The Governesses

By Anne Serre, Mark Hutchinson (translator),

Book cover of The Governesses

Book description

In a large country house shut off from the world by a gated garden, three young governesses responsible for the education of a group of little boys are preparing a party. The governesses, however, seem to spend more time running around in a state of frenzied desire than attending to…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Governesses as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This French novella was written in the early ’90s but translated in 2019 to English for the first time. It lacks structure and is full of plot holes, but Serre’s writing is equal parts whimsical and erotic. It feels a bit like she wrote it in one sitting during some kind of fever dream but that’s why it feels like a poem. If you’re into chaotic women and turn of the century kink, then this is for you.

From Olivia's list on poets who want to write fiction.

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