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Love of the Seven Dolls
A young girl called Mouche is about to throw herself into the Seine, when her attention is attracted by a voice. It turns out to be the voice of a glove puppet, called Carrot Top. She then meets Reynard the fox, Gigi, Alifanfaron, Dr Duclos, Madame Muscat and Monsieur Nicholas. The story is about her relationship with the seven puppets and their grim puppetmaster, Capitaine Coq, and what happens when she joins their travelling show.
This is another of Paul Gallico's brilliant short novels. You find yourself thinking, as Mouche does, of the puppets as individuals, and completely forgetting that they are only puppets.
This is another of Paul Gallico's brilliant short novels. You find yourself thinking, as Mouche does, of the puppets as individuals, and completely forgetting that they are only puppets.
103 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1954
About the author
Paul Gallico
203 books294 followersPaul William Gallico was born in New York City, on 26th July, 1897. His father was an Italian, and his mother came from Austria; they emigrated to New York in 1895.
He went to school in the public schools of New York, and in 1916 went to Columbia University. He graduated in 1921 with a Bachelor of Science degree, having lost a year and a half due to World War I. He then worked for the National Board of Motion Picture Review, and after six months took a job as the motion picture critic for the New York Daily News. He was removed from this job as his "reviews were too Smart Alecky" (according to Confessions of a Story Teller), and took refuge in the sports department.
During his stint there, he was sent to cover the training camp of Jack Dempsey, and decided to ask Dempsey if he could spar with him, to get an idea of what it was like to be hit by the world heavyweight champion. The results were spectacular; Gallico was knocked out within two minutes. But he had his story, and from there his sports-writing career never looked back.
He became Sports Editor of the Daily News in 1923, and was given a daily sports column. He also invented and organised the Golden Gloves amateur boxing competition. During this part of his life, he was one of the most well-known sporting writers in America, and a minor celebrity. But he had always wanted to be a fiction writer, and was writing short stories and sports articles for magazines like Vanity Fair and the Saturday Evening Post. In 1936, he sold a short story to the movies for $5000, which gave him a stake. So he retired from sports writing, and went to live in Europe, to devote himself to writing. His first major book was Farewell to Sport, which as the title indicates, was his farewell to sports writing.
Though his name was well-known in the United States, he was an unknown in the rest of the world. In 1941, the Snow Goose changed all that, and he became, if not a best-selling author by today's standards, a writer who was always in demand. Apart from a short spell as a war correspondent between 1943 and 1946, he was a full-time freelance writer for the rest of his life. He has lived all over the place, including England, Mexico, Lichtenstein and Monaco, and he lived in Antibes for the last years of his life.
He was a first-class fencer, and a keen deep-sea fisherman. He was married four times, and had several children.
He died in Antibes on 15th July, 1976, just short of his 79th birthday.
He went to school in the public schools of New York, and in 1916 went to Columbia University. He graduated in 1921 with a Bachelor of Science degree, having lost a year and a half due to World War I. He then worked for the National Board of Motion Picture Review, and after six months took a job as the motion picture critic for the New York Daily News. He was removed from this job as his "reviews were too Smart Alecky" (according to Confessions of a Story Teller), and took refuge in the sports department.
During his stint there, he was sent to cover the training camp of Jack Dempsey, and decided to ask Dempsey if he could spar with him, to get an idea of what it was like to be hit by the world heavyweight champion. The results were spectacular; Gallico was knocked out within two minutes. But he had his story, and from there his sports-writing career never looked back.
He became Sports Editor of the Daily News in 1923, and was given a daily sports column. He also invented and organised the Golden Gloves amateur boxing competition. During this part of his life, he was one of the most well-known sporting writers in America, and a minor celebrity. But he had always wanted to be a fiction writer, and was writing short stories and sports articles for magazines like Vanity Fair and the Saturday Evening Post. In 1936, he sold a short story to the movies for $5000, which gave him a stake. So he retired from sports writing, and went to live in Europe, to devote himself to writing. His first major book was Farewell to Sport, which as the title indicates, was his farewell to sports writing.
Though his name was well-known in the United States, he was an unknown in the rest of the world. In 1941, the Snow Goose changed all that, and he became, if not a best-selling author by today's standards, a writer who was always in demand. Apart from a short spell as a war correspondent between 1943 and 1946, he was a full-time freelance writer for the rest of his life. He has lived all over the place, including England, Mexico, Lichtenstein and Monaco, and he lived in Antibes for the last years of his life.
He was a first-class fencer, and a keen deep-sea fisherman. He was married four times, and had several children.
He died in Antibes on 15th July, 1976, just short of his 79th birthday.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
September 5, 2010
I truly love this book in spite of its many fallacies. Women should never stay with rapist men that beat them because in the real world people tend to not change. When we read this strange, sad, sweet, twisted fairy tale of a novella it is important to remember to temporarily suspend our disbelief. This book is an absolute field day for feminist literary critics as well those that pursue psychological literary criticism, but it also has a weird haunting beauty that makes it one of my favorites.
January 12, 2011
I have always loved this book -because of it's charm, sadness, the vulnerability but feistiness of the heroine Mouche and the darkness and tragedy of the man who operates the puppet Capitaine Coq. It is a story of life on the streets of Paris in the 30s and of love and redemption. The other characters or puppets are tremendous -particularly the Fox and the giant, whose combined magic mediates the healing of a wounded man and a vulnerable girl, both in need of love. Gallico's book is difficult for modern tastes because there are elements of abuse in it in the process of redemption that are linked to love and hate which are not condemned as such, but in a way could be seen to titillate. Therefore it is not surprising that it is out of print. It is too strong for children and too politically incorrect for modern adults - but what the heck, it is a masterpiece anyway.
March 4, 2023
Some modern readers might be off put and offended by much of the content of this novella. And I get this point of view. I do. The subject matter is brutal and can be very triggering. However, if you are able to suspend disbelief and read this as an antiquated fable, such as Beauty & The Beast, you will find a 20th century fairytale that explores the magic and potential healing power of innocence and wonder in a post battle worn WW2 World struggling to rebuild it’s faith in humanity’s goodness again.
August 7, 2021
Well that was actually quite disturbing; I was loving it up to the end, and it was clearly supposed to be a story about the redemptive power of love, but the message is twisted and becomes completely messed up, , which ultimately ruined it for me.
December 4, 2010
Love of Seven Dolls by Paul Gallico. The author, that title, the concept – completely irresistable!
The story opens on the banks of the Seine where a young girl, Mouche, is planning to throw herself in.
Why? The war left Mouche an orphan. She dreamed of the stage and so she worked and save until she could come to Paris. But she found that she had neither the talent nor the looks needed to succeed. She looked like the simple country girl she was. And so she found herself at the age of twenty-two with no money, no home, and no friends to help her.
Paul Gallico, as ever the consummate storyteller, sets the scene perfectly.
”Hello there, you with the suitcase! Where are you going and what’s your hurry?”
“It’s cold at the bottom of the river, little one, and the eels and crayfish eat your flesh.”
“What’s the big tragedy? Your boyfriend give you the air? There’s plenty more fish in the sea.”
“Well? Cat got your tongue? Speak up when you’re spoken to.”
Who called Mouche back? At first all that she could see was an empty puppet booth with a sign announcing “Captaine Coq et sa Famille.” Then she saw a puppet. She would see seven, they all came out to see what was going on and to talk to Mouche.
First would be Carrot Top, careworn and caring manager of the show. Later there would be Dr Duclos, a pompous penguin. Mr Reynardo the scallywag fox, a loveable rogue…
It was magical and it was real. Seven puppet with characteristics so human that you could forget what they were.
Mouche was caught up. She had found friends, and she had found the warmth and magic of theatre of her dreams. such a contrast from the world she had wanted to escape minutes before. She quite forgot that there was a man behind the theatre working the puppets.
A crowd gathered to watch the interplay between girl and puppets. They were charmed, and so was I.
The girl joined the show.
But what of the puppeteer? The man who created such wonderful characters. He was an orphan like Mouche, but he was a troubled and unhappy man who would ill treat his new protegé and the young boy who worked for him?
How can you reconcile the character of the man and the characters of his creations?
How can Mouche reconcile her love for the seven puppets and her distaste for the man who brought them to life?
A wonderful story unfolds, and a resolution seems impossible, but then Paul Gallico brings the story to a conclusion that is unexpected but entirely right.
Along the way is joy, pain, and so many wonderful things are said about life, love, and the simple truths that are so important.
Love of Seven Dolls is both charming and utterly moving.
There is so much I more could say about this book, but I won’t ramble and I will add just three more words: read this book!
The story opens on the banks of the Seine where a young girl, Mouche, is planning to throw herself in.
Why? The war left Mouche an orphan. She dreamed of the stage and so she worked and save until she could come to Paris. But she found that she had neither the talent nor the looks needed to succeed. She looked like the simple country girl she was. And so she found herself at the age of twenty-two with no money, no home, and no friends to help her.
Paul Gallico, as ever the consummate storyteller, sets the scene perfectly.
”Hello there, you with the suitcase! Where are you going and what’s your hurry?”
“It’s cold at the bottom of the river, little one, and the eels and crayfish eat your flesh.”
“What’s the big tragedy? Your boyfriend give you the air? There’s plenty more fish in the sea.”
“Well? Cat got your tongue? Speak up when you’re spoken to.”
Who called Mouche back? At first all that she could see was an empty puppet booth with a sign announcing “Captaine Coq et sa Famille.” Then she saw a puppet. She would see seven, they all came out to see what was going on and to talk to Mouche.
First would be Carrot Top, careworn and caring manager of the show. Later there would be Dr Duclos, a pompous penguin. Mr Reynardo the scallywag fox, a loveable rogue…
It was magical and it was real. Seven puppet with characteristics so human that you could forget what they were.
Mouche was caught up. She had found friends, and she had found the warmth and magic of theatre of her dreams. such a contrast from the world she had wanted to escape minutes before. She quite forgot that there was a man behind the theatre working the puppets.
A crowd gathered to watch the interplay between girl and puppets. They were charmed, and so was I.
The girl joined the show.
But what of the puppeteer? The man who created such wonderful characters. He was an orphan like Mouche, but he was a troubled and unhappy man who would ill treat his new protegé and the young boy who worked for him?
How can you reconcile the character of the man and the characters of his creations?
How can Mouche reconcile her love for the seven puppets and her distaste for the man who brought them to life?
A wonderful story unfolds, and a resolution seems impossible, but then Paul Gallico brings the story to a conclusion that is unexpected but entirely right.
Along the way is joy, pain, and so many wonderful things are said about life, love, and the simple truths that are so important.
Love of Seven Dolls is both charming and utterly moving.
There is so much I more could say about this book, but I won’t ramble and I will add just three more words: read this book!
May 25, 2014
Simply love this book.
I like to think I'm relatively tough (not over-sentimental) but there are some books that make we weep like a child. This is one. Paul Gallico has written two of the less than ten that have done it (the other is Flowers for Mrs Harris which gets me about three ways and is simply one of the best books about human nature and the importance of dreams and decency over possessions.
Paul Gallico simply does not get the reputation he deserves - too often he is thought of as someone who wrote some nice cat stories.
I like to think I'm relatively tough (not over-sentimental) but there are some books that make we weep like a child. This is one. Paul Gallico has written two of the less than ten that have done it (the other is Flowers for Mrs Harris which gets me about three ways and is simply one of the best books about human nature and the importance of dreams and decency over possessions.
Paul Gallico simply does not get the reputation he deserves - too often he is thought of as someone who wrote some nice cat stories.
June 10, 2022
Δεύτερη επαφή με το έργο του Πολ Γκάλικο, μετά το πολύ ωραίο και άκρως ψυχαγωγικό μυθιστόρημα "Οι περιπέτειες του Χίραμ Χόλιντεϊ" που διάβασα τον Νοέμβριο του 2020. Εδώ έχουμε να κάνουμε με κάτι τελείως διαφορετικό σε σχέση με το άλλο του βιβλίο, τόσο από θεματολογία όσο και από στιλ γραφής, ενώ επίσης δεν μπορώ να πω ότι με ξετρέλανε στον ίδιο βαθμό, πάντως σίγουρα σαν ιστορία με κράτησε δέσμιό της από την πρώτη μέχρι την τελευταία σελίδα, χάρη στην υπέροχη ατμόσφαιρα και την εξαιρετική αφήγηση/γραφή. Βέβαια, κάποια πράγματα σχετικά με τη φύση της σχέσης ανάμεσα στην πρωταγωνίστρια και έναν σκληρό χαρακτήρα θα έλεγα ότι με προβλημάτισαν ολίγον τι, όμως γενικά το βιβλίο αυτό με μετέφερε σε μια άλλη εποχή και με έκανε να ξεχαστώ για λίγο. Είναι μια νουβέλα με πολλές ωραίες και όμορφες στιγμές (αν και ίσως λίγο γλυκανάλατες σε κάποιο βαθμό), αλλά και με κάποιες σκληρές και ωμές σκηνές. Δεν είναι παραμύθι για μικρά παιδιά, ίσως είναι μια ιστορία αγάπης για μεγάλους, με ατμόσφαιρα παραμυθιού και με κάποιες δυσάρεστες καταστάσεις. Εμένα μια φορά μου άρεσε!
November 1, 2019
A dark and twisted story about a girl called Mouche, who joins a travelling puppet show run by an evil puppeteer. It reads and feels like a fairytale. But this is not your average Disney, sunshine and rainbows fairytale. It’s a fairytale of the gruesome Brothers Grimm variety.
At the start of the story, everything is going wrong for Mouche. She’s lost her job, has no money, no place to go and is thinking of ending her life. She happens across a puppet show run by the vicious Peyrot and ends up in a conversation with the puppets. Mouche is a natural at talking to the puppets and making up stories with them, and shortly ends up joining the show - her role being to interact with the puppets and help to keep the crowd interested and entertained.
Mouche's charming relationship with the puppets draws crowds and increasing popularity wherever the show travels. Eventually, from humble beginnings playing in village squares, Mouche, Peyrot and the puppets get a gig in a proper theatre in the South of France, bringing fame and money.
Peyrot is a cruel, disturbed young man, so damaged and broken that he can only communicate on any sort of emotional level with Mouche through the puppets. Each puppet is a proxy for a different facet of his character as well as a physical and emotional barrier between him and Mouche. Mouche’s warmth, innocence and goodness begins to have an effect on Peyrot; he starts to have feelings for her. Angry at his reaction to her, which he sees this a weakness in himself, Peyrot begins a relentless campaign of physical, sexual and emotional abuse against Mouche. By night, he is wicked and treats Mouche horribly. By day, Mouche recovers by talking to the puppets, who are affectionate, loving and kind.
Mouche is a great success when the show moves to the theatre. She meets a nice, kind acrobat who takes her dancing and wants to marry her. You think it’s all going to go right – somehow Mouche will manage to escape Peyrot and find happiness with the acrobat, even if it means leaving her beloved puppets behind.
But no. Reader, unbelievably, she marries the evil Peyrot, falling into the classic trap of believing that with enough love, she can change him. I found this an outrageous and infuriating ending which does no justice to the lovely Mouche and allows Peyrot to get away scot-free for his evil actions. I didn’t throw the book across the room because mine is a nice copy from the 50s with an original dust jacket, but boy, the ending really made me want to.
I’ve given this book three stars because despite the fact that it is horrendously problematic, I was charmed by Mou’s endearing relationship with the puppets, I liked the concept of the puppets as avatars for Peyrot’s personality, and it kept me hooked to the end.
At the start of the story, everything is going wrong for Mouche. She’s lost her job, has no money, no place to go and is thinking of ending her life. She happens across a puppet show run by the vicious Peyrot and ends up in a conversation with the puppets. Mouche is a natural at talking to the puppets and making up stories with them, and shortly ends up joining the show - her role being to interact with the puppets and help to keep the crowd interested and entertained.
Mouche's charming relationship with the puppets draws crowds and increasing popularity wherever the show travels. Eventually, from humble beginnings playing in village squares, Mouche, Peyrot and the puppets get a gig in a proper theatre in the South of France, bringing fame and money.
Peyrot is a cruel, disturbed young man, so damaged and broken that he can only communicate on any sort of emotional level with Mouche through the puppets. Each puppet is a proxy for a different facet of his character as well as a physical and emotional barrier between him and Mouche. Mouche’s warmth, innocence and goodness begins to have an effect on Peyrot; he starts to have feelings for her. Angry at his reaction to her, which he sees this a weakness in himself, Peyrot begins a relentless campaign of physical, sexual and emotional abuse against Mouche. By night, he is wicked and treats Mouche horribly. By day, Mouche recovers by talking to the puppets, who are affectionate, loving and kind.
Mouche is a great success when the show moves to the theatre. She meets a nice, kind acrobat who takes her dancing and wants to marry her. You think it’s all going to go right – somehow Mouche will manage to escape Peyrot and find happiness with the acrobat, even if it means leaving her beloved puppets behind.
But no. Reader, unbelievably, she marries the evil Peyrot, falling into the classic trap of believing that with enough love, she can change him. I found this an outrageous and infuriating ending which does no justice to the lovely Mouche and allows Peyrot to get away scot-free for his evil actions. I didn’t throw the book across the room because mine is a nice copy from the 50s with an original dust jacket, but boy, the ending really made me want to.
I’ve given this book three stars because despite the fact that it is horrendously problematic, I was charmed by Mou’s endearing relationship with the puppets, I liked the concept of the puppets as avatars for Peyrot’s personality, and it kept me hooked to the end.
May 27, 2010
I found this book at a flea market last fall, and bought it with a book of Mozart’s piano sonatas for $1! At the time, all I really noticed was that it was a Paul Gallico book with a title that I didn’t recognize from my mom’s bookshelf. I didn’t realize how lucky I was with my purchase until I got home and looked at it more closely. Not only was the book a first edition that was in pretty good condition, but its story was the basis for one of my favorite films as a kid: Lili, with Leslie Caron and Mel Ferrer!
Love of Seven Dolls is certainly a much darker story than the one portrayed in the film. After being fired from her job, Mouche no longer knows what to do. She’s an orphan, with no home and little money. She’s skinny and plain, and all the managers at the cafés and review shows where she applied for work told her that with her looks and lack of talent, she’d only inspire pity from their patrons. As she reflects on her woes and contemplates suicide, a little voice calls out to her—a wooden puppet named Carrot Top, who offers her a means of escape by joining his traveling show.
As a kid watching the film, I was always fascinated at how the puppets came to life through their interactions with the girl and seeing them through her innocent eyes. It was like magic. When reading the book, Gallico’s able to instill that same feeling through his prose. But here it has a greater significance. Mouche’s relationship with these seven dolls is like a balm. It helps her retain her sense of innocence, and helps her temporarily forget the abuse she suffers at the hands of her boss Capitaine Coq (Michel Peyrot). Michel is certainly a complex character with a sordid past, interlaced with lots of pain and suffering from childhood on. Yes, he’s a bastard, especially in his actions towards Mouche. He can’t tolerate constantly witnessing Mouche’s youth and innocence, the feelings he was denied from having even as a young boy, so he can only reason that he must destroy and corrupt it. But I do like the theory brought out in the book by Golo: Nothing is entirely bad or evil, that there’s still a soul or conscience, though it’s buried deeply. Golo and Mouche see it manifested in those seven dolls, each one bearing flaws, but also seeking approval, assurance, care and love.
Definitely a good read and another favorite of mine. Though I still can’t quite come to terms that this is a book that comes from the same author that wrote The Poseidon Adventure.
Love of Seven Dolls is certainly a much darker story than the one portrayed in the film. After being fired from her job, Mouche no longer knows what to do. She’s an orphan, with no home and little money. She’s skinny and plain, and all the managers at the cafés and review shows where she applied for work told her that with her looks and lack of talent, she’d only inspire pity from their patrons. As she reflects on her woes and contemplates suicide, a little voice calls out to her—a wooden puppet named Carrot Top, who offers her a means of escape by joining his traveling show.
As a kid watching the film, I was always fascinated at how the puppets came to life through their interactions with the girl and seeing them through her innocent eyes. It was like magic. When reading the book, Gallico’s able to instill that same feeling through his prose. But here it has a greater significance. Mouche’s relationship with these seven dolls is like a balm. It helps her retain her sense of innocence, and helps her temporarily forget the abuse she suffers at the hands of her boss Capitaine Coq (Michel Peyrot). Michel is certainly a complex character with a sordid past, interlaced with lots of pain and suffering from childhood on. Yes, he’s a bastard, especially in his actions towards Mouche. He can’t tolerate constantly witnessing Mouche’s youth and innocence, the feelings he was denied from having even as a young boy, so he can only reason that he must destroy and corrupt it. But I do like the theory brought out in the book by Golo: Nothing is entirely bad or evil, that there’s still a soul or conscience, though it’s buried deeply. Golo and Mouche see it manifested in those seven dolls, each one bearing flaws, but also seeking approval, assurance, care and love.
Definitely a good read and another favorite of mine. Though I still can’t quite come to terms that this is a book that comes from the same author that wrote The Poseidon Adventure.
February 4, 2015
Một quyển gồm 2 truyện vừa, Con chim trốn tuyết và Tình nghệ sĩ. Cả tác giả lẫn truyện đều lạ hoắc. Bạn mua quyển này từ hồi cấp 3, cái thời đường Láng còn là thiên đường sách cũ, nhờ không nổi danh nên nó rẻ hều còn chưa bằng cái bánh mì ăn sáng. Con chim trốn tuyết thì dở òm nhạt nhẽo, không biết sao được lên bìa. Còn Tình nghệ sĩ bạn đọc một mạch, đọc hết trang cuối lật lên trang đầu đọc lại lần 2 ngay trong tối ấy. Đọc xong đưa cho ông anh, hôm sau hỏi lại anh bảo anh cũng phải đọc liền 2 lần!
Thời đọc truyện còn chưa biết gì về khái niệm người đa nhân cách, nếu không chắc sẽ còn thấy hay hơn nữa. Dù biết trước truyện kết thúc có hậu rồi, mà mỗi lần đọc đến cảnh Mouche xách va li đơn độc bước qua sân khấu, lại thấy nhoi nhói buồn. Nỗi buồn lên đến đỉnh điểm với cảnh tỏ tình của Carrot Top, lần nào đến đoạn này cũng khóc, lần đầu thì khóc như mưa.
- Em chẳng có gì tặng chị, em dâng chị tình yêu để chị đem đi
- Có thật là em yêu chị không
- Em lúc nào chẳng yêu chị, chỉ là chị không biết thôi
Thời đọc truyện còn chưa biết gì về khái niệm người đa nhân cách, nếu không chắc sẽ còn thấy hay hơn nữa. Dù biết trước truyện kết thúc có hậu rồi, mà mỗi lần đọc đến cảnh Mouche xách va li đơn độc bước qua sân khấu, lại thấy nhoi nhói buồn. Nỗi buồn lên đến đỉnh điểm với cảnh tỏ tình của Carrot Top, lần nào đến đoạn này cũng khóc, lần đầu thì khóc như mưa.
- Em chẳng có gì tặng chị, em dâng chị tình yêu để chị đem đi
- Có thật là em yêu chị không
- Em lúc nào chẳng yêu chị, chỉ là chị không biết thôi
January 24, 2016
the writing has dated badly and when i got to this sentence i gave up: 'And she was the more shamed because of the instinct that told her that despite the horror and brutality, she had yielded and the act and the moment might make her for ever his.' romance because of rape? no, thank you.
January 23, 2020
Gallico writes a modern fairytale. His work is somehow real and gritty, yet dreamy and joyous at the same time. Love this, despite disturbing parts.
January 11, 2016
(Review originally posted on my blog)
I chanced upon this book going through my mother’s old collection, and always being intrigued by something short and purportedly fantastical (with a context of carnivals, no less) I gave it a whirl. Not already being familiar with Paul Gallico, I was immediately impressed by the standard of writing and drawn into the enchanting (if now antiquated) world of Love of Seven Dolls – a tale of a suicidal girl finding a reason to go on through a puppet show with a life of its own, travelling across 1950s France. What follows, though, is a remarkable book that turns incredibly dark and does not fully (or in some cases even partly) resolve its negatives, yet somehow remains enchanting. Making it a pretty fascinating read.
As the awkward but endearingly innocent protagonist Mouche falls in love with an eccentric cast of puppets, she also discovers the very darkest aspects of human nature in the puppeteer. The story charts a dichotomy of love and hate, as a truly malevolent man exposes his good nature only through a puppet show and is otherwise a monster. The result is a story that jumps from sweet and heart-warming to shocking and repulsive. And then back again. By its end, though charting a course towards concepts of happiness and love conquering darkness, the conclusion is much more morally ambiguous than it sets out to be, as the book revels in the co-existence of the light and dark of human nature.
There’s a subtlety to it that is uncomfortable, not quite perfect, and undeniably realistic.
Having read a few reviews of this novella since reading it, many that are still aware of it are full of praise for its interweaving of a modern fairy tale with themes of love and redemption. Others hate it for its out-dated attitudes to abuse and its racist overtones. It’s a book that has to be read as a product of its time (the Sengalese character is woefully treated, and there’s no redemption for that…) – and it is a book where there are no really easy answers. It’s s story that will leave you wondering just how happy the ending really is, yet celebrating the sense of wonder that remains throughout. And it is a story treated with a great command of language that really brings the themes, both good and bad, to life.
I chanced upon this book going through my mother’s old collection, and always being intrigued by something short and purportedly fantastical (with a context of carnivals, no less) I gave it a whirl. Not already being familiar with Paul Gallico, I was immediately impressed by the standard of writing and drawn into the enchanting (if now antiquated) world of Love of Seven Dolls – a tale of a suicidal girl finding a reason to go on through a puppet show with a life of its own, travelling across 1950s France. What follows, though, is a remarkable book that turns incredibly dark and does not fully (or in some cases even partly) resolve its negatives, yet somehow remains enchanting. Making it a pretty fascinating read.
As the awkward but endearingly innocent protagonist Mouche falls in love with an eccentric cast of puppets, she also discovers the very darkest aspects of human nature in the puppeteer. The story charts a dichotomy of love and hate, as a truly malevolent man exposes his good nature only through a puppet show and is otherwise a monster. The result is a story that jumps from sweet and heart-warming to shocking and repulsive. And then back again. By its end, though charting a course towards concepts of happiness and love conquering darkness, the conclusion is much more morally ambiguous than it sets out to be, as the book revels in the co-existence of the light and dark of human nature.
There’s a subtlety to it that is uncomfortable, not quite perfect, and undeniably realistic.
Having read a few reviews of this novella since reading it, many that are still aware of it are full of praise for its interweaving of a modern fairy tale with themes of love and redemption. Others hate it for its out-dated attitudes to abuse and its racist overtones. It’s a book that has to be read as a product of its time (the Sengalese character is woefully treated, and there’s no redemption for that…) – and it is a book where there are no really easy answers. It’s s story that will leave you wondering just how happy the ending really is, yet celebrating the sense of wonder that remains throughout. And it is a story treated with a great command of language that really brings the themes, both good and bad, to life.
December 12, 2023
This novella was adapted to film in 1953 under the title of Lili, which is a sweet and tender film that I love to watch. While this book is in many ways sweet and tender as well, it is also surprisingly dark, traumatic and HIGHLY problematic. This is not a children's book!
Our protagonist (Mouche) is a young orphaned, naïve and provincial girl who has come to Paris full of expectation and hope. However, the journey and her pursuits in Paris have been a disaster. With no hope and nowhere to go Mouche is on the brink of throwing herself into the Seine until seven puppet bystanders intervene. She soon finds herself as part of their traveling show.
Her foil (the puppet master) is a seemingly hard and cold man at war with his many fractured, passionate and conflicting selves, each of which is being represented by one of the seven dolls in his puppet show. Having survived a rough and unkind upbringing, he has returned the many unkindnesses to the people around him. He suppresses any "softer" feelings (i.e. insecurity, love, sadness, etc) and will only give expression to them through his puppets. Unfortunately all his confusion, frustration, and anger is taken out on Mouche in some very horrible, debasing ways. Mouche's friendship with the dolls sustains her through this abuse that occurs offstage and her wholesome and amusing interaction with the dolls attracts a large audience that makes the show a huge success.
I struggled with the middle of the book where the acts of abuse occurred and while the ending was excellently done, the moral of this story is irreparably flawed and did not age well...
It still ended up being a favorite for me but I can't recommend it for everyone. But I would recommend the movie to anyone/everyone.
Our protagonist (Mouche) is a young orphaned, naïve and provincial girl who has come to Paris full of expectation and hope. However, the journey and her pursuits in Paris have been a disaster. With no hope and nowhere to go Mouche is on the brink of throwing herself into the Seine until seven puppet bystanders intervene. She soon finds herself as part of their traveling show.
Her foil (the puppet master) is a seemingly hard and cold man at war with his many fractured, passionate and conflicting selves, each of which is being represented by one of the seven dolls in his puppet show. Having survived a rough and unkind upbringing, he has returned the many unkindnesses to the people around him. He suppresses any "softer" feelings (i.e. insecurity, love, sadness, etc) and will only give expression to them through his puppets. Unfortunately all his confusion, frustration, and anger is taken out on Mouche in some very horrible, debasing ways. Mouche's friendship with the dolls sustains her through this abuse that occurs offstage and her wholesome and amusing interaction with the dolls attracts a large audience that makes the show a huge success.
I struggled with the middle of the book where the acts of abuse occurred and while the ending was excellently done, the moral of this story is irreparably flawed and did not age well...
It still ended up being a favorite for me but I can't recommend it for everyone. But I would recommend the movie to anyone/everyone.
January 19, 2023
The way this book depicts and goes about themes of race and sexual abuse is revolting. The thematic closure, which others might describe as full circle, is actually a putrid attempt to idealize and romanticize the perpetration of unhealthy and outdated gender roles. this book is the exemplification of Stockholm syndrome as well as the profiteering of others' socio-economic situation. what's even worse is that it does all this without being self-conscious about it.
with that disclaimer out of the way, The book is no longer in print and was written in a different time (1954) I can not endorse the book and thus give it 0 stars but it was well written and I do want to read Mrs. 'arris goes to Paris in the hope that Paul will redeem himself with a more politically correct story to at least lends some ambivalence to his incorrectness
with that disclaimer out of the way, The book is no longer in print and was written in a different time (1954) I can not endorse the book and thus give it 0 stars but it was well written and I do want to read Mrs. 'arris goes to Paris in the hope that Paul will redeem himself with a more politically correct story to at least lends some ambivalence to his incorrectness
January 5, 2015
Forget the course of true love never running smooth. Gallico manages to create stories where the course of true love is utterly screwed up, messy and horrific but completely believable. Just like real life. Despite hating one of the characters with an intense passion, the ending totally makes sense. It's very sad. Love is ridiculous.
August 30, 2017
This is an extraordinary book in so many ways. Paul Gallico has written a gem. I have never read anything quite like it, it's unique and moves from dark to light with a creative flow that is spellbinding. The ending is genius, it's a story that has many layers and will bewitch you in its depth of understanding of human tragedy, triumph and love.
November 12, 2017
An unexpected good read! I loved the simplicity in which the protagonist's misery and down-trodden fortune is shown, and how she undergoes a transformation through an abusive relationship from which there is a genuine love. In some ways, this is a deeply disturbing book, with dark psychological undertones represented in the antagonist, reminiscent of a Sade character. But the Freudian suggestions work, especially in the structure Galico chose – to manifest different aspects of the antagonist's personalities through seven puppets – a rather ingenious concept really. A short but powerful story.
July 7, 2021
4.5 Stars*
This book was much more interesting than expected. I went into this completely blind because I liked the cover and the intro on the back sounded solid. I was not disappointed. This is a short story about a girl that is on her way to take her own life when she is stopped by a talking puppet from behind a booth. She talks to the puppet and others appear as they all stop her from taking her own life by talking to her. They're a part of a circus and she decides to go along with them and the man behind the puppets because the puppets ask her to. That's what sets the story off. What surprised me is how well this story engaged me. I really wanted to know what was going to happen to the main protagonist Mouche.
There is a dark twist in this book and an ending that I didn't really see coming but it tied it all up quite nicely for me. Long story short.. or rather a short story shorter since this is a novella, I would highly recommend this book if you're into human stories, which is weird because it's mostly puppets. A highly fun and solid short read.
This book was much more interesting than expected. I went into this completely blind because I liked the cover and the intro on the back sounded solid. I was not disappointed. This is a short story about a girl that is on her way to take her own life when she is stopped by a talking puppet from behind a booth. She talks to the puppet and others appear as they all stop her from taking her own life by talking to her. They're a part of a circus and she decides to go along with them and the man behind the puppets because the puppets ask her to. That's what sets the story off. What surprised me is how well this story engaged me. I really wanted to know what was going to happen to the main protagonist Mouche.
There is a dark twist in this book and an ending that I didn't really see coming but it tied it all up quite nicely for me. Long story short.. or rather a short story shorter since this is a novella, I would highly recommend this book if you're into human stories, which is weird because it's mostly puppets. A highly fun and solid short read.
March 14, 2018
well.. konačno sam je završila! (ispiti su krivi, i taj fakultet 🎓 i sve) elem, podeljena su mi mišljenja.. možda je vremenski daleko od mene kad je pisano.. ali ima i lepih (jako lepih) konstrukcija i rečenica pa dajem 3,7 ⭐ (ne volim što ovde može da se ocenjuje samo u okviru 5 brojki 😥)
May 20, 2023
Strange, dark and enchanting.
March 27, 2019
"Go away, death! You are not my lover any longer. I have found a new one called life. It is to him I shall always be faithful...."
...but it had been Poil du Carot, the puppet with the red hair and pointed ears who had saved her, for Coq would not have given a fig for a whole troupe of despairing girls marching single file into the Seine. He had looked upon women and death and dead women unmoved.
"I didn't get you anything. I couldn't. I'll give you my love to take with you, Mouche."
"Carrot top! Do you really love me?"
"Oh yes, I always have. Only you never noticed. Never mind. It's too late now. ..."
"Oh, Ali. " she cried. "You're not really stupid. It's just that you were born too big in a world filled with people who are too small."
"I loved him. I loved him from the first moment I saw him. I loved him and would have denied him nothing. He took me and gave me only bitterness and evil in return for all I had for him, all the tenderness and love, all the gifts I have saved for him. My love turned to hate. And the more I hated him, the more I loved you all. ..."
Reynardo, "But who are we, Mouche?"
Monsieur Nicholas, "Who are we all, my dear, Carrot Top and Reynardo, Alifanfaron and Gigi, Dr. Duclos and Madame Muscat, and even myself [toymaker, mender of broken toys and broken hearts]?"
Who were they indeed? And what had been the magic that kept them separate, the seven who were so different, yet united in love and kindness, and the one who was so monstrous?
Monsieur Nicholas, "Think, Mouche. Whose hand was it you just took to you so lovingly when it was Carrot Top or Reynardo or Alifanfaron, and held it close to your breast and bestowed the mercy of tears upon it?"
Mouche suppressed a cry of terror. "The hand that struck me across the mouth..."she gasped and her own fingers went to her lips as though in memory of that pain...
...
Mouche felt her senses beginning to swim but now it was she who asked the question. "But who are you then, Monsieur Nicholas? Who are you all?"
"A man is many things, Mouche. He may wish like Carrot Top to be a poet and soar to the stars and yet be earthbound and overgrown, ugly and stupid like Alifafaron. In him will be the seeds of jealousy, greed and the insatiable appetite for admiration and pleasure of chicken-brained arrogant Gigi. Part of him will be a pompous bore like Dr. Duclos and another the counterpart of Madame Muscat, gossip, busybody, tattletale and sage. And where there is a philosopher there can also be the sly, double-dealing sanctimonious hypocrite, thief and self-forgiving scoundrel like Reynardo.
The nature of man is a never-ending mystery, Mouche. There we are, Mouche, seven of us you have grown to love. And each of us has given you what there was of his or her heart. I think I even heard the wicked Reynardo offer to lay down his life for you - or his skin. He was trying to convey to you a message from Him who animates us all...
Evil cannot live without good... All of us would rather die than go on without you..."
"Who is it? Who is speaking?" Mouche cried.
And then on a powerful impulse, hardly knowing what she was doing, she reached across the booth to the curtain through which she could be seen but could not see and with one motion stripped away the veil that for so long had separated her from the wretched, unhappy man hiding there.
He sat there immovable as a statue, gaunt, hollow-eyed, bitter, hard, uncompromising, yet dying of love for her.
The man in black with the red hair in whose dead face only the eyes still lived was revealed with his right hand held high, his fingers inside the glove that was Monsieur Nicholas. In his left was crumpled in a convulsive grip the limp puppet of Reynardo. It was as though he were the balancing scale between good and evil, and evil and good. Hatred and love, despair and hope played across his features, illuminating them at times like lightning playing behind storm clouds with an unearthly beauty, Satan before the fall.
And to Mouche who passed in that moment over the last threshold from child to womanhood, there came as a vision of blinding clarity and understanding of a man who had tried to be and lived a life of evil, who to mock God and man had perpetrated a monstrous joke by creating his puppets like man, in His image and filling them with love and kindness.
And in the awful struggle within him that confronted her she read his punishment. He who loved only wickedness and corruption had been corrupted by the good in his own creations. The seven dolls of his real nature had become his master and he their victim. He could live only through them and behind the curtain of his booth.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2022
Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh dear...
Warning: rape, abuse, mental and physical, "Beauty and Beast" "love" story (Her "love" changes a monster of a man into a loving, good prince. Sure... Hate that trope!)
But it is still a lovely story. Because of the dolls. The monster cannot tell the girl all the things he wants to tell her as himself, unmasked, so he tells her all the things as the dolls. There is an innocence in this story, purity, even though he is an a-hole, unadulterated, nasty, disgusting POS behind his own face. Because of the dolls... his small red-haired alter ego, his small furry alter ego, and the other five, with them he can be just as sincere, open, childishly himself as he wants to be. And children can be a-holes as well. We just forgive because they are children.
And then we have Mouche (the fly). The ingenue, who is more pitiful than attractive. She isn't very smart, sexy, seductive, she is bony, tiny, flat, she isn't pretty, but she is an ingenue. So innocent even the monster's effort to destroy her innocence doesn't work. Makes me wonder if many child molesters and beaters are trying to destroy the innocence and purity that makes them themselves look more ugly in comparison.
It is a short story, but it's rather powerful. Read it if you can find it. It's very short.
Warning: rape, abuse, mental and physical, "Beauty and Beast" "love" story (Her "love" changes a monster of a man into a loving, good prince. Sure... Hate that trope!)
But it is still a lovely story. Because of the dolls. The monster cannot tell the girl all the things he wants to tell her as himself, unmasked, so he tells her all the things as the dolls. There is an innocence in this story, purity, even though he is an a-hole, unadulterated, nasty, disgusting POS behind his own face. Because of the dolls... his small red-haired alter ego, his small furry alter ego, and the other five, with them he can be just as sincere, open, childishly himself as he wants to be. And children can be a-holes as well. We just forgive because they are children.
And then we have Mouche (the fly). The ingenue, who is more pitiful than attractive. She isn't very smart, sexy, seductive, she is bony, tiny, flat, she isn't pretty, but she is an ingenue. So innocent even the monster's effort to destroy her innocence doesn't work. Makes me wonder if many child molesters and beaters are trying to destroy the innocence and purity that makes them themselves look more ugly in comparison.
It is a short story, but it's rather powerful. Read it if you can find it. It's very short.
April 20, 2022
This was a little miracle of a book. By its very premise, it's exceedingly whimsical - a young woman is resolved to kill herself, but is stopped by the odd little voices that beckon to her from a nearby puppet show. The protagonist, Mouche, responds to the puppets in turn, engaging with them entirely on their own terms - to her, they are every bit as real as she is. Mouche joins the puppet show, and finds herself confronted with the diabolical puppet-master -Captain Coq, who is a dark pit of anger and resentment.
Despite the outward whimsy, this is not a children's book. While playful in style, it deals with the darkest of themes - suicide, abuse and nihilism. To a large extent it reminded me of the works of Angela Carter, and I find myself wondering if she ever read this - if she did not, the stylistic similarities are positively uncanny. Despite its darkness, the book has the quality of a fairy-tale - it's aware of this, and name-checks its primary influence on the final page. I can understand some readers finding the progression of this story morally unacceptable, but I was captivated - it's a true fable, emphasising the transformative power of compassion and the indestructibility of the human spirit.
Despite the outward whimsy, this is not a children's book. While playful in style, it deals with the darkest of themes - suicide, abuse and nihilism. To a large extent it reminded me of the works of Angela Carter, and I find myself wondering if she ever read this - if she did not, the stylistic similarities are positively uncanny. Despite its darkness, the book has the quality of a fairy-tale - it's aware of this, and name-checks its primary influence on the final page. I can understand some readers finding the progression of this story morally unacceptable, but I was captivated - it's a true fable, emphasising the transformative power of compassion and the indestructibility of the human spirit.
February 19, 2016
A friend of mine is going to act in an adaption of this book (she's going to be Gigi) and she highly recommended this book.
I'm going to swallow back the sjw criticism because this book is so charming. It's enchanting. The idea behind it, the dolls, is so original and done well. It was so much fun to melt inside this lovely world.
There's a lot to think about. This book reminded me of how sometimes the most talented artists are also the worst people. The captain is wonderful as puppeteer but he's also a horrible person. And maybe, inside of him is a spark of good and maybe not. Maybe it's all used up by the characters he becomes. I could spend an eternity looking at Van Gogh's art but I'm not sure I'd like spending time with him.
All in all, I enjoyed this. It made me think. I'm really looking forward to seeing what my friends do with this book.
I'm going to swallow back the sjw criticism because this book is so charming. It's enchanting. The idea behind it, the dolls, is so original and done well. It was so much fun to melt inside this lovely world.
There's a lot to think about. This book reminded me of how sometimes the most talented artists are also the worst people. The captain is wonderful as puppeteer but he's also a horrible person. And maybe, inside of him is a spark of good and maybe not. Maybe it's all used up by the characters he becomes. I could spend an eternity looking at Van Gogh's art but I'm not sure I'd like spending time with him.
All in all, I enjoyed this. It made me think. I'm really looking forward to seeing what my friends do with this book.
Read
September 14, 2016This is a beautiful story that I first read over 45 years ago! It follows a young innocent girl, Mouche, who is about to throw herself into the river Seine when a voice stops her - the voice is that of a puppet Carrot Top, with whom she immediately falls in love. The puppet master, Michael, is a dark figure, forever in the shadows, angry at life and who focuses all his rage at Mouche's innocence. His dilemma is that it is precisely this innocence and the way she interacts with all his 7 puppets that draws in the crowds and gives his little show the recognition and prestige he has always craved. It is hinted that the puppets have a life of their own and speak to Mouche without any contribution from Michael. Although at times this story is very dark, the interplay between Mouche and the puppets is delightful, creating the stark contrast that is the centre of this story.
July 2, 2019
Unlike some modern writers, Gallico has no reservations about telling us exactly what his characters are thinking. In doing so, he provides us with the justification for some business that in the stage and screen adaptations of this book ("Lili" and "Carnival") may seem kind of weird. The main male and female characters are the terribly damaged survivors of a brutal war when, as some people put it outside the novel, "God hid His face." In fact, if the strange behavior in the novel needs any further justification, perhaps it can be found in a couple of places where Gallico hints at a metaphor whereby humanity is a puppet show operated by an ostensibly cruel-hearted showman whose puppets are tasked with generating the love that the divine source cannot supply.
January 28, 2017
I actually came to this story via the musical "Carnival", and after hearing how dark this novella adaptation of the plot was, decided to check it out. (The musical and the film "Lili" were both adapted from the original short story version of the tale called "The Man Who Hated People", in which the puppeteer is just a bitter and angry man, rather than a vengeful rapist motivated by a hatred of anything pure or innocent.) It was indeed dark, but captured a certain sort of tawdry postwar gloom quite well. Still, it is difficult to imagine this depraved modern fairy tale making a successful musical.
August 22, 2021
An exception book. It has flaws- the central character of Captain Coq is grotesque in many ways- but above and beyond that it has incredible beauty. The magical Gallico style creates a sweet, tender, unforgettable story that draws you into a fantasy, as much as it does the vulnerable and sad heroine, Mouche. The voice of the puppeteer gives his creations a fully realized inner life that shines and is capable of exquisite moments of beauty and melancholy. That it is fuelled by a monstrous man is part of the tragedy of Mouche's life, and the charm of this unusual and brilliant book
June 30, 2018
"A reader must have grown old and crusty if he has closed his mind to so much charm."
Paul Gallico once again effortlessly swept me into a dark but endearing 'fairytale' with his incredible writing charm.
Quick read but I loved it.
Paul Gallico once again effortlessly swept me into a dark but endearing 'fairytale' with his incredible writing charm.
Quick read but I loved it.
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