The Evening Star

by Colette

Book by Colette, Sidonie-Gabriel

Genres: France, Biography, Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1946

About the author

Colette was the pen name of the French novelist and actress Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette. She is best known, at least in the English-speaking world, for her novella Gigi, which provided the plot for a famous Lerner & Loewe musical film and stage musical. She started her writing career penning the influential Claudine novels of books. The novel Chéri is often cited as her masterpiece.

Reviews

[Patrick Neylan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collette's last book (I think) is a lyrical reflection on the past, ranging from the recent Nazi occupation to her early days as a writer and her friends on the Paris literary scene in the early 20th Century. The lyricism is luxurious at times, but it's not a 5-star work because it's deeply personal without being especially revealing. As such, it won't make much sense to any reader who is not familiar with Collette's life and work.

One of my favourite moments – and a good example of the tone of the book – comes in the discussion of old love letters, and the memory of a friend who had destroyed all hers except one, which she knew by heart:

She let her gaze, not devoid of majesty, wander over her well-kept gardens, her overflowing kitchen-gardens, her luminous sheets of water, and recited:
"The key will be hanging behind the shutter."
"What's next?"
"That's all." She paused before adding: "Believe me, it was enough."

'The Evening Star' isn't a perfect necklace, but it has some beautiful pearls.

[Lu · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5
Genuinely so interesting! Really liked the writing in this one and its somewhat messy script. There were parts I had no idea what she was saying but I was still intrigued! Interesting perspective on aging and how nostalgia fades but never quite goes