Review: Gigi And The Cat

Gigi and The Cat, Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette

["Gigi and The Cat" by Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (published by Vintage Classics 2001). Stories by the famous French novelist, originally published in 1944 and 1933.]

I thought that this was “Gigi and the cat” but it is not. It is “Gigi” and “The Cat”. Two stories.

Gigi is 50 pages and the other about twice as long, a novella. Books of entirely different type but sharing the wonderful Colette descriptions and insights. “Gigi” is almost an incident in life but “The Cat” is more, much more.

I write this a couple of weeks after reading and discussing the book and now find it difficult to remember all the nuance of the stories. To “help” I read a few reviews by others and now find it even more difficult as I seem to have missed a lot. I might have to buy it and read it again.

To start at the beginning, “Gigi” is set in 1899, (written in 1944). Gigi is described as being trained to make here way in life as a courtesan.

A “courtesan” was originally a courtier meaning “to be or reside at court” Later it came to mean "to behave as a courtier" and then to mean “a well-educated and independent woman”, and eventually “a trained artist or artisan of dance and singing, especially one associated with wealthy, powerful, or upper-class society who provided luxuries and status in exchange for entertainment and companionship”. There seems a similarity here to a “geisha”.

Today, the term courtesan has become a euphemism for, a comforter, escort, mistress or a prostitute, who has wealthy, powerful, or influential clients.

So read this book in this context. Gigi was being taught how to be an elegant, educated, companion to a man who would be pleased to have her as a companion and to be seen with her while leaving his wife at home.

We must also remember that Gigi is 16 and Gaston is 35 years old. Today our attitudes are different to those of 1900 regarding age differences.

Also be aware that this is a story in the age when a girl did not have many choices in life.

So when Gaston suggests an “arrangement” for Gigi to be his mistress and to receive good care for it, her mother, aunt and grandmother are quite agreeable. But Gigi, modern girl, wants more, she wants a more permanent arrangement, and not be cast off when “master” tires of her. She tells him that she isn't the type of girl to want publicity or to be dumped one day and to have to repeat a loveless relationship with another man.

For example, when Gaston wants to take her out to tea, Gigi's grandmother refuses and tells Gaston that being seen un-chaperoned with Gaston, it may ruin her reputation before her reputation has even begun. He realizes that he loves Gigi, which is unheard of between a man and a mistress, but he wants to be with her.

It all goes wrong, or right, when Gigi realises she would rather be with him in an “arrangement” than be without him. I do not recollect them being married, but that may just be my mis-remembering.

The simple story is told in a light way, (difficult to find a good word here) nice and un-demanding still conveying the feelings. Described as “charming”, yes indeed. 1900 Chick Lit.

Now, “The Cat”

I must admit here that I like cats. Does that colour my judgement? Maybe.

A “ménage a trois”, I want to retell the story but I must not, Colette does it so much better!

I never really related to the characters, I was critical of all of them, yes even the cat. But that was how Colette’s writing involved me, and I formed that opinion. You might think differently.

I could go on about human relationships, human and animal relationships but really that would do nothing to persuade you to read this book or even inform you in any way, and it might even dissuade you from reading it. There is nothing that I could say that would enhance the writing. No clarification, no extra information, nothing. It is all there. The best thing is for you to read, it will not take long and you will be the better for it.

It is the longer story than Gigi, but it gets a shorter review because the other story is probably well known already, and can be told easily. But this is more complex and Colette takes the story that looks simple and reveals the numerous layers of motives and motivations behind the actions.

So did I get bored writing this review and do scant justice to “The Cat”? I hope not because Colette deserves her reputation for storytelling, and I cannot paraphrase it without missing important phrases and insights.

Colette is writer, storyteller and psychologist. Her descriptions of people and settings paint the pictures in your head. There seems to be no un-necessary word or adornment in her writing.

These books are translations and I love the writing, I wonder if in the French it might be even better.