Only read the first story — Gigi — because I’d seen the film and it was a creepy glorification of grooming and pedophilia. I wanted to see if it was just a romanticisation of the source material, but nah it’s not. The novella doesn’t have the comedy of the MGM musical nor the creepy old man singing about little girls (gag), but there’s a decided absence of commentary and condemnation of the grooming of a 15 year old girl. The criticism instead comes in the form of how courtesans and divorced women were treated by the French aristocracy. Which is valid, fair and nicely done, but that’s exactly where the social commentary stops and starts.

But the blasé attitude towards a 33 year old man wanting to make a 15 year old girl his mistress was awful.

And don’t say to me it’s because of the times: Vladimir Nabokov would write Lolita not long after, and there were other authors prior to Collette who have condemned the abuse of young girls at the hands of wealthy, powerful older man before. Thomas Hardy was one such author.

Gigi is an extremely creepy story. The title character gets her happy ending by being married to the 33 year old man who she regularly calls UNCLE throughout the novella. She has no agency. Her rejection to be his mistress is immediately undermined by the fact that she decides to be with him, anyway, because she’d rather be miserable “with him” than without. Cuz you know, she’s been groomed by him with the bottles of champagne and boxes of liquorice he’s been gifting her since she was a little girl.

Speaking of being a little girl, Gigi is 15, but acts and is DESCRIBED CONSTANTLY as being like a ten year old. Which makes Gaston’s confession of love for her all the more disturbing. Like this man is a straight up pedophile. He gets upset when he sees Gigi finally dressing in more mature clothing instead of her usual school girl outfits. Eugh it’s so grim and it’s presented in such a flippant manner.

Probably because Colette herself was a pedophile. She had an affair with her 16 year old step son when she was 47. And they tell us to separate the art from the artist *snorts*.

Nice writing though, I guess?

I'm I the only one who is grossed out a bit by Gigi? Maybe it's because I can't get the creepy song out of my head. I know it's a different time period and all, and that she is being raised to be a mistress. But ick! She's 16! How old is he?

Now, The Cat. I love that story, especially the ending where Camille makes some very good observations. The Cat is where it is at.