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Cargando... The Rainy Moon and Other Storiespor Colette
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Google Books — Cargando... GénerosSistema Decimal Melvil (DDC)843.9Literature French French fiction Modern PeriodClasificación de la Biblioteca del CongresoValoraciónPromedio:
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Enough waffling about translations; on to the stories! Basically they are a mix of two different sorts: a few are pure fiction, but most of them are told by Colette in the first person and purport to be about people she knew at various stages in her life. All of the stories are told with a beautiful and nearly obsessive attention to detail: botanical description in particular, but also animal companions, showgirls' costumes, precise quirks of dress and facial expression. Take, for example, the description of her father's 'desk-furniture':
Colette is often quoted as saying, 'I cannot interest myself in anything that is not life,' and her loving attention shines through in every sentence. The reader has the sense that she was someone who really lived every moment of life to the full, with her eyes open wide. The lavish descriptions also have the effect of really making you feel present in early 20th century France: delightful immersion!
The 'pure' fiction stories (The Rendezvous, Armande, The Sick Child) weren't my favourites. They are as beautifully written as the others but the emotional themes are a little bit maudlin (though not without touches of Colette's biting humour).
With regard to the first-person narratives, I can never tell exactly how much is about things that really happened and how much is invention, which is part of their charm. There is usually a little twist near the endings, but not so much as to be gimmicky and always plausible enough to be believed. Disappointment in love is a recurring theme but the overall tone is not hopeless - rather, it's one of slightly cynical affection for characters whose love affairs are made and broken on the strength of a glance.
I'll be keeping this collection of stories to revisit from time to time. ( )