Bonjour Tristesse – Françoise Sagan (John Murray, 1957 Reprint)

This John Murray reprint (1957) is of interest to collectors of mid-century French literature, Françoise Sagan first editions, and 20th century European fiction.

About: A sound 4th printing in original 1950s dust jacket, with the characteristic vivid illustrated cover. Dust jacket shows wear to extremities and some chipping; text block clean and tight. A presentable reading or collector's copy of this landmark novel.

Details:

• Title: Bonjour Tristesse
• Author: Françoise Sagan
• Publisher: John Murray, London
• Publication Date: 1957 (4th Printing; first published May 1955)
• Edition: Reprint (4th Printing)
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: Good

Synopsis: John Murray reprint of Sagan's celebrated debut novel, in original illustrated dust jacket. A collectible copy of one of the defining works of post-war French fiction.

Review: Françoise Sagan's Bonjour Tristesse (1954) is a landmark of 20th century French literature, written when Sagan was just eighteen. The novel follows Cécile, a carefree teenager whose idyllic summer on the French Riviera with her widowed father is disrupted by the arrival of a sophisticated woman who threatens to upend their bohemian lifestyle. Spare, elegant, and psychologically acute, it caused a sensation on publication and remains a touchstone of mid-century European fiction.