Bonjour Tristesse

Cécile, the novel’s 17-year-old narrator, reflects that a new feeling of sadness isolates her. She says it is different from emotions like boredom, regret, and remorse. She begins to describe the events of the past summer, when she stayed in a villa on the Mediterranean with her father, Raymond, and his lover, Elsa. Raymond, a charming and indulgent 40-year-old widower, frequently changes partners. Cécile accepts this lifestyle, enjoying the freedom it allows. Elsa—whom she describes as “gentle” and “unpretentious”—joins them at the villa with Cécile’s encouragement.

Cécile spends her days swimming, lying in the sun, and relishing the break from city life. One day, a young man named Cyril capsizes his sailboat near their cove. Cécile helps him and learns he is a law student vacationing nearby. She is immediately drawn to him and agrees to let him teach her to sail.

That evening, Raymond announces that Anne Larsen, a family friend, will be joining them. Cécile is shocked. Anne, who was once close to Cécile’s late mother and was a formative influence on Cécile, is refined, self-assured, and emotionally reserved. Cécile foresees tension between Anne and Elsa. After Elsa retires for the night, Cécile and her father talk.