Bonjour Tristesse

Celebrating the range and diversity of Penguin Classics, they take us from snowy Japan to springtime Vienna, from haunted New England to a sun-drenched Mediterranean island, and from a game of chess on the ocean to a love story on the moon. Beautifully designed and printed, these collectible editions are bound in colourful, tactile cloth and stamped with foil.

Published when she was only eighteen, Françoise Sagan's astonishing novella, Bonjour Tristesse, became an instant bestseller. It tells the story of Cécile, who leads a carefree life with her widowed father and his young mistresses until, one hot summer on the Riviera, he decides to remarry - with devastating consequences.

Françoise Sagan (1935–2004) was a French novelist, playwright, and screenwriter known for her exploration of love, freedom, and existential themes. She gained international fame at 18 with her debut novel, Bonjour Tristesse (1954), which captured the disillusionment of post-war youth. Sagan's works often depict affluent, bohemian characters navigating emotional complexities with elegance and melancholy. Her style is characterized by sharp wit, understated prose, and a modern sensibility.