The Other Woman by Colette
Today sees the start of the 1924 Club, Simon’s clever idea for us to look at, read and enjoy books from that year! When he first mooted the idea, one of the first things that probably sprang into both of our minds was to check which of the Virago titles were published that year, and then to see which ones we had in our collection! Fortunately, the very handy Virago Collection tracker on LibraryThing (cleverly prepared and maintained by members of the group) enables sorting by year and these were the titles which came up:
Precious Bane by Mary Webb
The Unlit Lamp by Radclyffe Hall
The Crowded Street by Winifred Holtby
The Constant Nymph by Margaret Kennedy
Old New York by Edith Wharton
The Matriarch by G.B. Stern
The Rector’s Daughter by F.M. Mayor
The Other Woman by Colette
Challenge by Vita Sackville-West
An intriguing and mixed bunch, no? Certainly, the first title on the list, “Precious Bane”, seems to inspire either love or hate in a reader; I’ve never had the courage to approach it after reading the parody of it in the form of “Cold Comfort Farm”. However, I do own several of the titles on the list and here are some of them:
(I know I’ve got at least one copy of “The Constant Nymph” in the house; and I do have “Challenge” too, but in a non-Virago edition).
I also might just have downloaded a copy of Wharton’s “Old New York” just for the fun of it…
It’s a tribute to the strength of the Virago list that these are all titles that are highly regarded and could be picked up and read quite happily (but then VMCs are known for their quality). I had to make a very difficult decision as to which one I’d read and in the end I went for the Colette – it’s ages since I read any of her short stories and they rather appealed to me. The collection consists of 20 short stories ranging in length from a couple of pages, to round forty for the closing piece in the book “My Friend Valentine”. And every single one is a gem – I don’t think Colette could write a bad piece of work if she tried!
In a few pages she can lay bare a relationship, expose a woman’s everyday deceptions or reveal the excruciating loneliness when love comes to an end. Her eye is always objective but compassionate – she never judges, but observes, and you can feel her warmth and sympathy and love of life coming through whatever her subject.
The aforementioned “My Friend Valentine” is one of my favourite of Colette’s shorter works, and one in which she features herself as a character. Collecting together a sequence of pieces, we see Valentine as she chastises Colette for dining at a disreputable bar run by the formidable Semiramis; the two ladies take part in the vine harvest; they discuss how to bring up their daughters; and in a pivotal passage, Colette considers the reasons why cutting her hair short is so liberating for a woman.
A case could be made for asserting that Colette’s greatest creation was herself; certainly many of my favourite of her works are those in which she projected herself as a character. I say as a character because the Colette she chose to show to the world was probably not the real woman behind this image; but it’s delightful to feel that you’re in touch with her and getting a glimpse into her world.
The prose is, of course, gorgeous and I could have pulled out masses of quotes but frankly I’d rather just recommend that you get a copy of this book (or indeed her collected short stories, or any of her novels, or basically anything she wrote) and just read it. In 1924 Colette had published many of the great works we still know and love her for, and was a writer at the height of her powers. “The Other Woman” is a wonderful way to get to know her!
Don’t forget to let us know what books you’re reading from 1924, what exciting titles you’ve uncovered and what you think of them all!
roughghosts
Oct 19, 2015 @ 07:04:42
I probably will only offer one review to the collection (though I saw another title the other day and can’t for the life of me remember what it was). I finished Skylark by Dezsõ Kosztolányi the other day. What a terrific book! Highly recommended. I will have a review up in the next few days.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 19, 2015 @ 07:06:51
Excellent! Do leave a link on the 1924 page when you review. I know Skylark is a huge favourite of Simon’s!
JacquiWine
Oct 19, 2015 @ 07:41:15
I’d like to read another Colette at some stage, and this collection sounds like a good option. I need to make a bigger dent in the TBR before buying any more short story collections, but it’s certainly one to keep in mind.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 19, 2015 @ 09:34:48
It’s a lovely collection, although you could do no worse than pick up her collected short stories volume – in fact, basically any Colette will do! (You can tell I’m a huge fan!)
Dark Puss
Oct 19, 2015 @ 07:45:48
Colette is unsurpassably good and what she does. No competition! 🙂
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 19, 2015 @ 09:34:03
Agreed – she’s just wonderful!
The 1924 Club is here! | Stuck in a Book
Oct 19, 2015 @ 10:13:14
Simon T
Oct 19, 2015 @ 10:39:45
It’s getting a bit ridiculous that I’ve still not read any Colette. This one sounds really lovely, and if I had it in Oxford I’d dive right in!
A great review to kick off the fortnight – and what a great list of VMCs to choose. (Challenge is the one which Wiki says is 1923, though!) Oddly, I don’t seem to be getting to any VMCs, though I’m hopeful of reading The Crowded Street soon…
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 19, 2015 @ 11:05:23
Thanks! Yes, this is an amazing book – do read some Colette at some point, Simon, she’s wonderful! As for Challenge, Mike Walmer mentioned to me in an email the conflicting dates. I shall have a look in my copy to see what it says! I’m contemplating the other Viragos but I’ll have to see how the time goes…. 🙂
Dark Puss
Oct 22, 2015 @ 22:22:27
You said it Simon! Colette is just so good beware you might not be so enthusiastic about some of your other authors once you have drunk from the magic spring 🙂
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 23, 2015 @ 06:41:46
Agreed – let’s al encourage Simon to read Colette!!! 😀
poppypeacockpens
Oct 19, 2015 @ 10:45:12
Would love to read Colette & Sackville-West at some point… ah, so many books!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 19, 2015 @ 11:01:08
Indeed! If only we had more reading time…. 😉
Lory @ Emerald City Book Review
Oct 19, 2015 @ 12:40:20
I am enjoying The Constant Nymph, which is the only 1924 book I seem to have on hand. I will look forward to all the other reviews.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 19, 2015 @ 13:22:22
I did toy with the idea of reading this one, but the Colette won out! If you review the book, do link to it on the 1924 page!
heavenali
Oct 19, 2015 @ 13:09:04
Such lovely books! I have very nearly finished The Rector’s Daughter which I have enjoyed so much. The slower blogging schedule I have adopted means I’ll hopefully post a review Thursday.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 19, 2015 @ 13:21:42
Excellent – look forward to your review, Ali. Aren’t Viragos pretty in a pile – I do like the original greens best when you can get them!
Alex
Oct 19, 2015 @ 17:48:32
It would have been the Holtby for me, I think had I had time to join in but with all that Dickens to read……..
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 19, 2015 @ 18:25:30
🙂 Yes, I can understand Dickens occupying all your time…
Buried In Print
Oct 19, 2015 @ 19:18:01
Your description of these stories of Colette’s makes me think of Alice Munro and Edna O’Brien. The colleciton immediately appeals to me that much more.
I’ve read Mary Webb, and even though I would’ve guessed that I would fall more towards the frustrated side of the reading spectrum, I liked them well enough; I did find, though, that it takes some time to settle into the rhythm of it, but, once there, it is quite enjoyable territory. I do think you’d like them well enough!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 19, 2015 @ 21:38:58
Colette’s a one-off, such a wonderful writer – I hope you get to read her. As for Mary Webb – maybe one day…. 🙂
BookerTalk
Oct 19, 2015 @ 23:05:43
How do you get to the Virago list on Library Thing. I’ve found a number of Virago groups and threads but can’t see a list anywhere
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 20, 2015 @ 09:10:15
The LT group is here:
https://www.librarything.com/groups/viragomodernclassics
and the list can be found on the group’s Wiki which is here:
http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/Groups:Virago_Modern_Classics
It’s a wonderful, lovely, friendly group and if you’ve any interest in Viragos I highly recommend joining! 🙂
BookerTalk
Oct 20, 2015 @ 21:12:07
This is wonderful, thanks Karen. I’d have been struggling to find this
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 20, 2015 @ 21:48:28
No probs! 🙂
BookerTalk
Oct 20, 2015 @ 21:36:44
Just bought The Unlit Lamp Radclyffe Hall. at least I’ll have one 1924 book to read
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 20, 2015 @ 21:48:40
Excellent! Look forward to your review!
bellarah
Oct 20, 2015 @ 08:19:02
I dug The Rector’s Daughter up as a tattered old Penguin at a second hand store over the weekend, and bought it because I’d read most of another book of hers a few months ago! Odd coincidence, as I wasn’t even considering the publication date at all!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 20, 2015 @ 09:10:56
Excellent find! Look forward to your thoughts!
Kat
Oct 24, 2015 @ 16:17:54
I love Colette and had no idea any of her work was available in a Virago edition, I bought a copy of The Matriarch in London, published by Daunt, and have given away my old copy to Diana, which I did not even know I had. (Too many books…) I love The Crowded Street. i have that one in a Persephone.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 24, 2015 @ 17:06:06
Even though I have all the stories in her collected short stories, it was nice to read them in a Virago – they’re so pretty…..
Liz Dexter
Oct 28, 2015 @ 07:40:26
Coming to this a bit late – I have a review of Precious Bane from 2005 but it’s one of my three-liners, so I didn’t submit it to the lists! I’ve read the Hall, too, but before the blog began! I’ve loved the 1924 Club and reading all the reviews!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 28, 2015 @ 09:43:23
It’s been fun to do, and I’ve really enjoyed hearing other people’s takes on some of the books!
“…it’s a dark, twisted road we are on…” | Kaggsy's Bookish Ramblings
Dec 31, 2015 @ 07:24:58