French subscription literature
10. Les petits enfants du siècle
Reasons to study the work
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Still a very enlightening and amusing, this novel has the power to move. It would interest students who intend to study French culture at university as it bookends the period from the 60s to the year 2005 with Kiffe kiffe demain.
The interest of the work
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The protagonist Jo, who is also the narrator, spends her early life looking after the latest new baby that the parents have brought into the world in order to benefit from the financial incentives being awarded to encourage the population to grow.
Despite enjoying her school work Jo doesn't get chance to follow this through and she becomes sexualised very young as she seeks affection from the first person to show an interest in her.
There are many amusing episodes in the book although the feeling we are left with is one of upset at seeing a young person wasting her opportunities and following inexorably in the parental footsteps.
