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318th out of 449 books
—
839 voters
Break of Day
by
Colette,
Enid McLeod
Colette began writing Break of Day in her early fifties, at Saint-Tropez on the Côte d'Azur, where she had bought a small house after the breakup of her second marriage. The novel's theme--the renunciation of love and the return to an independent existence supported and enriched by the beauty and peace of nature--grows out of Colette's own period of self-assessment in the...more
Paperback, 168 pages
Published
June 13th 2002
by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
(first published 1928)
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Red, pink, blue, pimento, moths, cats, dogs, birds, sand, wind, sea, moon. This book is so full of incredible descriptions of our everyday world, its colors, its inhabitants, its smell and look and feel. These details make me want to open my eyes wider and to savor every experience. It makes me want to live more fully (not even sure what that would mean), to love more fully, to eat an omelette more fully...
It's about a woman at the age of fifty after her second divorce spending the summer in a F...more
It's about a woman at the age of fifty after her second divorce spending the summer in a F...more
I pretty much just love Colette, and this is my favorite thing she wrote. Maybe I related so well because I was having relationship problems when I read it, but I still find the writing lovely and insightful and empowering.
On dirait que Colette a fait un bouquin avec les digressions charmantes dont elle agrémente ses romans le reste du temps... Souvenir poignants de sa mère, émoi devant les couleurs de la nature, la vie des animaux... sauf que là ce n'est pas le décor, c'est le livre. Une autre façon de présenter la naissance du jour, c'est de dire que c'est une version déstructurée de "la retraite sentimentale" : ah qu'il est bon, après une vie d'amours tumultueuses, de se retirer à la campagne, de découvrir les...more
Lyrical; delicately lush. Rather dull storyline (although I appreciate her frank honesty regarding love, loss, and the feminine) but glittering with beauty. I picked up an English translation at a used book store in Seattle; I'd like to try a hand at her works in the original French. The English is so lovely that the original French must be exquisite.
Between two and three stars. I'm starting to really like Colette; reading her feels like having a long conversation with a whimsical, observant friend, the sort of conversation you might have on that friend's back porch on a warm summer evening. Even so, the extensively-recorded struggles with Helene and Vial grew tiresome, making even the enjoyable parts drag a bit.
This one was quieter than I expected, more reflective. The intellect in the musings is sharp, but the pacing is unhurried. Somehow, though I'm not sure why, it wasn't really what I was expecting from Colette. Either way, the quality of the writing cannot be debated.
For some reason, I resist Colette as I resist all women with 'powerful' personalities. I must say, this is a compelling read and the poetic prose goes down well. I will be reading more Colette in future.
the writing is just gorgeous, but i can't keep reading this because it makes me think about my parents dying. some day, it will be the right time to take this up again.
I think this quote pretty much sums up the beauty of Colette's writing: "For to dream, and then to return to reality, only means that our scruples suffer a change of place and significance."
Absolutely hated this book. Sorry. She's just a boring self-absorbed drone.
colette is the most sensual writer I know ... after enjoying the youthful delights of the claudine series, cheri, the ripening seed, gigi, etc. in my 20's, it was wonderful to grow older with colette's mature appreciation of midlife ... it's independence, choices, self-realizations, wisdom, and quieter pleasures. this is the book i return to for a reminder of life's lessons ... her writing has more essence and earthiness than any other writer i have ever read, and has taught me the value and joy...more
Lu en français.
"At no time has the catastrophe of love, in all its phases and consequences, formed a part of the true intimate life of a woman."
This quick read, about an aging woman happy with her current life, is full of vivid descriptions and beautiful little moments. I kept putting it down to make it last longer.
This quick read, about an aging woman happy with her current life, is full of vivid descriptions and beautiful little moments. I kept putting it down to make it last longer.
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Lushly descriptive.
A beautiful poem, an ode to her mother, nature, love as a platonic sentiment, her life as a mature, older women!
Hard to understand for my level of French, but after plodding through it I liked the pervading tone and the symbolism. Glad I read it for a class, though a second read taking the time to understand the words is in order.
I am torn whether to give this book 3 or 4 stars because it is beautifully written but also very slow, even a slog.
My full review: http://www.noseinabook.co.uk/?p=1591
My full review: http://www.noseinabook.co.uk/?p=1591
dreamy, wandering, loving of plants and animals. sunlit with provencal beach heat and idiosyncratic summertime company. perfect for falling asleep inside of.
Probably not her best, but a nice little story about rebirth and renewal (aka starting over after a life crisis), dinner parties and gardening in the South of France.
Some amazing writing, but I felt a bit like I was in Lit class and missing some deep underlying meanings.
A great memoir. Although, her mother was the more interesting character.
Exquisitely gorgeous.
Jun 18, 2013
Jasmin
marked it as to-read
Jun 15, 2013
Lori Robbins
marked it as to-read
Jun 14, 2013
Shelle
marked it as to-read
Jun 13, 2013
Ann
marked it as to-read
Jun 10, 2013
Maria Velcheva
marked it as to-read
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Colette was the pen name of the French novelist Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette. She is best known, at least in the English-speaking world, for her novel Gigi, which provided the plot for a Lerner & Loewe musical film and stage musical.
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“Love is not an honorable sentiment”
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2 people liked it
“Il peggio nella vita di una donna: il primo uomo. Si muore soltanto di quello, dopo di che la vita coniugale- o la sua contrffazione- diventa una carriera. Una carriera, burocratica a volte, da cui nulla ci distrae nè ci solleva tranne il gioco di equilibri che, a tempo debito, spinge il vecchio verso la giovincella e Chè ri verso Lèa.”
—
1 person liked it
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