I read this novella, a combination of fable, fairy tale, and Dionysian revelry in one sitting--as it traversed a story that took place over many years but almost could have been a day. A couple has three governesses, nearly indistinguishable, to take care of their boys, also nearly indistinguishable, in a house that also has some indistinguished maids and an old man voyeur next door. The governesses plan parties, play games, and generally bring light and life to the house--except when they turn into frenzied predators who find strange men and devour them, leaving them dead. These routines are only changed, albeit not particularly fundamentally, when one of the governesses has a baby.

The writing is very experimental, at parts it had my interest, and I liked the way it drew on but subverted so many of our notions of governesses from fiction like Jane Eyre. But I found the fact that it had no particular story arc, purpose, resolution or the like--all of which would have been strongly present in the fairy tale world it alludes. At some point when you don't care about any of the characters (most of whom are not actually characters) and you don't care which direction it is all going (because it is not going any particular direction), it is hard to be too excited about the inventiveness of a book. Fortunately this one is short and focused enough that the "hard to be too excited" doesn't turn into a worse feeling by the time it ends.

2.5

Really loved this for a bit, but then it sort of petered out. Still excited for an A24 movie!

I came across the title is one of those 'must-read' lists. Since it was a novella, I didn't hesitate before picking it up.
The novella has three governesses (mythical creatures?), a family house with huge gardens, the owners of the house, their little kids, a handful of little maids, and an elderly gentleman with a telescope.
What the story actually does, is nothing much. It starts at some point and ends at another point. It's like opening a dairy and reading random pages. The novella was called a fable by other reviewers. Guess it does fit in a way. It is surreal with a lot of philosophical undertones, wrapped in so-called semi-erotic and sensual description.
With books like this one, the best thing is to not try to make too much sense. Unless the reader wants to delve deeply into the philosophical aspects (which are in abundance), don't bother.
Someone said the book was one of the best translations from French to English, though I can't help but wonder if the prose lost its lyrical beauty during the translation. Not knowing French puts me at a disadvantage for sure. The English version seems a bit weird (in phrasing).
Overall, if you are looking for something different and (even) strange, pick this up.

Trigger warning (if required): Nudity, sexual assault (of a man).

It is hard to figure out what to say or think about this slim book of barely 100 pages. I liked it? But not well enough to give it 4-stars? (I almost gave it 4 stars then decided it just didn't quite have that frisson of reading pleasure I think a 4 star book needs.) That doesn't explain very much. Since I struggled to find my own words to piece together what I felt about this, I decided to cut & paste lines from other reviews that resonated with me.

"This quirky, dream-like tale is akin to an exotic and erotic fairy tale for adults."

"There are clearly subtexts going on in the tale, but I was uncertain what they actually were."

"It's like a science fiction version of Mary Poppins meets Brigadoon meets the Nanny. I still have no idea what this book was about."

"By turns dreamy and campy. But beneath the sex romp lurks a healthy dose of materialist philosophy and existential dread"

"But one of the novel's point seems to be that the governesses, for all their apparent control over the men in the story, lack autonomy (the 'clockwork toys' of an earlier quote), and exist mainly in the male gaze."

Overall Enjoyment: 3 stars

Synopsis: Three governesses reside in the house of Monsieur and Madam Austeur, but they are, possibly, also the Three Graces. Or, three governesses with wild souls and insatiable sexual desires, have a phenomenal gift for throwing parties that feel like faery circuses. Or an old man, stares through his telescope across the street at the abandoned house, and creates - in his mind - the story of three, lovely governesses who love to play games with the world and the wild woods around them. Or possibly all three, it's impossible to know for sure.

My Opinion: I have such a perplexed reaction to this little story. It's weird, limpid, full of dark tinted imaginings. But it also so satisfying to see women who experience life so connected with nature, and exist solely for the momentary desires of their hearts and souls. The writing is lovely; with words that cascade around you like a silk-laced waterfall, though because of the slipperiness of the drops (words) I had to backtrack several times to fully grasp what I'd just read. This story confuses me; it also intoxicates me.

Writing Quality: 4 Stars
Genre: Fiction, novella, fairytale?
Part of a Series: No
Perfect for: those who enjoy weird fairytale like stories