Monique
Fiction. Women's Studies. "The expert translation of this almost Gothic story lifts the veil on the place where environment meets the psyche, on women's sensuality and wit. A gift of Portuguese women writing to the English reader." -Lisa Katz
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In 1929, Marguerite Yourcenar, writing in French, published her first novel, Alexis, or a Treatise on a Vain Conflict, [1] in the form of a letter written by a husband to the wife of three years whom he had deserted. In 2003, the Portuguese author, Luísa Coelho took up the task and created Monique in response to Yourcenar's Alexis. Coelho's novella, the letter Monique wrote in return to Alexis, explodes not only Alexis's perception of Monique, but society's perception of women as well. In it, she opens the door to an inner life unimaginable by both her husband and the society in which she lived. Monique allows a re-reading of Alexis that makes clear his lack of knowledge of the woman to whom he had been married for three years. He knew nothing of her immense creativity and lesbian sexuality that had taught her to long for a passionate sexual relationship. Much worse, however, was the tragedy of Alexis's emotional isolation that prevented his interest in her inner life. He too was a victim of social circumstances that dictated he marry against his sexual preference. Despite all this, Monique continued to love him for the rest of her life.
