Just Finished Reading: Femme Fatale by Guy de Maupassant [56pp]
This booklet contained four tales by the father of the modern short story. The longest (titled) concerned the struggle of an unsure young man, the son of a senator, who is struggling to cope with his relationship with his girlfriend. Although he's obsessed with her he also, at times, really doesn't like her very much especially when she has a mind of her own. The final straw comes when she insists on spending the evening in the company of some lesbian friends that he disapproves of. I thought this was very well written (and VERY French!) and very modern in its portrayal of various sexualities (again this was 19th century FRANCE so...). Strong characterisation and plotting, very 'cinematic' without being melodramatic. Nicely done.
The other solid story – despite being pretty predictable from the start – was Hautot & Son where a farmer's son finds out from his father as he's dying that he has been having a relationship with a woman in a nearby town since his wife died. After getting over the shock the son decides to hand over an inheritance only to discover he has a half-brother. Again, this was very nicely done with pathos and humanity. It was a very obvious plot but no less readable or enjoyable because of that.
The other two stories, Cockcrow and Laid to Rest were much shorter and although well written didn't have the same impact/punch as the larger tales. Overall though I enjoyed the introduction to this author (which I had only heard of previously) and will be looking for something more substantial from him in the future.
Translated from the French by Sian Miles
2 comments:
How did 19th century Frenchmen deal with lesbians? In that 1932 book about Hitler and FDR, the author records Hitler going to a movie called Maedchen in Uniform. I looked it up out of curiosity and it's an all-female movie about a boarding school where one of the students falls in love with her teacher. Seems an odd thing for Hitler to be watching. o_O Oddly tempted to give it a go (it's on youtube) since I try to do some German books or German film in October.
I think there was an American novel published in the late 19th or early 20th century called the Bostonians, about two women who lived together. The book evidently inspired the phrase 'Boston marriage' to refer to two women living together long-term.
I've no idea of the cultural-sexual history of France/Europe but in the story there was a whole range of responses - as I suspect was the case IRL. Some looked on in horror/scandal, others were amused and impressed with displays of sexual rebellion against the norm. Most of the NPCs in the story seemed largely indifferent (again as I suspect most average people IRL). But I think that male homosexuality has always been more incendiary/proscribed than the female equivalent as it is, presumably, much more *directly* challenges the male dominance hierarchy.
Personally I've long thought it strange that the State (or indeed those not directly involved) is interested in, never mind vainly tries to control, adult consensual sexual activity. It never has worked and never will.
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