The Complete Claudine: Claudine at School; Claudine in Paris; Claudine Married; Claudine and Annie

So far I have read Claudine at School and have enjoyed it much.I just started the second book Claudine in Paris.

Happy that this work remains in print.

The book is great, the pages stay open, you don't have to forcefully keep them down. All in all, this edition is really good 👍

I'd heard of Colette without really knowing anything about her, so when I chanced across 'Claudine at School' in my local library I grabbed it. I loved it so much that I tried to find others in the series, but couldn't. Amazon came to the rescue with this edition, which combines all four Claudine stories in one volume.Apart from the beautiful, evocative descriptions of the Burgundy countryside, and later of Parisian life, you would never guess that these books were written over a hundred years ago, such is the vibrancy of Colette's superbly sensuous prose. Right from the beginning of 'Claudine at School' I was struck by the reality of scenes: we are taken right there, to this rural French school in 1900, complete with the cheeky, flirtatious, rebellious schoolgirls, chief amongst whom is Claudine, the narrator, based on Colette herself, as these books are semi-autobiographical. All the characters come alive, but it is Colette's lively, earthy sense of humour that really captivates.Colette is now recognized as one of France's greatest writers, and I'm surprised that she isn't better-known internationally. Very French, very sensual, and above all, bursting with life, these novels caused quite a stir when they first came out, even in France, with their strong underlying currents of sexuality and hints of lesbianism. This edition sticks with the original 1956 English translation by Antonia White, and what a fantastic job she did to retain the spirit of this highly-spirited writing.Although these four volumes supposedly make up the 'Claudine' series, the final book 'Claudine and Annie' is quite different. Whereas 'Claudine in Paris' and 'Claudine Married' keep to the style of 'Claudine at School', losing some of the innocence as she grows up but none of the spirit and humour, 'Claudine and Annie' is narrated by Annie while Claudine is relegated to being just one of several main characters. In the process we lose most of the sparkle and wit, and after the other books this one is a disappointment. However, the first three volumes form the bulk of this edition and deserve nothing less than five stars.

As stories about early 20th century school girls go, this one is OK 🤔Bought this on the spur of the moment after watching Collette. Really enjoyed the film, never heard of her before that. Pretty bad considering she's the biggest selling author in France. So bought this.Any way, it's ok, if you've got the slightest interest in this after watching the film, buy it, read it, and move on.