Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of Colette

Reading Group Guide

The life of Colette is a fascinating exploration of the complexities and contradictions that can exist within a single individual. In “Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of Colette,” Judith Thurman delves into the enigmatic world of this renowned French author and presents a thought-provoking biography that challenges our preconceived notions of identity, gender, and sexuality.

The Physical and the Intellectual: A Delicate Balance

Thurman’s choice of title, “Secrets of the Flesh,” works as both an epithet and a paradox. Throughout her life, Colette navigated the delicate balance between the physical and the cerebral. At times, her physical desires and passions held the upper hand, while at other times, her intellectual pursuits took precedence. This constant interplay between the two realms shaped her life and work in unique ways.

Blurring Boundaries: Colette’s Subversion of Opposites

Colette was a trailblazer who shattered traditional notions of opposites. She challenged the binary thinking that often limits our understanding of the world. Emotion and reason, work and play, love and lust – Colette blurred these boundaries, transcending societal norms and expectations. Her life and work were a constant exploration of the gray areas that exist between dichotomies.

Time, Place, and Character: A Complex Relationship

Thurman explores the intricate relationship between place, historical moment, and character in Colette’s life. Colette both embodied and subverted the zeitgeist of her time. She was deeply influenced by the society in which she lived, but she also defied its conventions, forging her own path. Thurman’s vivid descriptions paint a picture of a woman ahead of her time, who defied societal expectations and broke free from the constraints of her era.

Writing as an Expression of the Physical

Colette’s intimate connection with the written word is explored in relation to her physical experiences. Thurman delves into the connection between the sex Colette engaged in and the words she committed to paper. For Colette, writing and sex were intertwined, both representing a form of personal expression and liberation. Thurman invites us to contemplate the abstractness of writing and its intersection with physicality and immediacy in Colette’s life.

The Power of Influence: Those Who “Made and Remade” Colette

Colette’s character was deeply influenced by the people she encountered throughout her life. In the words of Virginia Woolf, “Different people draw different words from me.” Colette’s character depended on the company she kept, and she was continuously shaped and reshaped by those around her. However, amidst the constant changes, there were aspects of her character that remained constant, providing a sense of continuity in her ever-evolving life.

Willy: The Catalyst and the Shadow

Thurman delves into the role of Colette’s first husband, Willy, in her writing life. Willy both wittingly and unwittingly catalyzed Colette’s creative journey. Moving out of his shadow was a pivotal moment in Colette’s life, allowing her to find her own voice and construct her identity as a writer. Thurman illuminates the complex dynamics between Willy and Colette, shedding light on how their relationship shaped her artistic pursuits.

The Many Functions of Writing Fiction

Writing fiction served multiple roles in Colette’s life. It was a means to rewrite her past, a cathartic gesture, an escape, and a way to confront trial and temptation. For over fifty years, writing became a transformative act, blurring the line between memory, faithful recollection, and invention. Thurman invites us to contemplate the myriad functions of fiction in Colette’s life and how storytelling became an integral part of her journey.

The Pursuit of Dominance: Colette’s Exploration of Power Dynamics

Colette maintained a deep interest in the domination-submission dynamic throughout her life. Thurman delves into this aspect of Colette’s relationships and explores the transition from being a submissive to becoming a master. She invites us to examine the motivations behind Colette’s fascination with power dynamics and how it influenced her personal and creative life.

Challenging Traditional Notions of Gender

Colette’s life and writings were ahead of their time, challenging traditional notions of male and female. Thurman presents evidence that undermines the binary understanding of gender. Colette’s iconoclasm was rooted in her refusal to conform to societal expectations, blurring the lines between femininity and masculinity. Her life becomes a testament to the fluidity and complexity of gender identity.

Colette and Feminism: Embodying and Challenging Definitions

Camille Paglia’s call for a new feminism finds resonance in Colette’s life, despite the century that separates them. Colette embodied and challenged the definition of feminism that stresses personal responsibility and embraces art and sex in all their complexities. Her defiant statement, “You know what the suffragettes deserve? The whip and the harem,” speaks to her rejection of traditional feminist paradigms and her unapologetic embrace of her own desires and choices.

Motherhood and the Shifting Tides of Colette’s Relationship with Sido

Sido, Colette’s mother, played a pivotal role in her life, evoking a range of emotions from hatred to acceptance and celebration. Thurman delves into the shifts in Colette’s attitude towards her mother and explores the influence of her experiences as a daughter on her approach to motherhood. Colette’s complex relationship with Sido sheds light on the intricacies of familial bonds and how they shape one’s identity.

The Paradox of Acceptance and Rejection

Colette’s fear of accepting her daughter’s lesbianism stands as a paradox in her life. While she embodied a woman of the flesh in myriad ways, she struggled to fully embrace her own daughter’s sexuality. Thurman invites us to explore the complex dynamics at play and to understand the intersection between a person’s desires and their ability to accept and embrace the desires of others.

The Men in Colette’s Life: Quirks and Compromises

Thurman examines the qualities and shortcomings of the men who shaped Colette’s life. Some relationships muted her character, while others allowed her to fully express herself. Colette’s journey was filled with compromises, and Thurman invites us to reflect on the impact of these relationships and how they influenced her artistic and personal development.

Missy and Bertrand: Revelations of Colette’s Character

Colette’s relationships with Missy and later with Bertrand reveal intriguing aspects of her character. Thurman invites us to contemplate these relationships – the way they strike us as either anomalous or revelatory. Through these connections, we gain a deeper understanding of Colette’s complex personality and her capacity for love and connection.

The Multifaceted Meaning of Sex

Sex held multiple meanings for Colette – expression, rebellion, escape, freedom, narcissism, wholeness, pleasure, and perhaps something beyond. Thurman encourages us to explore the depths of Colette’s relationship with sex and how it shaped her life and creativity.

Cultural Differences and Morality

Thurman’s exploration of Colette’s life raises questions about the differences between European and American moralities. Colette’s bold and unapologetic embrace of her desires may have been more readily accepted in European culture of the time. The divergences between cultural norms prompt us to reflect on how society’s views on sexuality and personal freedom have evolved over time.

Art, Truth, and Fiction: Unsteady Ground

Thurman delves into Colette’s love for well-turned aphorisms, drawing parallels with Oscar Wilde. Colette’s fiction embraced imagination and transformation, blurring the boundaries between truth and fiction. Thurman invites us to consider the implications of such an approach in today’s confessional climate and how Colette’s work would be received in a world that craves authenticity but often struggles with the complexities of personal expression.

The Inexhaustible Well: Colette’s Need for Expression

Colette’s prolific output across various artistic disciplines was driven by an ineluctable need to express herself. Writing, acting, journalism, and playwriting were all avenues for her to give voice to her thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Thurman invites us to examine the relationship between Colette’s art and her life and how one nourished the other, contributing to her seemingly boundless creativity.

Fiction as a Window into Colette’s Life

Thurman analyzes the role of Colette’s fiction in understanding her life. She explores why Colette’s fabrications reveal insights that may not be found in her personal letters, journalism, or criticism. The intersection of these different forms of writing sheds light on the complexity of Colette’s life and challenges the notion of a singular truth or fact.

The Novelistic Approach: Perils and Possibilities

Critics praise Thurman for her skillful use of novelistic devices in “Secrets of the Flesh.” Examples of these conventions can be found throughout the biography. However, the use of such techniques can be both perilous and rewarding for a biographer. It allows for a deeper exploration of the subject’s inner world but also raises questions about the boundaries between fact and fiction.

Conveying a Moral Tone: Themes and Motifs

While “Secrets of the Flesh” is a work of dispassionate scholarship, it does convey a particular ethos and theme. Thurman skillfully employs motifs throughout the book, leaving indelible impressions on the reader. Themes of liberation, personal freedom, and self-expression resonate throughout Colette’s life, challenging societal norms and inspiring readers to question their own beliefs.

Unearthing Secrets: The Continuous Journey

Thurman’s comprehensive biography uncovers many secrets of the flesh, but some mysteries endure. Colette’s life was enigmatic and complex, and despite Thurman’s thorough exploration, some aspects remain elusive. The book invites readers to embrace the ongoing journey of discovery, recognizing that the essence of a person can never be fully captured or comprehended.

In “Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of Colette,” Judith Thurman paints a vivid portrait of a woman who defied societal expectations and reshaped the boundaries of art, literature, and personal identity. Colette’s life continues to captivate and challenge our understanding of what it means to be human. Thurman’s biography stands as a testament to the enduring power of one woman’s journey and the timeless nature of her artistic legacy.