Synopses & Reviews
Plot Summary
Upon its U.S. publication in 1955, "Bonjour Tristesse was an immediate international sensation, and one of the top selling books of that year. Its commercial success was partly due to its controversial portrayal of a privileged young woman with precocious attitudes toward love, sex, and morality. In fact, it was a jaw-dropping affront to the American values of the Eisenhower Era. No less sensational, perhaps, was the fact that its equally precocious eighteen-year-old author was barely an adult herself. Such cynicism, aggression, and world-weariness in a teenager -- and a young girl, at that -- were not just inappropriate, they were deeply unsettling.
Nearly a half-century later, Cecile's casual friendliness with her father -- and her acceptance of his morally dubious social life -- may not be deemed healthy by child advocates, but it is hardly a stunning revelation. Sagan's depiction of Cecile as a pouting teenager and jaded ingenue is all too familiar in an age where "been there done that" seems to have replaced teenagers' respect for boundaries. Yet "Bonjour Tristesse still appeals to the modern reader. Its impeccably crafted, artfully told tale continues to surprise. Sagan's moody voice is the perfect foil to the novel's glamorous setting. Her characters' languorous lifestyle belies the rage and angst simmering beneath the surface. And Cecile's wistful recollections of happier times lull readers into a state of rosy nostalgia -- even as she relates the bone-chilling details of her plot to undermine the adults who want to control her destiny. But perhaps the primary reason that this story resonates today is the truth it holds about children who grow up too quickly-- and about parents who never grow up at all. There is something heartbreakingly familiar about the combination of Cecile's insouciance and self-loathing and in her defense of her father's libertine ways. Left to her own devices, Cecile -- like most teenagers -- chooses play over hard work; indulgence over restraint; carelessness over responsibility. A more fortunate teenager would be guided by example. Yet Cecile's father's juvenile behavior is the only example she has. It is no wonder she will do anything to maintain the life set out for her by the only parent she knows. It is tragic that this struggle ultimately costs her the only true parent she has ever had.
Nearly fifty years ago, readers of "Bonjour Tristesse were shocked by Cecile's foray into the adult world of sex and deceit. But that is no longer solely the domain of adults, and we no longer find her behavior shocking. Instead we ache for this young woman who, too soon, finds herself in the grown-up world of disillusionment, regret and sadness.
Topics for Discussion
Francoise Sagan was eighteen when she wrote "Bonjour Tristesse; Cecile, her narrator, tells the story as a remembrance, a woman looking back on the summer of her seventeenth year. What do you think is the time span between that summer and the present? Does Cecile seem older than eighteen to you? If so, in what ways? In explaining her attraction to Cyril, Cecile asks, "What are we looking for if not to please? I do not know if the desire to attract others comes from a superabundance of vitality, possessiveness, or the hidden, unspoken need to be reassured." Does Cecile's attraction to Cyril come from confidence or insecurity? What about herfather's seductions of Elsa and Anne? Cecile says to her father, "You're not the type of man to interest Anne. She's too intelligent and has too much self-respect." Yet Anne is interested. Why would such an intelligent and poised woman be attracted to a scamp like Raymond? What does Anne's attraction to him say about her? Early in the novel, Cecile interrupts her narrative: "I realize that I have skipped over an important factor: the nearness of the sea with its incessant rhythm. Nor have I mentioned the four lime trees in the courtyard of my convent school and their perfume
" She goes on to list a number of detailed memories about life with her father. Why are these details important to her story? As you reread the entire passage, examine how Sagan flows from one image to another. What is the effect of this stream-of consciousness writing? Not long after the above-mentioned passage, the four members of the household descend to the beach for the first time together. Cecile describes the "triangle" formed by the two women and her father, who is at the apex. She describes her father's "resolute stare" as he gazes at Anne and the way he plays with the sand. How do these detailed scenes compare with her less imagistic passages? What is the effect of the "rhythm" that Sagan establishes in the novel, alternating between one type of writing and another? Does Cecile's hedonistic life with her father sound appealing to you? How do you think it resonated with readers in 1955? Do you find her relationship with her father shocking? Does it seem incestuous to you, as some critics have claimed? Do you think Cecile's self-centered, careless approach tolife and relationships was typical of other wealthy teenaged girls of her era? Do you find Cecile's cynical attitude toward love to be outrageous in this day and age? Can you name other female characters in literature who faced similar circumstances with the same kind of rebellion? To Cecile, Anne is a savior and a threat. She is a protective mother figure with Cecile's best interest at heart, as well as a manipulator who wants to control her and her father and rob them of their happy lifestyle. How accurate is either portrayal? Do you think Cecile and her father would be happy living with Anne? Would Cecile end up enjoying the cultivated, ordered life that Anne would impose on her? After she loses her virginity to Cyrile, Cecile returns to the villa to find Anne sunning herself outside. Cecile sits down and tries to light a cigarette, but her hands are shaking too hard to strike the match, so Anne does it for her. What does this scene reveal about Anne's personality and her feelings toward Cecile? Do you think Anne knew what had just happened to Cecile? Why does Cecile think this incident was "symbolic?" Do you think Raymond really loves Anne, or is she, like Elsa, merely a diversion for him? Is she a challenging conquest whose allure would disappear as soon as she is conquered? Would their relationship have lasted? If Anne was the narrator of this story, how do you think she would describe Cecile? By the end of the novel, do you feel sorry for Cecile? Given her upbringing, how responsible is she for her actions? Who do you think is responsible for Anne's death -- Cecile, Raymond, or Anne herself? When Anne discovers Elsa and Raymond, she runs toleave the villa. Cecile begs her to stay, and asks Anne to forgive her. Just before she drives away, Anne places her hand on Cecile's cheek and says, "My poor child." What does Anne mean by this? After Anne leaves, Cecile and Raymond each compose a letter to her, "two works of art, full of excuses, love and repentance." If Anne had not been killed, do you think those letters would have won her back? What do Cecile's relationships with the other characters reveal about how she changes over the course of the novel? Does she grow more or less mature? More or less jaded? Do you consider "Bonjour Tristesse to be an example of feminist literature? Why or why not? What do you think of the novel's opening paragraph? How does its meaning change after you have read the entire novel? What do you think Sagan means by the "complete egoism" of sorrow? About the Author: Born Fr
Synopsis
Set against the translucent beauty of France in summer, Bonjour Tristesse is a bittersweet tale narrated by Cécile, a seventeen-year-old girl on the brink of womanhood, whose meddling in her father's love life leads to tragic consequences.
Freed from boarding school, Cécile lives in unchecked enjoyment with her youngish, widowed father -- an affectionate rogue, dissolute and promiscuous. Having accepted the constantly changing women in his life, Cécile pursues a sexual conquest of her own with a "tall and almost beautiful" law student. Then, a new woman appears in her father's life. Feeling threatened but empowered, Cécile sets in motion a devastating plan that claims a surprising victim.
Deceptively simple in structure, Bonjour Tristesse is a complex and beautifully composed portrait of casual amorality and a young woman's desperate attempt to understand and control the world around her.
About the Author
Françoise Sagan was only 18 when her first novel, Bonjour Tristesse, was published in 1954. She is also the author of Incidental Music, A Certain Smile, A Fleeting Sorrow, Lost Profile, and The Painted Lady. She lives in Paris, France.