Gigi by Colette

From Goodreads:
Gigi is being educated in the skills of the Courtesan: to choose cigars, to eat lobster, to enter a world where a woman's chief weapon is her body. However, when it comes to the question of Gaston Lachaille, very rich and very bored, Gigi does not want to obey the rules.

"A liaison with a great professional lady is the only suitable way for him to wait for a great marriage, always supposing that some day he does marry."  p.29

I have seen the movie Gigi countless times and consider it one of my favorite movies.  I love Leslie Caron and the music is so wonderful.  It wasn't till I was older that I realized how it verges into creepy especially Gaston's song at the end.  But Leslie Caron does not look 16, as Gigi is suppose to be, so the creep factor is dialed down a bit.  

Recently I discovered that Gigi is based on a novella by Colette and decided to read it. The movie follows along with the story so I recognized most of the dialogue and knew what was going to happen next.  It is, of course, shorter and the movie adds scenes that expand on Gaston falling in love with Gigi, but the gist is here.  Gigi is portrayed as an innocent girl who both understands and doesn't understand her family's "career" choice. Gaston is a rich younger man (33) who is friends with Gigi's grandmother and who Gigi has known a long time.  Gradually he develops feelings for her while her family grooms her to become his mistress.  It's actually pretty shocking for our time, but I guess it was less so then?  But the story has a sweet ending and I'm glad I read it.  Now I feel the urge to rewatch the movie.

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