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Bonjour Tristesse
Series: Penguin Essentials
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Check link for latest rating. ( 68,953 ratings, 6,614 reviews)
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See moreThe French Riviera: home to the Beautiful People. And none are more beautiful than Cecile, a precocious seventeen-year-old, and her father Raymond, a vivacious libertine. Charming, decadent and irresponsible, the golden-skinned duo are dedicated to a life of free love, fast cars and hedonistic pleasures.
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Description
Teenager terrible Cecile explores her sexual freedom one hot summer on the French Riviera.
‘Late into the night we talked of love, of its complications. In my father's eyes they were imaginary... This conception of rapid, violent and passing love affairs appealed to my imagination. I was not at the age when fidelity is attractive. I knew very little about love.’
The French Riviera—home to the Beautiful People. And none are more beautiful than Cecile, a precocious seventeen-year-old, and her father Raymond, a vivacious libertine. Charming, decadent, and irresponsible, the golden-skinned duo are dedicated to a life of free love, fast cars, and hedonistic pleasures.
But then, one long, hot summer Raymond decides to marry, and Cecile and her lover Cyril feel compelled to take a hand in his amours, with tragic consequences.
Bonjour Tristesse scandalised 1950s France with its portrayal of teenager terrible Cecile, a heroine who rejects conventional notions of love, marriage, and responsibility to choose her own sexual freedom.
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Bonjour Tristesse is celebrated for its witty and morally ambiguous storytelling, capturing the French spirit. It is credited with influencing the permissive society and regarded as a literary sensation of its time. Françoise Sagan is often likened to the French F. Scott Fitzgerald for her style and impact.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780241951569
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 07 April 2011
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
Contributors:
- Translated by Irene Ash
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 7.0mm
Width: 111.0mm
Height: 181.0mm
Weight: 69g
Pages: 112
About the Author
Francoise Sagan was born in Cajarc, France in 1935. She took her nom de plume from Marcel Proust's Princesse de Sagan and was eighteen years old when she wrote her bestseller Bonjour Tristesse. Having failed to pass her examinations at the Sorbonne, she decided to write a novel. It received international acclaim and by 1959 had sold 850,000 in France alone. Her other books include A Certain Smile, Those Without Shadows, Aimez-vouz Brahms..., La Chamade, The Heart-Keeper, Sunlight on Cold Water, Scars on the Soul, The Unmade Bed, The Painted Lady, The Still Storm, Painting in Blood, Silken Eyes and Incidental Music. She was also a playwright (her plays include Un Piano dans l'herbe and Zaphorie), wrote three volumes of autobiography - the last volume, Avec mon meilleur souvenir, appeared in 1984. Francoise Sagan died in 2004.
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