Letters from Colette by Colette

Letters from Colette Reviews

• 
  Hutch

  Reading these letters is like speaking with a good friend, who is charming, witty, truthful, bold, and loving. I used to say that if I could go back in time and meet any author who is now dead, it would be Alexandre Dumas, but now I would have to change that and instead go for Colette.
  
  Her letters cover all sorts of topics, from delightful descriptions of her gardens, the process of writing, the sparkling conversations she had with various members of Parisian society. There's something infectious in her language. At age 50, she talks about learning to ski in Switzerland! She shivers with glee upon exchanging letters with her favorite author, Marcel Proust. This is a woman who was not afraid to negotiate payments with various newspapers, and always got the best deal for herself. She writes lovingly of her daughter. Toward the end of the series of letters, she speaks about living through WWII, when she would send money to people outside the country to buy her and her family/friends food and ship it by rail, or had to face the circumstances of her husband being kidnapped by Nazis and sent to the camp at Compeigne (happily they were reunited).
  
  Perhaps the most touching letters concern the death of her friend Helene. She reveals so much of their friendship throughout the letters, and to hear her memorialize this dear sister of spirit made me almost tear up myself.
  
  I'm not sure when I became interested in Colette, but I was absolutely energized by this book. I have already ordered a copy of La Vagabonde, and plan on reading much more of her work.
• 
  Nabilah

  Charming fella but i didn't know much about her. Haven't read any of her works. I have only watched the movie Gigi.