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fairyblood's review against another edition
2.0
come on people, this girl is FIFTEEN years of age! 15!!! being groomed by a 30 something gross little freak to whom she refers to as “uncle”??? hated her relatives too. i was rooting for gigi but the ending was so disappointing ugh. writing was quite good.
anam_victoria's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Individual ratings:
Gigi 5/5
The Cat 3.5/5
It's funny how I preferred Gigi to The Cat, and wished it was the longer novella out if the two, yet I found Alain in The Cat to be much more relateable. I understand his struggle as an only child to try and accept an "outsider" (be that even his wife) into his "kingdom" (i.e., his childhood home). Only only-children can understand the inexplicable rage that can take one over when they are forced to learn how to share privileges they weren't even aware they had, such as the calmness and quietness of having your own room and the option to be alone with your yourself (and your beloved cat) whenever you desire. However, my sympathy for Alain ends when I begin to see how pathetic he is in that he chose to marry a woman he did not love enough to be willing to "grow-up" for. The way he behaves like he does not have a saying in whatever is happening in his life made him infurating for most of the story. We can see that he has the ability to clearily articulate what is it that he desires, but he's too immature to own up to it to Camille, probabily because he is afraid he is going to lose the ability to enjoy their "marriage pleasures". Basically, he wants to have his cake and eat it too. This novella reminded me that spoiled men are the worst type to seek out and that women shouldn't even bother until they're out of their early 20s and have had to face real-life struggles without their mommy's protection.
Gigi 5/5
The Cat 3.5/5
It's funny how I preferred Gigi to The Cat, and wished it was the longer novella out if the two, yet I found Alain in The Cat to be much more relateable. I understand his struggle as an only child to try and accept an "outsider" (be that even his wife) into his "kingdom" (i.e., his childhood home). Only only-children can understand the inexplicable rage that can take one over when they are forced to learn how to share privileges they weren't even aware they had, such as the calmness and quietness of having your own room and the option to be alone with your yourself (and your beloved cat) whenever you desire. However, my sympathy for Alain ends when I begin to see how pathetic he is in that he chose to marry a woman he did not love enough to be willing to "grow-up" for. The way he behaves like he does not have a saying in whatever is happening in his life made him infurating for most of the story. We can see that he has the ability to clearily articulate what is it that he desires, but he's too immature to own up to it to Camille, probabily because he is afraid he is going to lose the ability to enjoy their "marriage pleasures". Basically, he wants to have his cake and eat it too. This novella reminded me that spoiled men are the worst type to seek out and that women shouldn't even bother until they're out of their early 20s and have had to face real-life struggles without their mommy's protection.
sylvain's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
the way Colette writes maternal figures brings warmth to my heart, especially in Gigi where it felt like I was listening to my own mother, aunt, and grandmother talk. The little details and snippets of description of furniture, clothing, jewelry, spin a wonderful picture, I enjoyed The Cat as well, Alain’s ambling thoughts amusing and interesting to read throughout.
cellassis's review against another edition
3.0
Un recueil de nouvelles sympathiques, qui constitue une bonne introduction au style de Colette.
ivostarr's review against another edition
4.0
If you don't know Colette, you should. I adored these two short novels.
Gigi is best known in film form. And, of course, the story is actually quite different as crafted by Colette.
Between the two stories, I probably enjoyed The Cat the most. Colette writes women beautifully and her female characters usually take center stage. In this story, two dominant women compete for the affections of Alain. It's just that one of the ladies in this story is a charming Russian Blue cat named Saha.
Colette spent a large portion of her life in Paris involved in all different sorts of art forms--literature, film, theatre, etc. However, she was born in a small town outside of Paris where her mother cultivated in her a strong love of nature and animals. When Colette writes about nature, I find the writing similar to American writers like Emerson or thorough, because she reveals an intimate knowledge of environment and is able to transport you there.
And, Colette writes Saha and reveals her deep love of the nature of the cat. Colette loves a sense of wildness in her female characters, and the way she brings this out of a cat versus a woman is delightful.
Gigi is best known in film form. And, of course, the story is actually quite different as crafted by Colette.
Between the two stories, I probably enjoyed The Cat the most. Colette writes women beautifully and her female characters usually take center stage. In this story, two dominant women compete for the affections of Alain. It's just that one of the ladies in this story is a charming Russian Blue cat named Saha.
Colette spent a large portion of her life in Paris involved in all different sorts of art forms--literature, film, theatre, etc. However, she was born in a small town outside of Paris where her mother cultivated in her a strong love of nature and animals. When Colette writes about nature, I find the writing similar to American writers like Emerson or thorough, because she reveals an intimate knowledge of environment and is able to transport you there.
And, Colette writes Saha and reveals her deep love of the nature of the cat. Colette loves a sense of wildness in her female characters, and the way she brings this out of a cat versus a woman is delightful.
whatsophieread's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
pattydsf's review against another edition
3.0
I think that I have read Colette before, but I am not sure what of hers I have read. These stories, or novellas were fascinating, although I would be curious why these two together. Why put a story of a seduction, which is how I see Gigi with a story of an un-seduction - The Cat? Maybe I have answered my own question.
The first story seems to be less modern to me than the second, although they were published in the opposite order. Both of them made me think about the nature of love - why do we love what we do and how do we decide what we love.
I can't decide if it is worth watching any of the film versions of Gigi - I doubt they have the same resounence and feel of the story.
I enjoyed both stories and plan to read more Colette in the near future.
The first story seems to be less modern to me than the second, although they were published in the opposite order. Both of them made me think about the nature of love - why do we love what we do and how do we decide what we love.
I can't decide if it is worth watching any of the film versions of Gigi - I doubt they have the same resounence and feel of the story.
I enjoyed both stories and plan to read more Colette in the near future.
unjulioleal's review against another edition
4.0
"—¡No se como puedo aguantar una vida así!
—La escogiste. Pero la aguantarías mejor si tuvieras a alguien con quién compartirla. La soledad te ataca los nervios y te hace verlo todo negro."
Llevaba rato pensando en esta historia y después de descubrir la escritura de Colette me decidí aventurarme a leerla incluso si tenía mucha aprensión por el tema a tratar. Me gustó bastante en especial por las diferencias que tiene con el musical. Encantadora, chistosa y cínica.
—La escogiste. Pero la aguantarías mejor si tuvieras a alguien con quién compartirla. La soledad te ataca los nervios y te hace verlo todo negro."
Llevaba rato pensando en esta historia y después de descubrir la escritura de Colette me decidí aventurarme a leerla incluso si tenía mucha aprensión por el tema a tratar. Me gustó bastante en especial por las diferencias que tiene con el musical. Encantadora, chistosa y cínica.
irreverentreader's review against another edition
2.0
Yet another book that deserves to be shelved under back-copy that makes it sound more interesting than it is. What was promised was a young girl's rebellion against her uptight and ambitious family and what I got was...a fifteen year old girl who read more like a twelve year old who gets solicited to by a thirty-something man, denies him, and then suddenly realizes she's in love with him and they marry. What.
There's just not enough room in 68 pages to make me care about these characters and their relationships to each other. We learn barely anything about Gigi or why Lachaille could possibly be attracted to her when she is nothing but a child (yuck). What could have been made interesting in her revolting against her grandma and aunt's stranglehold over her life was merely glossed over. Colette is often praised for her wit and her highly stylized writing, but that was not apparent to me in this translation.
For me, I just don't see the point in it. There is really no story being told, no characters developed, no fascinating ideas or emotions to dissect, and certainly no interesting ending. So I suppose in that way, it's brevity was a blessing, and having read it all in one sitting, the likelihood of me remembering anything about this book will likely fade away within a year's time.
There's just not enough room in 68 pages to make me care about these characters and their relationships to each other. We learn barely anything about Gigi or why Lachaille could possibly be attracted to her when she is nothing but a child (yuck). What could have been made interesting in her revolting against her grandma and aunt's stranglehold over her life was merely glossed over. Colette is often praised for her wit and her highly stylized writing, but that was not apparent to me in this translation.
For me, I just don't see the point in it. There is really no story being told, no characters developed, no fascinating ideas or emotions to dissect, and certainly no interesting ending. So I suppose in that way, it's brevity was a blessing, and having read it all in one sitting, the likelihood of me remembering anything about this book will likely fade away within a year's time.