La Vagabonde

By: Colette

Narrated by: Johanna Ward

Largely autobiographical, La Vagabonde recalls Colette's own years as a dance hall performer in turn of the century Paris, where she takes the listener backstage and into the demimonde of Renée Néré, an aging dancer, mime, and failed writer. Successfully evoking the excitement, the sounds, smells, tastes, textures, and colors of the Parisian dance hall, Renée describes her romance with her admirer, Maxime, and the downward slide of a young Piaf type singer named Jadin.

The story follows the struggles of a woman who must choose between freedom and love. The story is told in a sultry, passionate, and intelligent voice. La Vagabonde contains all that is best in Colette: wisdom, vitality, and her astute observations on art, pleasure, and love.

(P)1996 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"Ward presents the controlled, but deep, emotion of this woman struggling to release the pain and frustration of an abusive first marriage and to enjoy the almost painfully awkward ardor of her suitor." (AudioFile)

A wonderful tale by Colette, perfectly narrated by Johanna Ward.

Ah to hear Colette read aloud, c’est magnifique. The narrator, Johanna Ward, masterfully brings Colette’s words to life. She brings a timbre and cadence to the narration that feels true to the work’s French origin. The lilt of tone helps the words to dance and flow through the setting of the theater and the life of the protagonist alike.

The dancehall is brought to us, with all its little trivialities and interrelationships between performers. We see the lives lived there and the differences between life on and off of the stage. We then follow the protagonist through her journey of self knowing, the emergence of a begrudged new love and her ultimate wrestle between surrender to love or maintained independence.

Even though originally written ~100 years ago, Colette masterfully explores so many themes a woman must still grapple with; when seeking to understand and embrace her place in the world.

Lovely, Romantic Tale

As a Francophile, I found this story set mostly in Paris intriguing, charming and gorgeously written. Women who enjoy a love story with psychological elements should enjoy it very much. The reader is superlative. She reads with wit, charm and a perfect French accent. I recommend The Vagabond extremely highly.

Colette: an author of exceptional talent

I got this book after watching a movie named Colette, with Keira Knightley.
I consider myself fairly well read, so I was surprised to learn about this author who had such an immense influence in France. Her Wikipedia entry said that Vagabond was her best known work, or perhaps most highly regarded.
This book did not disappoint! it was so well written, so brilliantly insightful, super personal and yet so immediately relevant for everyone who has ever struggled between independence and the bonds of love.
It was also fascinating to hear the descriptions of the life of a theater performer. Highly recommend!

Beautifully Written Literature About Relationships

This was a pleasant sounding reading. The text was wonderfully written, very descriptive and psychologically engaging. The characters had depth, and not the superficial kind, where it tells more than shows. This was the opposite. As a male divorcee, the feelings of the female protagonist resonated with me. The author captures a well-storied woman’s struggle between love and its unsavory entrapments, the demands of domesticity. She contemplates the possibilities of a second marriage and soliloquizes beautifully about her ambivalence. It’s definitely worth a read.

Vapid Characters

The beautiful writing was offset by the disdainful and boring characters. The story goes almost nowhere; perhaps that's the point that I missed.

The performance of the reader is good and her voice is melodic.

Not what I was expecting

Found it pretty boring but had to listen until the end to see what was going to happen
Did not understand what the writer was trying to communicate

Excellent

In every way. The story, the landscapes, the language, the intimate interiors of Colette herself and the people who surround her. I really enjoyed this work.

Meh… too feminist for me

The heroine glorifies her independence by choosing to travel the world and perform while a young, wealthy man is madly in love with her and wants to marry her and have children.