By Francoise Sagan.
Cecile's idyllic summer holiday with her father and his girlfriend is spoilt by the arrival of Anne. But when Cecile starts to manipulate events for her own selfish gain, tragedy ensues. Classic fifties romance dramatised by Lisa Hunt.
(Repeated Saturday)

[Picture caption] A single dramatisation of Franchise Sagan's sharp study on the selfishness of youth and the folly of middle age.

Classic Serial: Bonjour Tristesse 3.00pm R4FM
The French novelist Franchise Sagan wrote Bonjour Tristesse at the age of 18 in just four weeks, suggesting a precocious talent guaranteed to annoy writers who labour for hours over every sentence. The story, centred on wealthy adolescence and marked by an economic style unusual in the young, was published in 1954 and filmed, with David Niven and Deborah Kerr, four years later. This radio adaptation by Lisa Hunt captures the bittersweet spirit of the novel, an ultimately tragic tale of a teenage girl's manipulations as she endeavours to maintain her dominant position in the life of her father, particularly in relation to his various lovers.