A French novel to legendary success, written sixty years ago, has been published for the first time in France. How is this possible? It's a long story, exciting, where I played a modest role of bystander. It's also a story in history, which makes it even more attractive: this is the first story of the ultimate love story of an idol of British cinema of the 1930s and 1940s which was a destiny tragic.
The book in question was never released in France because he was considered too daring for the French. Or, more precisely, its author, Tereska Torres, feared that his description of the love lives of heterosexual and homosexual French soldiers in London during the Blitz does not shock the public.
In 1950, his book, which was based loosely on his life in London during the war, was translated into English under the title Women's Barracks (Barracks for women). It has become a literary classic station, which has been on trial for obscenity, accused of promoting promiscuity. It sold 4 million copies in the United States nothing.
Today, more than sixty years later, Tereska Torres, aged 90, has just re-translate itself into French. The result, Young Women in uniform, was published by Phoebus and was hailed by critics. Four years ago, I interviewed Tereska when she was considering rewriting Women's Barracks on the suggestion of a French publisher.
The original manuscript in French had indeed lost. Tereska, known in France as the author of twelve other serious works, has always harbored a certain loathing for her biggest commercial success. "I'm going on the Internet and I learned that I am the queen of literary lesbians, the person who wrote the first erotic novel lesbian success.
I hate it. I hate it, "she told me at the time." When you read Women's Barracks, there are five main characters. One and only half can be considered as lesbians. "The original book was certainly nothing obscene, and it is not even particularly crisp. For me, Women's Barracks was rather touching story of young people desperately looking for love under the bombs, "I pointed to his author.
Why not publish it in French? Tereska then agreed to re-translate - even if it reversed its decision some time later. We became friends. From time to time, I went to see her and we drank tea while eating cupcakes. And every time I boasted the virtues of his book supposedly torrid. Two years ago, she again changed her mind and started to rework on Girls in uniform.
On the flyleaf of the copy she sent me recently, she generously wrote: "I never wrote this book without you." Tereska did not just translate the book ... The few "naughty parts" are thankfully still there, but it also gives a lot more stuff on the euphoria, terror and courage that existed in London during the war.
She developed characters and detailed history. Finally, I must admit, it's a much better book. Also found in Young Women in uniform the first detailed account of the bond that passed one of the friends of Tereska - dubbed "Josette" in the book - and the British actor Leslie Howard. During the months before his tragic death in 1943, aboard a downed aircraft in flight, he lived with "Joseph" and his illegitimate son in his mansion in Surrey.
The star of Gone with the wind [he plays the role of Ashley Wilkes] was 50 years old, the young French woman nearly thirty less. To believe Tereska, their story was a romance where the sex was secondary. Anyway, the new version of the book is excellent and Tereska so different from the former it would be a pity someone does not retranslated into English. 
The book in question was never released in France because he was considered too daring for the French. Or, more precisely, its author, Tereska Torres, feared that his description of the love lives of heterosexual and homosexual French soldiers in London during the Blitz does not shock the public.
In 1950, his book, which was based loosely on his life in London during the war, was translated into English under the title Women's Barracks (Barracks for women). It has become a literary classic station, which has been on trial for obscenity, accused of promoting promiscuity. It sold 4 million copies in the United States nothing.
Today, more than sixty years later, Tereska Torres, aged 90, has just re-translate itself into French. The result, Young Women in uniform, was published by Phoebus and was hailed by critics. Four years ago, I interviewed Tereska when she was considering rewriting Women's Barracks on the suggestion of a French publisher.
The original manuscript in French had indeed lost. Tereska, known in France as the author of twelve other serious works, has always harbored a certain loathing for her biggest commercial success. "I'm going on the Internet and I learned that I am the queen of literary lesbians, the person who wrote the first erotic novel lesbian success.
I hate it. I hate it, "she told me at the time." When you read Women's Barracks, there are five main characters. One and only half can be considered as lesbians. "The original book was certainly nothing obscene, and it is not even particularly crisp. For me, Women's Barracks was rather touching story of young people desperately looking for love under the bombs, "I pointed to his author.
Why not publish it in French? Tereska then agreed to re-translate - even if it reversed its decision some time later. We became friends. From time to time, I went to see her and we drank tea while eating cupcakes. And every time I boasted the virtues of his book supposedly torrid. Two years ago, she again changed her mind and started to rework on Girls in uniform.
On the flyleaf of the copy she sent me recently, she generously wrote: "I never wrote this book without you." Tereska did not just translate the book ... The few "naughty parts" are thankfully still there, but it also gives a lot more stuff on the euphoria, terror and courage that existed in London during the war.
She developed characters and detailed history. Finally, I must admit, it's a much better book. Also found in Young Women in uniform the first detailed account of the bond that passed one of the friends of Tereska - dubbed "Josette" in the book - and the British actor Leslie Howard. During the months before his tragic death in 1943, aboard a downed aircraft in flight, he lived with "Joseph" and his illegitimate son in his mansion in Surrey.
The star of Gone with the wind [he plays the role of Ashley Wilkes] was 50 years old, the young French woman nearly thirty less. To believe Tereska, their story was a romance where the sex was secondary. Anyway, the new version of the book is excellent and Tereska so different from the former it would be a pity someone does not retranslated into English.
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