Belle De Jour Paperback – April 24, 2007

Belle de Jour by Joseph KesselI read the Kindle version of the St Martin’s Press editionThis controversial 1928 novel of a doctor’s wife who leads a secret life of prostitution in order to assuage a deep compulsion within her was the basis for the Louis Bruñel movie of the same title, starring Catherine Deneuve.While the film is superb, the novel dives deeper into her psychology, includes episodes only touched upon by Bruñel, and ends with explicit tragedy. Far from being pornographic, as critics claimed when it first came out, Belle de Jour is compassionate, insightful, and intimate in terms of literary portraiture.In elegant, restrained prose, with the poise of detachment, Kessel examines how a lovely young wife with a rich, handsome husband whom she loves could find herself lured into going to a private bordello to offer herself as one of the prostitutes.As she discovers, her perfect life leads to ennui. She craves degradation, humiliation, and rough hands in order to feel even a spark of interest in sexual matters, in life itself. Knowing this about herself disgusts and repels her, but she craves it irresistibly.Kessel discusses the dichotomy between spirit and flesh not in lecture but through Séverine Serizy’s compulsive actions. He often mentions addiction, echoing today’s term “sex addict” decades before it was recognized, but make no mistake, Séverine is no nymphomaniac lusting for endless, nerve-dead orgasms. Quite the contrary.It all begins with a bit of gossip about the wife of one of her husband Pierre’s friends being a prostitute by day. Why would a rich, educated woman in a happy marriage do such things?Séverine relating this juicy gossip prompts another, closer friend of her husband’s, a man she doesn’t much like, to mention to her the addresses of a few bordellos within walking distance of her upscale home.This friend, Monsieur Husson, a jaded sensualist and debauchee, sees in her bubbly, youthful demeanor a seed of corruption and, being a sadist who enjoys psychological manipulations over inflicting physical pain, gives her precisely what she needs to find her own way to downfall. He does this so he can savor observing her descent into a sordid double life, each half of which torturing her when she’s in one role or the other.Events spiral far beyond the sexual, making Belle de Jour a kind of deep dive psychological crime novel.A joy of clear modern prose, a captivating topic, and a precise, inevitable presentation make Bell de Jour strongly recommended.It doesn’t matter if you’ve seen the movie or not, the book stands on its own and the movie doesn’t ruin anything. If anything it operates as an advertisement or enticement.If you savor good writing about real people in adult situations discovering how unpredictable life can be — Madame Bovary by Gustav Flaubert is an echo, perhaps, along with A Farewell To Arms by Hemingway — definitely give Belle de Jour a try./ Gene Stewart///

The French seem to have a knack for literary eroticism. This book leans more to the psychological side of things rather than explicit sex scenes but is still an interesting and engaging novel of desire, submission and infidelity. The main character lives a normal upper middle class existence with her husband a successful surgeon. She is happy as far as she knows until she hears gossip in her social circle of a woman like her working in a brothel for a little extra cash.Fascinated and revolted she eventually finds her way to a brothel and experiences something that fulfils a deep need in her psyche. The deception and pressure of living two lives, one respectable the other not, eventually cause heartache and ruin.I enjoyed it very much, this book is not thick so can easily be read in a weekend. If you enjoy French literature or erotic literature or both then you will probably enjoy this.

Kessel's book was first published in French in 1928 and served as the basis for Luis Bunuel's 1967 film of the same title. Without going into detail, there are significant differences, especially in the addition of the sadomasochist dream sequences appearing throughout the film. Kessel's book does not have these puzzling fantasies and the two conclude in different ways. This said, Kessel's book, in translation, is an excellent piece of story-telling.

I was disappointed with my purchase. I thought I had purchased the book "Belle de Jour" in French, its original publication language. The copy I received was in English. It might have been my mistake when I ordered it. I will keep the book but I am still looking for a French edition copy. No complaints regarding delivery.

I picked up the novella for Belle De Jour after watching the 1967 Catherine Deneuve film adaptation for the hundredth time. The book is a novella so it's not as long as it perhaps could have been but it is definitely fuller bodied and more fulfilling experience then the movie is. Every couple years I dig out my copy when I'm in the mood for a quick, satisfying read.

Often, eroticism is in the mind rather than in the body. This is an excellent book without explicits and leaves a lot to imagination.

A masterpiece requires antecedents. The Kessel novel is the antecedent to Senor Bunuel's exquisite master work, the film illuminated by La Deneuve.

Very well written.Kessel casts his characters with clarity and conviction. I saw the movie first, and in my opinion, the book was much better, as it usually is.

I was rather hoping it would be in French as the author and title are both French but this was obviously my mistake. The subject matter is well known to me as I have seen Bunuel' s opus several times and whereas the English translation is more than adequate I still believe the book would have been better as the French original.

la citation mise en exergue se trouve à la page 112 du livre.L'histoire est simple, Séverine une femme belle, distante et froide, folle amoureuse de son mari Pierre, un chirurgien émérite, se retrouve -sans véritables raisons dévoilées, à part peut-être la scène d'ouverture qui raconte un presque abus alors qu'elle était enfant par un ouvrier grossier- à se prostituer dans une maison, elle dissocie totalement ses deux vies, celle de la bourgeoise riche et supérieure et celle où elle s'encanaille avec une attirance certaine pour les hommes vulgaires, machos et issus d'une toute autre classe sociale que la sienne... Ce roman a été publié en 1928 et il a scandalisé le public par l'exposition des désirs viciés d'une femme et surtout pas son hypocrisie involontaire car elle ne peut pas résister à l'appelle de son propre corps ; la fin que je ne dévoilerai pas est une sorte de feu d'artifice où les deux vies de Séverine finiront par se rencontrer avec toutes les conséquences que cela impliquent. Kessel dans une écriture simple et fluide et son talent hors-pair de conteur nous décrit cette tranche de vie Et peu pourront abandonner le livre avant de savoir ce que les dernières pages révèlent. Le film qui suit le roman à la lettre avec juste une fin légèrement différente et quelques rajouts -des rêves diurnes de fantasmes très explicites- qui nous explique la nature profondément masochiste de Séverine, son désir d'humiliation, son besoin d'avoir des hommes directifs qui la traitent en soumise... Ce film est un chef d'oeuvre parfaitement interprété par des acteurs remarquables et avant tous les autres Catherine Deneuve sublime en cette Séverine haute-bourgeoise qui vit simplement ses deux vies ; mis-en-scène très mesurée, précise et respectueuse de l'intrigue avec quelques collages surréalistes. J'ai encore préféré le film au livre, donc je conseille de lire avant de regarder, c'est assez rare qu'un film dépasse le roman dont il s'est inspiré.citation tirée de la préface de Kessel :"(...)Ce que j'ai tenté avec Belle de Jour, c'est de montrer le divorce terrible entre le coeur et la chair, entre un vrai, immense et tendre amour et l'existence implacable des sens. (...)" p12