Bonjour tristesse
Title
Bonjour tristesse
Creator
Francoise Sagan
Contributor
Introduction by Diane Johnson
Irene Ash
Irene Ash
Description
A sensational 1954 French novel that has become a contemporary classic - now in a P.S. edition, with the Diane Johnson introduction.
Set against the translucent beauty of France in summer, Bonjour tristesse ("Hello, Sadness") is a bittersweet tale narrated by Cecile, 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, Cecile lives in unchecked enjoyment with her youngish, widowed father — an affectionate rogue, dissolute and promiscuous. Having accepted the constantly changing women in his life, Cecile 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.
Set against the translucent beauty of France in summer, Bonjour tristesse ("Hello, Sadness") is a bittersweet tale narrated by Cecile, 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, Cecile lives in unchecked enjoyment with her youngish, widowed father — an affectionate rogue, dissolute and promiscuous. Having accepted the constantly changing women in his life, Cecile 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.
Publisher
CCC; An imprint of HarperCollins
Rights
Copyright 1955
Language
English
Format
Book
Type
Text
Identifier
ISBN: 9780061440793
UPC:
SKU: 2021Wri33
CALL#:
UPC:
SKU: 2021Wri33
CALL#:
Subject
Sagan, Françoise 1935-2004.
Children's writings, French.
French Fiction.
Southern France.
Children's writings, French.
French Fiction.
Southern France.
Files
Collection
Citation
Francoise Sagan, “Bonjour tristesse,” The Children's Collection, accessed December 24, 2025, https://catalog.thechildrenscollection.org/items/show/40.