Retreat from Love

I was so happy to find this book after thinking that 'Claudine and Annie' of the four Claudine books was the last we could read of her. In this book, Colette expands upon the friendship between Claudine and Annie, and shows what becomes of the latter's timid personality and what stepson Marcel has developed into. But Claudine is the same delightful Claudine, who writes of pain, of friendship, of personal relationships, of nature, of animals freely now, uninhibited by society. For how flowing and relaxing the book reads, there are some major changes to the plot, most noticably in the end. A lovely book for anyone who wants to keep up with Claudine, or who enjoys the later works of Colette.