Colette's The Ripening Seed

With its seaside setting Colette's The Ripening Seed seemed a perfect choice for my current 'beach/seaside' reading.  It's a short novel and a simple coming of age story, perhaps deceptively so, about two young friends whose families have vacationed on the coast of Brittany for the better part of their young lives.  I read that Colette spent her summers there in the early 1920s and she writes as though she has an intimate knowledge of the locale as her descriptions are vivid and lush.

"All that could be seen through the window was the August tide, bringing rain in its wake.  The earth came to an abrupt end out there, at the edge of the sand hills.  One more squall, one more upheaval of the great grey field furrowed with parallel ridges of foam, and the house would surely float away like the ark...but Phil and Vinca knew the August seas of old and their monotonous thunder, as well as the wild, white-capped seas of September.  They knew that this corner of a sandy field would remain impassable, and all through their childhood they had scoffed at the frothy foam-scuds that danced powerlessly up to the edge of man's dominion."

Philippe and Vinca have spent their summers together in close companionship for their annual seaside holidays, but at 16 and 15 they are beginning to put childish ways behind them.  They believe it's not just friendship that binds them together but something stronger and more akin to love though they assume it's not something they'll be able to realistically pursue until they're older.  This change in feelings makes them pettish and quarrelsome this summer, so unlike previous summers.

Their normal routine is disturbed by the arrival of "The Woman in White", Mme Camille Dalleray.  A sophisticated woman in her thirties, she asks Philippe for directions and invites him to visit her.  It's an invitation he'll accept which leads to his seduction by this beautiful older woman.  One night leads to many and he becomes overwhelmed by his affair with her.  He believes his actions have gone unnoticed, but not by Vinca.  As their holiday nears an end, their relationship, too, will undergo a drastic change.

Colette's Chéri and the Last of Chéri, a story about an aging courtesan and her much younger pampered lover, was a favorite read of mine several years back.  In a way the stories are almost the flip sides of the same coin.  Philippe's initiation into adulthood comes at the hands of an older woman.  This is the beginning of a new life for him.  In Chéri Léa's affair marks the end of her sexual prowess.  Each is at a turning point and each must proceed in life according to a different set of rules.  Colette's depiction of these life altering events is unsentimental and quite subtly achieved.

Although The Ripening Seed is a relatively quick read, I suspect there is much more to be mined below the surface.  I have a feeling Colette has played with gender roles here and turned things upside down, perhaps even setting her own mark of femininity down on the stories.  She seems like she was such an interesting and remarkable woman who lived a colorful life--I'd like to know more about her.  I've heard that her French is difficult to translate, though I've also heard that Roger Senhouse is a capable translator.  I wish I could read her in her native language but will have to content myself with translations.  And of course I want to read more.  Any suggestions on what to pick up next?

Comments

[iliana]

This sounds so wonderful! I've not read any Colette so I can't help with offering any suggestions but I do know I'd love to read something by her soon.

[Liz F]

I haven't read any Colette for years but I came across my copies of her Claudine novels when I was looking for something else and remembered how much I enjoyed them. They are very slight books (in size anyway) so easy to take about and get through!
BTW the cover picture of The Ripening Seed is the same as on the Persephone copy of Mariana by Monica Dickens.

[Rachel]

I just watched the film Cheri which I thought was poor - but I have a copy of the book so I would be interested to see how they compare. I've never read any Colette and am not sure what to expect but your review has intrigued me so I might give it a go this summer.

[Darlene]

Rachel was spot on, that film was cringe-worthy but Rupert Friend made it bearable.

[Stefanie]

This sounds really good. I've only read one Colette novel a number of years ago and I am not remembering what it was called now. I do remember that I liked it very much. I have her Barks and Purrs on my Kindle which sounds like silly fun.

[Danielle]

Iliana--I hope you get a chance to read her soon--I've really enjoyed the two books I read. I may just have to look over the books I have and see which one sounds the most interesting.
Liz--I think I have an omnibus edition of the Claudine novels. I really like her work and will definitely be picking up something else by her. And I have that Persephone edition with the same cover--isn't that a lovely painting? It's so striking.
Rachel--I've not seen the movie, but I really did love the book. I hope you'll give her a try--it seems almost always the movie is never as good as the book.
Darlene--I had pretty much figured I would take a pass on the movie as I liked the book so much. I like Michelle Pfeiffer, but she is not what I had in mind for that character. Rupert Friend must be attractive? :)
Stefanie--What a title--I've not heard of that book, but it does sound like it could be fun. I was hoping someone would say 'you must read ____ next, but I guess I will have to just look over what I have and choose on my own. That works, too. :)

[litlove]

Hurray! I love it when people read Colette. You are very sharp, Danielle, it IS the gender dimension that Colette's working out here - how Phil seems more girly than Vinca, but how life forces them into certain gendered routes regardless. I'm not sure where to suggest you go next - The Vagabond, maybe? That's a good one.

[Danielle]

Litlove--I admit I checked out the Twayne's book on criticism on Colette and there were about three pages on The Ripening Seed that discussed some of the things going on in the novel, though it seemed like an interesting reversal of things in some ways as I was reading. I marked that passage where Phil was looking out the window looking all smudged by Camille's lipstick--I think that's a scene I'll remember for a while. I have already pulled the Vagabond off my shelves and am already looking forward to it.

[Thomas at My Porch]

I really liked The Ripening Seed. I loved the mildly subversive elements to the story and I loved the way she described the setting. I could feel the sunshine as I read it. Cheri on the other hand I couldn't get into because I made the mistake of trying to watch the awful film first. Kind of ruined the book for me.

[Danielle]

Thomas--I'm glad I read Cheri long before the movie came out as it sounds like it was pretty dismal. I hadn't planned on watching it as I loved the book too much, and now I can see that was a wise decision. I loved the setting of The Ripening Seed as well--she describes things so vividly. It makes me want to travel to Brittany now.

[Emma]

Hi Danielle,
I've just read it myself and I thought it was wonderful. Review in a few days, I'm linking your review to mine.
Colette's French is special, beautifully special and difficult to translate.

[Danielle]

Emma--Thanks in advance for linking my post. I will watch for yours. I really like Colette, though I have only read a couple of her books. My favorite is Cheri and Last of Cheri, but I really enjoyed this as well. It is one that I would happily reread. Maybe I should do so this year. And I have heard she is a difficult author to translate--I wish I could read her in French!