a novel. It got me in the mood and I felt transported to the beach while reading it. I'm glad it wasn't one page longer and found its shortness both sweet and savory. I related to her complete obsession with her father who, in Cecile's eyes, can do no wrong. ”
Lisa R wrote this review Friday, May 22 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Judging from the Renault Clio adverts and the french films i've seen, i get the idea that the French are particularly interested in the father-daughter relationship, this novel is a great exponent of such a topos. This novel apparently caused a storm when initially published, provoking angry conservatives to label Sagan 'une petite monstre'. The 'heroine' Cecile, is a girl on the verge of womanhood with an acute Electra-complex in regards to her play-boy father. ”
Polly T wrote this review Monday, May 18 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
