Still reading Judith Thurman's biography on Colette. This looks like something for the notebook:
Colette was not the first woman of the century to work out, but she was one of the first amateurs. She had just turned thirty, and she had a morbid fear of succumbing to the matronly flaccidity that was the fate of the average middle-aged woman of that era. In the process of becoming fit, she discovered that exercise strengthens one's morale. … Colette had understod, precociously, that the true beauty of a woman's muscles is identical with their purpose, and that's self-support.
~ From Secrets of the Flesh, pp132-133
Ladies, please go exercise. Or do yoga.
3 comments:
I loved that passage too! Her athleticism is one of the reasons I admire Colette so much.
A morbid fear of succumbing to the matronly flaccidity that was the fate of the middle-aged woman...and at 30! Pretty self-enlightened. Can you imagine what she would think of Americans now, with our obesity problems?
Dorothy: Yes, Colette is my hero. *dreamy sigh* :P
It's remarkable how Colette has so much to offer the modern reader. She is just this odd blend of insight and bone-headedness that's fascinating.
LK: Hmm...what would Colette think of obese Americans now? Knowing her, something outrageously rude and funny!
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