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When Béatrice casually left Edouard five years earlier, she quickly replaced him. It has to be said, although the boy was attractive, he was very young and had no future. But he is now a successful author, the darling of Paris society and still just as much in love with her, with Béatrice, the stunning, ferocious comedy actress. She falls straight back into his arms, amazed she still remembers him.
This beautiful couple excites considerable curiosity, mostly about how long the relationship will last. And that includes Edouard, who can tell that Béatrice is resisting him, slipping through his fingers and not really in love, but he cannot help himself loving her passionately. He is even prepared to tolerate his beloved’s infidelities.
Until the day Béatrice realises she is in love, for the first time. Truly in love.
Feelings of love are depicted with such truth and acuity in this book that it feels as if Françoise Sagan is living the events at the same time. She writes as if she were describing the altercations of her own heart, and gives the reader one of the keys to why a relationship exists or not.
Françoise Sagan is a major Twentieth Century author who triumphed with Bonjour Tristesse, followed by many plays and novels, all of which were successful. The success of Toxique, Des yeux de soie and Des bleus à l’âme, republished by Stock in autumn 2009, proves – if proof were needed – the fervent response Sagan still elicits. She wrote her own obituary for the Dictionary of Authors, compiled by Jérôme Garcin: “Appeared in 1954 with a slender novel, Bonjour Tristesse, which created a scandal worldwide. Her death, after a life and a body of work that were equally pleasant and botched, was a scandal only for herself.” Up until 2011, Stock will continue to publish all of Sagan’s titles from the 1970s and 1980s.
Lorsque Béatrice a négligemment quitté Édouard cinq ans plus tôt, il a été vite remplacé. Il faut dire que ce garçon, bien que séduisant, était très jeune et manquait d’avenir. Mais le voilà désormais auteur à succès, coqueluche du Tout-Paris et toujours aussi amoureux d’elle, Béatrice, la magnifique, la féroce actrice de boulevard. Elle retombe dans ses bras, étonnée de se souvenir encore de lui.
Ce beau couple ne manque pas d’exciter les curiosités, chacun se demandant combien de temps il va durer. Et Édouard le premier, qui sent bien que Béatrice lui résiste et lui échappe, qu’elle n’est pas vraiment amoureuse, mais il ne peut rien faire d’autre que l’aimer passionnément. Il est même prêt à supporter les infidélités de son adorée. Jusqu’au jour où Béatrice comprend qu’elle aime, pour la première fois. Elle l’aime vraiment.
Dans ce livre, les sentiments amoureux sont dépeints avec une telle acuité, une telle vérité qu’on a l’impression que Françoise Sagan vit les mêmes événements au même moment. Elle écrit comme si elle détaillait ses propres mouvements du coeur et nous donne ici une des clés qui font qu’une histoire d’amour peut ou non exister.