Chéri and La Fin de Chéri

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Chéri and La Fin de Chéri and novels by Colette first published in French, in 1920 and 1926 respectively. The title character's true name is Fred Peloux, but he is known as Chéri to almost everyone, except, usually, to his wife.

[edit] Chéri

The first novel is about the separation of Chéri and his six-years lover, the much older Léa de Lonval (as the novel opens he is 25 and she is 49). The two believe their relationship is casual until they are separated by Chéri's marriage at which point they realize they are in love. They spend a miserable nine months apart, at which point Chéri appears at Léa's home. They spend the night together and Léa begins to plan their new life together. However, when she learns that Chéri had returned for the moral strength to be a husband, she gives him courage then releases him to return home.

The novel has been adopted to film twice, in 1950 and 2009; and television twice, in 1962 and 1973.