La Vagabonde

By Colette

Book Overview

From the author of Gigi comes this tale of 33-year-old Ren?e N?r?, recently divorced and seeking a new life as a vaudeville performer. Maxime, a wealthy playboy, tempts her from the path of independence with the comforts of love and marriage. From the physical and psychological distance of a provincial tour, Ren?e reflects upon the conflicting needs of security and freedom.
"The Vagabond, one of the first and best feminist novels ever written, is that rare thing: a great book which is also inspiring," declared Erica Jong. This vivid portrait of life in the Parisian music halls of the early twentieth century was drawn from the author's personal experiences. Colette's 1910 novel mirrors her own adventures as an itinerant dancer as well as her struggles to maintain a balance between social respectability and artistic freedom. This edition features an authoritative new translation of her story as well as an informative Introduction by Stanley Appelbaum.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0486475859
• ISBN13: 9780486475851
• Release Date: April 2010
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.4" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

The Vagabond inspired me to become a writer

The Vagabond was my first delicious introduction to Colette, and the first book to make me weep openly. I related strongly to Renée, a professional woman who clung desperately to her independence while falling hopelessly for a man who relentlessly tugged at her vulnerability. Renée's confusion about whether love and happiness could coexist kept me captive in suspense until the very last (and infinitely satisfying) page.

Colette breaks free of Willy in great triumph!

Colette's beginning as a writer is one of the strangest in literature. In her early 20s, she married a no-talent hack named "Willy" (that was how he signed his pieces) and wrote a series of novels about a young girl named Claudine. Willy took these pieces and published them under his pen name, giving his young wife no credit. In her early to mid 30s, Colette grew weary of Willy, and turned her back on him to embark on a career as a dance hall performer. This is the setting for THE VAGABOND, Colette's first post-Willy novel, and the first to bear her own name. The main character, Renee Nere, has been touring for 3 years, and although she's sometimes lonely, is enjoying her freedom and self-sufficiency. She's also suffering from what we'd refer to nowadays as Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Her marriage to her philandering and abusive husband was so wretched, that when she meets another man who loves her, the slighest familiar gesture or word will trigger memories that incite revulsion. THE VAGABOND is a gem of a novel that beautifully shows off Colette's gift for prose as well as her wonderful descriptions of life backstage as part of a touring group. If that isn't enough, she is also very gifted at revealing the psychological insights of her character. The introduction by Judith Thurman is well-done, and both the introduction and the novel left me wanting more Colette.

Penetrating and Original

This was my first reading of Colette. What a poetic, beautiful, and amazing writer she was. In this novel, we meet a woman who is definitely revolutionary for her time and ours. Colette is aware of the sorrow and happiness that are intertwined in life. The main character's life follows a path that has much loneliness and doubt, but she, most importantly, has her will. This is truly a feminist classic. What I admire most is the courage to write such a work and to write it so well. The language is intoxicating.

My favorite of Collette's Works

It takes awhile to get used to Collette's unique style, but once I was used to it I grew to enjoy it. La Vagabonde is a fascinating look into the Dance Hall world, but more importantly, a wonderful study of a woman of contradictory desires. I feel it beautifully captures a woman's struggle for a sense of self and of the often conflicting desire to love and loose oneself in love. It also deals with aging and disillusionment. This novel seems in a large part autobiographical of Collette's own life. Her writing is sensual and intelligent, and very French.

Way ahead of her time

Colette's Renee Nere is complex, her name alone tells us that (the last name is the first name spelled backwards, not to mentioned that Renee means "reborn"). This female protagonist would certainly fit in with the modern notion of being female, and in the early 20th century, this was not only rare, but not very-well understood. I adore this book because of the way it encourages women (by example) to carve out their own existence and not to rely upon men for security. It is also wonderfully written. However, you'll be in for a shocker if you read the sequel, "The Shackle".