La pace tra le bestie

by Colette, Anna Morpurgo (Translator)

Soltanto amando e rispettando i nostri amici animali si può trovare la vera pace e una grande serenità, ci confida Colette, offrendo al lettore un originale bestiario tutto personale. Il gattone nero che si staglia sul tetto contro la luna rotonda è un solitario, condannato a incessanti conquiste, ignaro delle dolcezze domestiche pur di non perdere la sua amata libertà. Una scoiattola previdente, liberata dalla sua gabbia, resta in casa e riempie di noci tutti i buchi delle travi. Colette, anche lei attrice sul palcoscenico del Music Hall, si innamora di Lola, una bellissima levriera che fa il suo numero con pigra eleganza e se la porta a casa dopo averne pagato il riscatto.

Genres: France, Fiction

136 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1916

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

[Melissa]

I read a collection of stories from this book in translation. I am sure the original is beautiful because this translation was a delight. I recognized my little dog and both of my cats in her elegant and intelligent voices created for each animal in the book. I would highly recommend this as a lovely quick and delightful read!

[Marie]

I don't see my cats and dogs the same way as I used to!

[Pablo]

De nuevo, qué imaginación y qué forma tan divertida de ver el mundo. Ya no sé qué más decir de Colette, voy a pasarme 10 años recomendando sus movidas

[eiyei]

3.5

[Mela]

Letta la versione in italiano: La pace tra le bestie.

[sab]

J'aime vraiment énormément ce genre de très courtes histoires parce qu'elles font office de petites vignettes qui attisent l'imagination tout en restant très ouvert. Les portraits qu'elle a dessiné de toute cette ménagerie d'animaux sont très humains ce que j'apprécie énormément. J'adore Colette et j'adore les animaux; je crois bien avoir trouvé mon nouveau recueil préféré :)

[Alex]

cute little prose poems about animals. trying to capture their personalities. very anthropomorphic but she does a lot with few words.
i wasn’t overly fond of it, but perhaps would have loved it as a child.
really nice illustrations in the edition i read.

[tourbe]

oh, rester l'hiver à la maison...

[Ninja Neko]

I spotted this book in the local library's "if you can carry it you can take it home" clearance and recognized the author. The description intrigued me so I added it to my teetering pile.
And to be totally honest: since we've adopted kittens a few months back they seem to dominate some of my reading choices too...

The first half of this little collection was very charming. Written from the POV of the animal, anthropomorphizing them a bit but done elegantly and simply. Sure, my recently acquired soft spot for cats will have something to do with it, but I was genuinely smitten. Nearer to the end it kind of sizzled out though, especially the last few stories felt a bit awkward and missed the spot.
Hit and miss for me, intriguing me enough to try and seek out some of Colette's other work.