The one bit of happiness I've had today has been finishing reading "Gigi" by Collette. It was a very different experience after having seen the movie on multiple occasions. I read the parts and other things not included in the movie or were changed. The book has a more in depth look at Gigi, her grandmother, her great-aunt, and mother. A bit more of Gaston too. I got to see more and understood why he eventually wanted Gigi to be his mistress, something not stated in the movie. In the book, one actually finds out that he falls in love with Gigi, where in the movie he discovers that he loves her after the disastrous first outing as man and mistress. There is no outing in the book as Gigi, at the first time, says no to being his mistress but finds that she loves him and decides that she'd rather be miserable with him then not see him, the second time. At that point, the second time, Gaston who has come in pretense of getting back his hat that he had left at their apartment but most likely came to either ask Gigi again to be his mistress or propose marriage, asks Gigi's grandmother for Gigi's hand in marriage. In the movie, Gigi doesn't say no and they go out as man and mistress but it ends with Gaston being uncomfortable with it all. He leaves, goes on a walk, discovers that he loves Gigi, and goes back to their apartment to ask for Gigi's hand in marriage.

In the book, the mother of Gigi is present and actually talks but there is no uncle Honore nor an expanded role for Liane d'Exelmans or a trip to Monte Carlo for Gigi and Gaston. Gaston goes alone. In the movie, the mother is only heard always rehearsing opera, there is an uncle Honore (most likely to add another element of romance for the grandmother who seems to once have been Honore's mistress, an explanation as to why Gigi and her family know Gaston, and as somebody to sing the songs "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" and "I Remember It Well"), an expanded role for Liane d'Exelmans, and Gigi and her grandmother accompany Gaston to Monte Carlo where her grandmother runs into Honore once again.

Anyway, I felt happiness because the story had a happy, romantic ending. The stating of Gaston as being in love with Gigi is examined more especially with Gigi questioning that love with "But you are a terrible man! You're in love with me, and you want to drag me into a life where I'll have nothing but worries, where everyone gossips about everyone else, where the papers print nasty stories. You're in love with me, and you don't care a fig if you let me in for all sorts of horrible adventures, ending in separations, quarrels, Sandomirs, revolvers, and laudanum". Before when her grandmother informed her of his intention, she already hated the idea of always being gossiped about by the papers, by other people (men and mistresses). Her grandmother made no secret of sex and other things about being a mistress, getting dumped being one thing. She has grown up reading those society newspapers. She has been brought up by her grandmother and great-aunt to be a courtesan. It's not what she wants. So, when he says he loves her, she is even more upset because she does not associate love with being a mistress. To Gaston, love may mean having a relationship with a woman both sexually and involving a public life of gossip columns and scrutiny but she tells him "I don't want what you do". It's a little ironic that the second time they meet (when Gaston comes back for his hat but really wants to talk), they both give in to what each other desires. Gigi decides to be miserable with him then to be miserable without him, which indicates that she would give up her ideal of love and be his mistress. Gaston then counters, giving up his rich man, playboy lifestyle to marry Gigi then to have her as just another mistress. They both want each other to be happy.

Two more differences between the book and movie. In the book, Gigi is blond where in the movie they casted a brunette (Leslie Caron). The character of Aunt Alicia is more brutal and strong, she doesn't change in the movie. In the book, when Gigi tells Gaston she'd rather be miserable with him, she holds the grandmother back and tells her "Leave well alone. Don't meddle any more. Can't you see she is far beyond us?". While still being brutal and will try to use ideology such as dressing up life as a mistress and all the luxuries and romance to convince Gigi, she manages eventually to see that Gigi has it under control herself. Then again, maybe she only changes because Gigi concedes to be Gaston's mistress.

And that's my rant and rave for today. Been such a long time since I've posted an entry. Enjoy!