I'm not sure what to think of this book, although reading the author's backstory helped me understand the story better. There's a bit of a melancholy feel to the book and it's more literary fiction than romance. The romance is quite tragic and it does explore the age difference and the relationship between a young man and an older woman. It explores aging a lot and how scandalous the relationship is. 

The novel centers around the protagonist Cheri and his relationship with his older mistress Lea who was a courtesan and his mother's friend. It's a fraught relationship, but one Cheri couldn't let go of to his detriment. We see how much it affected his life and how he couldn't form a proper relationship with his young wife because of it. 

There is a sequel called La fin de Cheri and I'm not sure if I want to read it. Maybe at some point. I think I will read more Colette books, however. I think she's very interesting and the themes of her books appear to be about going against societal norms and pressures of the time which is something I always find fascinating. 

Overall, I thought Cheri was alright, but not exactly gripping. It does have a melancholic feel and explores the characters' psyche from the lens of a doomed relationship.