“He has walked into the trap of their vast, lunar privacy; they get their nets out, they’re going to capture him and keep him there… The hunt begins.”

“The Governesses” felt like a romp through an old French fable; An experiment meant to poke and prod at the meaning behind female existence, and an exploration of the relationship between a feral/Dionysian joie de vivre and an oppressive melancholia. Anne Serre’s writing, translated by Mark Hutchinson, is both evocative and poetic, and her choice to connect the governesses with earth and nature throughout “The Governesses” allows the readers to ground themselves within its whirlwind of wit and subtle comedy. At its core, this work seeks to portray female desire and pleasure as it is simultaneously dissected, studied, admired, and scrutinized under the male gaze. 

The subject matter and premise, while interesting, falls somewhat flat. A true climax is never really reached (though this might be intentional?), and readers are left hanging. “The Governesses” has given me much to think about, but it doesn’t quite have that drive nor memorable quality to keep my attention for more than a couple hours. However, it has certainly peaked my interest about Anne Serre’s other work.

Overall, an interesting and provocative work!