La Ronde translates as 'the round' which can refer to the policeman's beat, a circle of dancers, or a carousel, all of which this circular collection of interconnected short stories resembles. Each scene is built around a specific pair, and when one member of the pair breaks away from his or her lover, he or she then moves on to the next, introducing the partner that will lead on to the next pair, and so on until we are back where we started. Many of these lovers are seeking something they've lost in arms that look familiar but that belong to strangers. La ronde is the bittersweet note sounded by the circular nostalgia of the heart.