GIGI TRANSLATED BY ROGER SENHOUSE, THE CAT TRANSLATED BY ANTONIA WHITEGigi's days are filled with cigars, lobster, lace and superstitions: the education of a future courtesan. Bored and unconvinced by what she's taught, Gigi surprises all with her approach to love. In this classic turn-of-the-century novella, Colette unveils Gigi's journey into womanhood in rich and supple prose.This edition includes The Cat translated by Antonia White.

Ch�ri, first published in 1920, is considered Colette's finest novel. Exquisitely handsome, spoilt and sardonic, Ch�ri is the only son of a wealthy courtesan, a contemporary of L�a, the magnificent and talented woman who for six years has devoted herself to his amorous education.When a rich marriage is arranged for Ch�ri, L�a reluctantly decides their relationship must end. Ch�ri, despite his apparent detachment, is haunted by memories of L�a; alienated from his wife, his ...

Set in pre-war Paris, Julie de Carneilhan tells of the complex relationship between proud but impoverished Julie and her former husband, the Comte d'Espivant, who has remarried a wealth widow. Julie de Carneilhan was the last full-length novel Colette was to write as was 'as close a reckoning with the elements of her second marriage as she ever allowed herself.'In Chance Acquaintances Colette visits a health resort accompanied only by her cat. While there, she befriends the handsome Gerard...

In Colette's enchanting novella "Gigi," the author explores themes of love, independence, and the transition from adolescence to maturity within the belle époque Parisian milieu. Embracing a lyrical and sensuous literary style, Colette brings to life the vibrant world of a young girl named Gigi, who is groomed for a life in the luxurious circles of Parisian society. This work intricately weaves social commentary with rich descriptions, highlighting the tension between societal expectations...

Colette's celebrated novels about an older courtesan and her young lover, now in a new translation and published in one volume.Colette’s Chéri (1920) and its sequel, The End of Chéri (1926), are widely considered her masterpieces. In sensuous, elegant prose, the two novels explore the evolving inner lives and the intimate relationship of an unlikely couple: Léa de Lonval, a middle-aged former courtesan, and Fred Peloux, twenty-five years her junio...

At the age of seventeen Claudine is in despair having left her beloved Montigny for a new life in Paris. Comforted by her devoted maid Melie, her slug-obsessed Papa, and the trustworthy cat Fanchette, Claudine's instinctive curiosity gradually leads to an awakened interest in the city.Ruthless, impetuous and chastely sensual Claudine records her witty observations and adventures amongst the intriguing characters that surround her, evoking the glamour and excitement of Parisian life...

'Nothing is real except the dance, the light, the freedom, the music.' Colette's semi-autobiographical novel The Vagabond (1910) follows thirty-three-year-old Renée Néré as she embarks on a stage career after a divorce from philandering ex-husband, painter Adolphe Taillandy. Unlike the earlier Claudine series, which began as a collaboration between Colette and her first husband, Colette worked alone on The Vagabond to create a leading lady naviga...

At the end of Ch�ri the young Ch�ri left his aging mistress L�a on the eve of his marriage. Having served in the army during the war Ch�ri returns to Paris haunted by memories of his carefree youth and the bounty of his benevolent mistress. In the post-war 1920's he finds it impossible to settle down to a new life with his efficient and entrepreneurial wife and friends.As his looks and his reputation begin to deteriorate Ch�ri's life is thrown into crisis as he attempts to recaptur...

In "Claudine at School," Colette introduces readers to the spirited and precocious Claudine, a young girl navigating her formative years in a rural French boarding school. Written with Colette's signature lyrical prose, the novel elegantly captures the complexities of adolescence, friendship, and the nuances of gender expectations during the early 20th century. With vivid descriptions and a keen psychological insight, the narrative explores the struggles and joys of youth, all set against ...

In "Chéri," Colette crafts a compelling narrative that explores the complex dynamics of love, age, and desire set against the opulent backdrop of Belle Époque Paris. Through the intimate relationship between the aging courtesan Léa and her charming young lover, Chéri, the novel delves into themes of passion, disillusionment, and the inexorable passage of time. Colette's prose is characterized by its lush, vivid imagery and psychological depth, revealing not just the sensuality of the chara...

Edited and with an introduction by Robert PhelpsThe hundred short stories collected here include such masterpieces as 'Bella-Vista', 'The Tender Shoot' and 'Le K-pi', Colette's subtle and ruthless rendering of a woman's belated sexual awakening. Shot through with the colours and flavours of the Parisian world and fertile French countryside, these short stories reverberate with the fine-spun desire, wit and psychological acuity that made Colette unique.