Never too Late to Read Classics discussion

Our authors for the following two months are Colette from France and Elsa Morante from Italy.

I am a cat lover, in a non-obsessive way of course. I will see what I can find.

I put Gigi and Julie de Carneilhan by Colette on hold at the library.

I borrowed La Chatte (The Cat) from Colette and started Mensonge et Sortilège (Lies and Sorcery) from Elsa Morante.

Goodreads is acting wonky again! The information about the two authors is in the duplicate thread, which I'm leaving open but closing to further comments.

This is the second time goodreads has done this to me!😡

I just started Colette's Claudine at School- the first in the Claudine series- and it's quite endearing so far!

At first, I was listening to it via Hoopla while on a little neighborhood walk and was enjoying it from the very first line. Then at home I checked out the text online and saw many little differences in the translations. The translator is not named on the audio, but it seems most or all print versions are translated by Antonia White.
I do like the writing alot so I want to read it but I may do a read/listen combo.
Anyone else reading or read already the Claudine books?

I've read the Claudine books, but it's been a while. They're all good fun.

I read them so long ago I can barely remember them, but I know I enjoyed them.

I'll be reading these two, which are in one book:
Gigi and Julie de Carneilhan.

Kathy wrote: "I read them so long ago I can barely remember them, but I know I enjoyed them.

I'll be reading these two, which are in one book:
Gigi and Julie de Carneilhan."

Oh interesting. Usually I see Gigi paired with The Cat. I haven't heard of that story but the book is beautiful. Do report back on it.

Yea, the Claudine series seems well-loved, so I'm tempted to get the collection in print, seeing as how I'm only on page 40ish and super charmed already.

In Claudine at School, I was revolted by one of her friends, the lanky one. But I was fascinated by French school life. I haven’t read Claudine at Paris yet but would like to. I’m hoping she will have a different group of friends.

I have Chéri and The Last of Chéri by Colette that I plan to read in April.

I'm reading a collection of articles by Colette-Contes des mille et un matins.

I finished Gigi and Julie de Carneilhan. The writing in Gigi was excellent, but I didn't really like the story of (view spoiler)[her grandmother and great-aunt trying to marry Gigi off to an older man she called Uncle. And she accepts Tonton in the end! (hide spoiler)]. 3 stars

On the other hand, I loved "Julie De Carneilhan." I actually liked the descriptions of Julie cleaning and taking care of her clothes! The way Colette showed what Julie was thinking, while saying something else to whomever she was talking to, kept the story going. This story gets 5 stars.

I finished Claudine at School a few days ago. I pretty much loved every second of it. It may be my favorite thing I've read this year so far and I am eager to continue the Claudine series and read many others as well. They're not next on my list but hopefully this year I'll read more Colette. What a voice, what a force.
Thanks to Rosemarie and all who got this author on the 2024 schedule- not sure I would have explored her otherwise and am so happy I did.

That's great to hear, Jen. The Claudine books are fun reads.

Glad you liked it, Jen. I want to re-read at least Claudine at School. This is the cover of the copy I read back in the 1980s.

I finished Contes des mille et un matins by Colette, a collection of short articles on various themes written between 1911 and 1914-very readable.

@Rosemarie, I don’t see it’s available in English. What does she write about?

She writes about daily experiences and impressions of events that happen around her, like a parade, celebrations, political events and so on, on a personal level.
They were daily columns in a Parisian newspaper.
One of the funniest is a one-sided dialogue with her corset maker, who trying to convince to try her newest design of corset, guaranteed to make her flat, and probably unable to move!
It was one of the few ebooks available on my ipad at a reasonable price, in French.
I've already read all the Claudine books.

I've finished Le straordinarie avventure di Caterina by Elsa Morante.

It's a children's book written and illustrated by the author when she was only 13. It's a cute book.
I'm reading a collection of her short stories, since I don't have the time to read her novels just now.
It's called Racconti dimenticati and I'm really enjoying them. The first few stories I've read have supernatural elements like ghosts-and Death.

I’m reading the short story The Ambitious Ones by Elsa Morante. It was first published as Le ambiziose in the magazine Oggi on Dec 6 1941.

That's in the book I'm reading, but I haven't got that far in the book yet.
So far I am really enjoying her short stories.

I just finished the short story "The Ambitious Ones." I found it in the book The Penguin Book of Italian Short Stories. It was only 7 pages long. I thought Morante considered every word she wrote in the story. So exquisite. I plan to read Lies and Sorcery for the Hefty Read in July.

I'd like to read more in The Penguin Book of Italian Short Stories but it's due back at the library tomorrow. Right before Morante's story is one by her husband Alberto Moravia. Earlier this year I read The Scent of India by another Italian, Pier Paolo Pasolini. The book was about his trip to India in the early 1960s. Both Moravia and Morante were on this trip.

I enjoy Morante's writing as well. I've a few of Moravia's books and enjoyed them, but his style is completely different. His most famous book is The Conformist, a good start for reading his works.

That's good to know, Rosemarie. Thanks!

Kathy wrote: "I just finished the short story "The Ambitious Ones." I found it in the book The Penguin Book of Italian Short Stories. It was only 7 pages long. I thought Morante considered every ..."

Kathy, when I was in college I had a class on Pasolini and he’s always interested me. I didn’t know that he wrote a book about traveling to India. Sounds good, thanks!

I hope you like it, Melanie.

I just read Claudine in Paris. I was hoping to revise my opinion of Claudine by reading this second book but I still found her egotistical. It's difficult for me to warm up to her.

I read the Claudine stories so long ago that I really don't remember much about her. I think she had a flippant attitude at times?

Yes, flippant and making sly remarks.

I personally very much enjoyed my foray into the work of Colette. I'm eager to continue the Claudine stories at some point and I'm also very interested in My Mother's House & Sido which, if I remember right what I read, is something like a love letter to her mother. I believe My Mother's House and Sido are two different stories often grouped together in a book...

Hey, just reviewing the chat here as I started Morante's Lies and Sorcery and am loving it so far...

Kathy, glad to hear you liked the one Colette story so much. I must remember that for the future.
Rosemarie, thanks for the reply. I like the sound of her articles.

I gotta agree with all the praise here for Morante's writing and once again share my thanks that this group pointed me to her. I am not too far into L&S but the start is great and it has me excited for this book whose page count honestly had me a bit weary at first (even though it was my own nomination, haha...).
And as the connection between the authors was their love of cats, I have to mention a cute thing- the narrator in L&S alludes to having a non-human companion in her room that she rarely leaves who's nature will be revealed in due time. I'm guessing cat of course. Also, FYI if you google images of Morante with cats, there's alot of cuteness to be found ;)
Oh and no one has mentioned her humor. The book has made me laugh quite a bit already. Another commonality with reading Colette, at least in my experience. Could be the works I happened to choose.