Una dona molt guapa només és feliç si crida l'atenció per la seva bellesa i és adorada pels homes, però els anys passen i envelleix. No ho pot suportar i és capaç de fer qualsevol cosa per dissimular la seva edat. ( )

Gladys Eysenach es acusada del asesinato de su presunto amane, un joven estudiante de apenas veinte años, y el caso levanta una enorme expectación en París. Madura y excepcionalmente bella para su edad, Gladya pertenece a esa alta sociedad apárida que recorre Europa de fiesta en fiesta. Envidiada por las mujeres y deseada por los hombres, su vida se airea impúdicamente frente al juez: su infancia, el exilio, la ausencia del padre, se matrimonio, las difíciles relaciones con su hija, la fama de femme fatale, su fijación con la belleza y la juventud.. ( )

Némirovsky does it again. Another repugnant main character, who nonetheless raises our sympathy. Another example of stereotype reflecting reality. To begin with I was horrified, as I was supposed to be, by this creature who is utterly trapped by her fear of aging. She has nothing to live for other than the impossible task of preserving her physical beauty, life for her is literally no more than how other people see her. One wants to say, at least things aren't like that any more. But they are, of course.

At the extreme end, I know various extremely wealthy women whose fears are the same as Gladys's. They have retreated from public life as their looks fade. Some of them have husbands who have mistresses on the side, have sired children with them even. They are willing to put up with the humiliation of this, rather than lose the prestige of their positions. Gladys has more pride than this.

https://alittleteaalittlechat.wordpress.com/2016/01/22/jezebel-by-irene-nemirovs... ( )

Némirovsky does it again. Another repugnant main character, who nonetheless raises our sympathy. Another example of stereotype reflecting reality. To begin with I was horrified, as I was supposed to be, by this creature who is utterly trapped by her fear of aging. She has nothing to live for other than the impossible task of preserving her physical beauty, life for her is literally no more than how other people see her. One wants to say, at least things aren't like that any more. But they are, of course.

At the extreme end, I know various extremely wealthy women whose fears are the same as Gladys's. They have retreated from public life as their looks fade. Some of them have husbands who have mistresses on the side, have sired children with them even. They are willing to put up with the humiliation of this, rather than lose the prestige of their positions. Gladys has more pride than this.

https://alittleteaalittlechat.wordpress.com/2016/01/22/jezebel-by-irene-nemirovs... ( )

Che inquietudine mi ha messo questa donna. Nel romanzo si contano: 82 volte la parola "bella" e 33 volte "bellezza", oltre a ben 87 volte la parola "giovane". Mentre vecchia, vecchia, invecchia etc. sommati sono presenti per 77 volte e "donna" per 105 volte. Questo assurdo conteggio spiega il tema del romanzo e l'inquietudine non solo della protagonista ma soprattutto dell'autrice che, da quello che ho letto, aveva una madre che ricorda un po' Gladys Eysenach. A parte che vorrei conoscere questa donna di sessant'anni che ne dimostra quaranta e che nessuno s'accorge che è in giro da vent'anni in più... Mettiamo che molti siamo morti per la guerra e che la guerra abbia fatto perdere un po' il conto ma... L'ossessione di Gladys per la bellezza e la giovinezza fa riflettere sul senso che diamo all'apparenza e sulla debolezza dei nostri valori.