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Bonjour Tristesse was one of the books I have been looking forward to this entire course, just based off of the short description given, and it did not disappoint. I found this book to be one of the easier, or more liner books we have read so far. Not that the others haven't been interesting in their own ways but this one definitely held my attention the whole way through and it was very enjoyable to follow along. 

I think that one of the main reasons I loved it so much was actually because I was able to see so many parallels between the relationship Cecile and Raymond had and Agostino and his mother had. The situations were so similar yet different dynamics so it was interesting to read both of these novels one after the other. 

Another thing I really enjoyed was the relatability of this book, not necessarily content wise just based off of my own life ( I was not raised by a single parent etc. ) but in terms of approximate age, gender and the fact that it almost felt like this was written as a diary. Ceciles character was fascinating to read about although I did find her actions to be very destructive ( as she feels at the end of the novel ) and definitely don't agree with some of the feelings she has and the way she handled them. As with Agostino, Cecile being jealous of the women in her fathers life may come across as strange but I believe a part of this book is to show how normal these feelings may be. 

I think that (not to the extreme of the book) the situation of trying to prevent a parents marriage is something that happens more often than we think (the plan might not work realistically, but definitely the feelings of wanting to or at least a plan itself). In this extreme case, Cecile just wanting his father to be with someone she did not feel threatened by (like Elsa) and she almost admires Anne that makes her jealous because she is taking all of her fathers time and she in a way wishes to be as put together as Anne. This is very similar to the situation in Agostino. 

My questions for this novel would be, do you think the way Cecile was raised by her father is what brought her to have this love/hatred for a woman like Anne? Do you think Cecile possesses a sort of privilege because of the way she was raised? 

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Bonjour Tristesse was one of the books I have been looking forward to this entire course, just based off of the short description given, and it did not disappoint. I found this book to be one of the easier, or more liner books we have read so far. Not that the others haven't been interesting in their own ways but this one definitely held my attention the whole way through and it was very enjoyable to follow along. 

I think that one of the main reasons I loved it so much was actually because I was able to see so many parallels between the relationship Cecile and Raymond had and Agostino and his mother had. The situations were so similar yet different dynamics so it was interesting to read both of these novels one after the other. 

Another thing I really enjoyed was the relatability of this book, not necessarily content wise just based off of my own life ( I was not raised by a single parent etc. ) but in terms of approximate age, gender and the fact that it almost felt like this was written as a diary. Ceciles character was fascinating to read about although I did find her actions to be very destructive ( as she feels at the end of the novel ) and definitely don't agree with some of the feelings she has and the way she handled them. As with Agostino, Cecile being jealous of the women in her fathers life may come across as strange but I believe a part of this book is to show how normal these feelings may be. 

I think that (not to the extreme of the book) the situation of trying to prevent a parents marriage is something that happens more often than we think (the plan might not work realistically, but definitely the feelings of wanting to or at least a plan itself). In this extreme case, Cecile just wanting his father to be with someone she did not feel threatened by (like Elsa) and she almost admires Anne that makes her jealous because she is taking all of her fathers time and she in a way wishes to be as put together as Anne. This is very similar to the situation in Agostino. 

My questions for this novel would be, do you think the way Cecile was raised by her father is what brought her to have this love/hatred for a woman like Anne? Do you think Cecile possesses a sort of privilege because of the way she was raised? 

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I decided to look up the author, as I do with most of what I read, and was surprised to find that Françoise Sagan was only 18 years old when she published Bonjour Tristesse. Also that it was her first novel and is her most popular novel ever published. This was inspiring to find. That […] read full post >>

I found Bonjour Tristesse to be a very engaging yet melancholic novel. The decadent mood that Françoise Sagan creates by portraying the French upper class in the first half of the 20th century is almost dreamy. One of the things … Continue reading → read full post >>

During the early 20th century, Zobel is a black child raised in poverty in Martinique, who tells the story of his life. Zobel portrays the rich culture and folklore of Martinique, while also highlighting the devastation caused by colonization. At the same time, the book exposes colonialism, slavery, poverty, prejudice, colorism, and financial turmoil simultaneously. […] read full post >>

Hi Everyone! For this week’s blog post, I am going to be reflecting on Françoise Sagan’s Bonjour Tristesse. I really... read full post >>

Bonjour Tristesse by Francoise Sagan appears at first to be a classic tale of a spoiled teenager longing for the days in which she was the main focus of her father’s life and rebels against the new motherly figure in her life. I think it would be easy to diagnose Cecile as a classic whiny, […] read full post >>

The novel, “Bonjour Tristesse” by Françoise Sagan was quite a rollercoaster of a story. Just from a brief description of the novel, I expected drama similar to “The Shrouded Woman”, focusing on family and relationships. However, after reading the text (and thanks to a warning from last week), I found it was also quite similar … Continue reading Week 6: Sagan’s “Bonjour Tristesse” → read full post >>

Hey Everyone! Sagan’s Bonjour Tristesse was a rather interesting read! We get several indications throughout the book that the book... read full post >>

At first glance, I found this novel quite interesting. Keeping the title from being translated seems to make it appear more authentic and true to its originality. As a student who is also currently taking french classes this term, I was able to interpret the meaning of the title. Nonetheless, I can see why readers […] read full post >>