Totally charming. ( )

The first novel written by Colette was attributed to her husband Willy when it was first published in 1900. Colette later said that her husband Henri Gauthier-Villars (Willy) had found a draft of her first novel and suggested how his wife could improve it, in order to get it published. There is no doubt that "Willy" a notable figure in the literary world would have been able to find a way of publishing the novel, which he did under his own name. The question which remains unanswered is how much input he had in the final text. The novel is largely autobiographical and tells the story of 15 year old Claudine's final year at school. It could only have been written by someone who had experienced that final year and is written in the first person. It reveals the burgeoning sexuality of a young girl eager to launch into a lesbian relationship with a nineteen year old woman and her frustration when the object of her affections is stolen from her by the head teacher. Claudine however is in control of her situation she is learning about life while still involved in all the frivolities of a fifteen year old schoolgirl. This is related with such candour and such pride that the reader feels it could only have been written by Colette.

The book today reads as a light and frothy entertainment with an underlying knowingness of the sexual mores of the time. Claudine is fortunate in going to a village school where the majority of the girls are farmer's daughters. She is intelligent and has a talent for singing, drawing and french composition and her father is a naturalist/scientist certainly belonging to the middle class, therefore Claudine is able to dominate her fellow students and to hold her own with the teachers. Claudine loves the scratchy working village which is surrounded by glorious countryside. She is left very much to her own devices by her father as there is no mother figure in evidence. Apart from arithmetic and problem solving Claudine finds the schoolwork a breeze, especially as she is plundering her fathers library at home; educating herself.

We meet Claudine roaming through the countryside on her way to school and follow her through her lessons. The headmistress has hired a new teacher and a teaching assistant and Colette describes them:

"As for Mademoiselle Sergent, she seemed anything but kindly and I augured ill of that redhead. She has a good figure, with well rounded bust and hips, but she is flagrantly ugly. Her face is puffy and permanently crimson and her nose is slightly snub between two small black eyes deep-set and suspicious......... her assistant the pretty Aimée Lanthenay attracts me as much as her superior repels me......... "Little Mademoiselle Lanthenay, your supple body seeks and demands an unknown satisfaction. If you were not an assistant Mistress at Montigny you might be - I'd rather not say"

Claudine attempts to seduce Aimée, but is eventually rejected when Aimée enters a lesbian relationship with Mademoiselle Sergent. There are two new male teachers hired for the boys school next door, who attract the attention of the elder girls. There are two big events in the book one of which is the 15 year olds matriculation examinations which take place in a town a couple of hours train journey away and Claudine and her close group of friends must endure two days of being examined. This is a fascinating episode that homes in on the trials and tribulations of this two day event. The nervousness of the girls, the characters of the examiners, who stage a one day oral examination and the worry of the teachers who do what they can to help their pupils are all brought to our attention through the eyes of Claudine. The other event is the welcoming committee back in Montigny for a Deputy of the French Senate when the whole village is "en fête" and Claudine has a starring role as a singer and speechmaker at the village school.

The competition between the girls in Claudine's class is intense, tricks are played, physical intimidation is rife and Claudine is master of it all. They try to outdo each other in making themselves attractive and/or seductive. Every new item of clothing, every look, every nuance towards elder girls or men is dissected in the mind of Claudine. She follows meticulously the exchanges between AImée and Mademoiselle Sergent, spying on them when she can. Colette does a marvellous job of placing the reader inside the head of a precocious fifteen year old girl, but she also informs the readers of the situation of those girls, who are dependent on the goodwill of their teachers, but more dependent on the men who might eventually choose them for marriage. They must also tread a fine line with some local dignitaries who might press them for favours or worse.

Colette portrays school and village life in lively fashion. Through Claudine she is amused, sometimes bored by the petty restrictions, but always passionately involved in the life around her. Claudine's forthright expression of her thoughts and feelings are seductive in themselves and her connection with the village and its natural surrounds are well portrayed. The novel pushed heavily by Wily was a success, even a bit of a sensation. Colette said that he encouraged her to spice up her story and no doubt was able to proof read for her; there were three more novels continuing the story. I read an English translation by Antonia White in a penguin edition - 4 stars. ( )

A suitable tonic after several YA-friendly tales of childhood and growing up. Colette was much more interested in representing life as it really is, with bullying, flirting, lesbian relationships, and everything else you might imagine. ( )

I think I’m drawn to older lesbian books more so than contemporary because it’s reassurance that there’s always been women who love women so its harder to invalidate. The side effect of this is also positive because lots of these tell stories without making a big deal of it, though they usually end in tragedy. Claudine à l’école didn’t have some sapphique endgame, but didn’t end with invalidating Claudine’s lesbianism at least. It’s a story about deep relationships between women, without saying the word lesbian (or gay or whatever else) once. None of the characters make a big deal of it, and none of the obstacles to her relationship come from a place of homophobia (the biggest obstacle’s literally another woman). This was refreshing compared to the near-trauma porn that people churn out today.

That being said I read this in French and it took a really really long time, and I’m not sure I gained anything reading it in French, because there aren’t any language-specific tricks or anything. The prose is lovely, but I found myself looking forward to it ending really soon after it started. Next time I want to read an aimless story about chaotic girls I will just reread Azumanga Diaoh, which is honestly the closest comparison I can make. Similar to Azumanga though, there were a lot of disturbing references to relationships with (pedophilic) adult men… I don’t want to read about them perving on teenagers unless it casts some sort of critical eye, and I’m not sure if Colette had that given the historical context of this work.

I really did like the protagonist, Claudine, though. She has a bad attitude, and is sort of an asshole. Some people might find her frustrating, but I liked that Colette went to lengths to ensure she has no redeeming qualities, it’s a looooot funnier than the alternative.

I got to read a beautiful old copy of this from my university, it was from 1929, published by Albin Michel, and H. Mirande’s illustrations really improved the book for me. I’m attaching my favorites before I have to return it.




( )

Decided to read this as it kept appearing on lists of books/authors I should have read. I can almost see what the appeal might have been when this book was first published, however, a lousy, dated British translation and a modern view on bullying make this less interesting to read now. Claudine 50 years ago may have seemed bright and flirtatious and risqué, today she comes off as an obnoxious, spoiled "mean girl". I probably would have enjoyed this more had I read it in French, the British slang was so out of place in a French novel! ( )