The Collected Stories of Colette by Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, ed., and with an introduction by, Robert Phelps. Highly recommended.

According to the introduction, this collection represents 100 stories taken from a dozen volumes published during Colette's lifetime. They are categorised as "Early Stories," Backstage at the Music Hall," "Varieties of Human Nature," and "Love." Some, like the Clouk/Chéri stories, appear to be fiction, while many, like "The Rainy Moon" and "Bella-Vista," seem to be taken straight from Colette's varied life and acquaintances.

Whether writing fiction or chronicling fact, whether writing in the third-person omniscient or in the first person, Colette herself is always a character-rarely as an influencer, that is, one whose actions or choices drive the plot. Colette's preferred role is as observer-and it is one for which she is well suited.

An inveterate sensualist and a former music-hall performer, Colette integrates her characters (real and fictional) with everything around them-their clothes (costumes), their abodes, dressing rooms, and haunts (sets), and their neighborhoods and towns (theatres). Much of Colette's writing, no matter how mundane the surface subject, is about art-the art of living and, notably, the art of loving. In "My Goddaughter," the subject tells her godmother how she injured herself with scissors and a curling iron and recounts her mother's reaction. "She said that I had ruined her daughter for her! She said, 'What have you done with my beautiful hair which I tended so patiently? . . . And that cheek, who gave you permission to spoil it! . . . I've taken years, I've spent my days and nights, trembling over this masterpiece. . . ."

Colette is attuned to everything, every sense, every nuance. "A faint fragrance did indeed bring to my nostrils the memory of various scents which are at their strongest in autumn." ("Gibriche") ". . . set in a bracelet, which slithered between her fingers like a cold and supple snake." ("The Bracelet") " . . . the supper of rare fruits, an[d]of ice water sparkling in the thin glasses, as intoxicating as champagne . . ." ("Florie") "Peroxided hair, light-colored eyes, white teeth, something about her of an appetizing but slightly vulgar young washerwoman." ("Gitanette")

Colette does not pretend to be an objective observer of human behaviour; she does not hesitate to express to the reader her weariness with certain individuals or situations, and her stories of her vain, pretentious, overbearing friend Valentine reveal her jaded and waning affection. She knows this woman so well that she sees her almost as Valentine sees herself-a drama queen acting out stories, roles, and games without depth of feeling for them. "What Must We Look Like?" becomes Valentine's driving philosophy, to which Colette responds with "a mild, a kindly pity." In "The Hard Worker," Colette says, "I can see she does not hate him, but I cannot see she loves him either." What Colette sees-and does not see-is to be respected.

Some stories, such as "The Sick Child," are vivid and imaginative and reveal Colette's amazing ability to think and dream like a gifted child. "The Advice," with its mundane beginning and premise and twisted, horrifying ending would enhance any collection of gothic or mystery tales. Other stories, like "Gibriche," several of the other music-hall stories, and "Bella-Vista," tackle topics that even today remain controversial. "Bella-Vista," in which Colette's moods seem to wane with every familiarity achieved with her hostesses, offers an ending that is heavily foreshadowed throughout but is surprising and gruesome nonetheless.

Most of the stories, whether fiction or nonfiction, seem to come from life in one way or another. The quantity of stories and the quality of the collection reveal the incredible scope of experience of Colette, the dry, often weary yet obsessive observer, interpreter, and chronicler of human nature. As Judith Thurman says in her introduction to Colette's work, The Pure and the Impure, "This great ode to emptiness was written by a woman who felt full." As well she should.

Diane L. Schirf, 27 May 2003.

Ok. You've read the Claudine novels, and Cheri and the Return of Cheri. Now what? There are other novels (The Vagabond, Gigi, My Mother's House) but there are these short stories that are "must-reads."

Colette was one of France's most distinguished writers. Though not a writer of massive books like Victor Hugo or Proust, or of psychological novels like Zola or Flaubert, she caught that French essence of individuality and quirkiness and the golden age of La Belle Epoque before World War One changed France forever. Her books are pure joy as are these short stories. If you have NOT read Colette, you are in for a treat. (And don't neglect Claudine or Cheri. )

If you're looking for a refreshing deviation from the mean of women writers, then Colette is it. Her stories offer a pleasurable clearing of the literary palate.

I like the book for the following reasons and many more: -covers both routers & switches -covers the show commands as well as the equivalent SNMP objects -tells me the inside information (e.g.) Which ver of IOS started supporting sub-interfaces, IOS hidden commands -tells me how I can leverage applications like HpOV NNM, MRTG etc

And it tells all this and more in a simple language (e.g.) The chapter on monitoring CPU & Memory resources explains lucidly how one can be proactive about monitoring these 2 key elements.

The chapter on VLAN management is another good example. One of the topics it covers is about monitoring spanning tree topology changes, how you can use community string indexing to get vlan information for each individual vlan

I am certainly not a professional but found this book very informative. The writing was "reader friendly" but, of course, having a computer and being networked certainly are not enough credentials to fully understand the nuances of this book. I highly recommend this book for people "in the business."

The story of Colette in her "own" words is really a montage of images. The attempt to make it appear as if the photographs were compiled and edited by her own hands are convincing. There are many biographies on Colette which describe how she felt and what she said. But the images of which this book is devoted to describe quite different sentiments. I thought it peculiar that she is never seen smiling in any photograph after she marries. For a woman that extolled the virtues of positive and pragmatic thinking that seems peculiar. Possibly she was wounded early in life and decided that life was about pain so one might as well accept it and not complain.

This is one of the best books I have ever read
(and Iread alot!) this was a homours book, which is very rare in the romance field and yet it was still touching. I can't wait for her next book to come out! She is my new favourite! END

This book has been on my nightstand for over a year. Every evening, I read just a morsel of Colette's beautiful prose and savor it slowly, like a decadent piece of chocolate. Since this is an "un-biography" (because it was taken from her life's works and letters to personal friends), it doesn't have that pompous, omnipotent, movie-of-the-week quality of many celebrity biographies. And yet it paints a joyous, colorful, honest, lustful and mysterious life (was she or wasn't she bisexual?) lived very simply. I'm constantly amazed at how Colette can talk about something as elemental as her cats or her garden in such a tender, sensual way.

This is a rewarding treat for those who already adore Colette's work. And for those who are unfamiliar with her, it's a simple and elegant introduction! If you've only read Gigi, or The Vagabond, you'll find the woman who wrote them even more intriguing than her stories.

I came about Rorem 'round about-ly -through videos of interviews and liner note snippets - and was greatly intrigued by his blatantly keen mind. While learning the music, I put the 'word' into it all and it plunged me even deeper. Between his impish candor and spotless observation one experiences a fine chunk of a true artistic pursuit. Also, his reflections on the two worlds of Paris and New York and the creative flora and fauna therein are priceless.

This work represents an expanded management approach, occurring over three years, for special education students with multiple disabilities. As senior author of both 1st edition (1987) and 2nd edition (1990), I noted dramatic improvements in technology; however, surgical (orthopaedic) procedures were reported as unchanged. While the underlying philosophy of this book remains valid, technical aspects now may be regarded as a "walk through history." Beverly A. Fraser, PhD

One of the best books relevant for salesrelated trainers, I know now at present is this one : Full of 80 Specific (S), (pretty) Measurable (M), Acchievable (A), Relevant (R), and Timed (T) exersizes. S.M.A.R.T.

It is also the inspiration of some of the exersizes, that I recommend for new trainers in our worldwide company. (Yes - I do list the source)

I Run a training education, and recommend this book for the graduates afterwards too. It makes it easy for the graduates to get started in an easy and sucessful way.

When You've used JUST ONE of these great exersizes I'd say the investment is payed in full. Both for you and your participants ;o)

Go get it, and make a difference out there...