Apr 05 2009
Colette and her Sensuous Novels
Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (1873-1954), novelist and short story writer, was best-known for her lyrical prose novels that focus on sensual romantic attachments. Simply known as ‘Colette’ in the literary world, she was born on January 28 in the small town of Saint-Sauveur en Prisaye.
When she was 22, she married a journalist known as “Willy”. The story was that his novels were ghostwritten by a tirade of hack writers, and Colette became one. As Willy recognized Colette’s talent he locked her in a room for some hours a day to make her write her memoirs, a scheme that resulted with four successful novels called “Claudine”. Not surprising, her husband published them under his name, at the same time, pocketed all the profits. Eventually, Colette divorced Willy in 1910.
Colette supported herself by dancing in Paris music halls. It was her experiences that inspired her sensuous novels, including Vagabond, 1912. She also remarried the same year, to a wealthy newspaper editor Henry de Jouvenal.
In 1929, Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette claimed her reputation as an author, with her novel Chéri. In real life, her Chéri was Maurice Goudeket, 17 years younger than her who she had a long affair with. They eventually married after she divorced de Jouvenal.
Her most famous novel, Gigi, was made into a successful American musical film in 1958 directed by Vincente Minnelli. She wrote Gigi when she was already 71.
