Early Stories Summary

Early Stories: Clouk/Chéri

In "The Other Table," Colette tells the story of Clouk, a wealthy man who has been seeing Lulu, a star of the music hall, for four years. In the first part of the story, they dine together; in the second part, "The Screen," she has left him and he has become very depressed, going to an opium den and trying to forget her. In the third part, "Chouk Alone," he has worsened and all of his old friends want nothing to do with him; he sees two of them on the stairs and is depressed when they leave, thinking about life alone. In the last part, "Chouk's Fling," he is beginning to accept that she is gone forever as he sits with a depressing companion at a restaurant.

The second set of stories about this character...