Claudine at School

Claudine lives in a small rural village in France and attends the local girls school. Headstrong, rebellious and a lover of mischief, she knows how to fill her days with adventure.Claudine at School is part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, pocket-sized classics bound in real cloth with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition is translated from French by Janet Flanner, who was an extraordinary writer and journalist. She was the Paris correspondent for The New Yorker for fifty years.From gossip to exams, to crushes and betrayals, Claudine treats us like her closest friend, telling us her deepest secrets. In a day-to-day account of her life at school, we learn that she falls head over heels in love with Miss Aimee - one of her teachers - which leads to a brief affair; she provocatively plays with the affections of a young pupil; and she boldly defies the strict headmistress. Clever, crafty and fiercely independent, Claudine thrives at the centre of the action.Immensely witty, utterly charming and closely reminiscent of Colette’s own life, Claudine at School is a love letter to rural France and the joie de vivre of youth.This Macmillan Collector’s Library edition is introduced by acclaimed writer Paul Bailey.

Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, known as Colette, was born in Burgundy in 1873. Colette’s early works appeared under her first husband’s pen name, ‘Willy’. Although she claimed that she would never have become a writer had it not been for his help, her husband kept almost all the earnings from these successful early novels, leaving Colette in poverty and ill-health following an inevitable divorce. She supported herself in a variety of ways, including acting and miming, but most notably through journalism. Often drawing on her own life, she used her exceptional literary talents to write about love, sexuality and women’s lives. A true pioneer, she was one of the most beloved writers of her time, and was elected a Grand Officer of the Légion d’honneur. Chéri and Claudine at School are amongst her most famous works.She wrote prolifically until her death in 1954.