Alive, standing, terrible,
It is with these words that a literary chronicle defines Claudine, heroine of Colette's very first novel. Claudine at School was a real literary bomb when it was released in 1900, triggering a "Claudine mania" among young girls at the beginning of the century who identified with this high school student full of life, mischievous, sensual and rebellious. The rounded white collar tied with a ribbon which adorns schoolgirl blouses becomes the symbol of this generation of young women with a thirst for anticipation and will give its name to this textile ornament.
First signed by her husband Willy then co-signed Willy and Colette, Claudine at school is the novel is the first in a long series narrating the adventures of Claudine. A true saga inspired by her own life which explores with finesse the initiatory stages of a woman's life: Claudine in a household, Claudine leaves...
Subsequently, Colette will continue her path as an author through a large literary production of extreme richness, of infinite refinement, depicting female characters, young, mature, extroverted or dreamers, but who all carry a facet of his unique personality.
What we love about Colette is her unclassifiable side, totally independent, ultra-suspicious of all chapels, schools, fashions.
She traces her path: wears her hair very long, then cuts it, loves madly then escapes, lives with a man, then a woman, then a very young man. Launches into the creation of a Beauty brand, writes columns, does theater, dances half naked and goes on tour...
She criticizes feminists but mocks the weakness of men, celebrates both men and women in her literature, mocks with affection and tenderness their weaknesses, their errors but also underlines with finesse their desires and their states of mind, claiming the right to change one's mind, to touch everything, with a great thirst for freedom.
She draws her inspiration from the earth, the fertile humus that surrounds her childhood home, celebrates animals and their infallible instinct, far from the boring snobbery of the city, but returns there and settles in the gardens of the Royal Palace.
Colette endures so many battles without being proud of it, just by being herself and following her instinct, her desires. For all these reasons, Colette is all women, of all ages, all lovers and all creators.
