The Hurt is the story of a first relationship at the age of eighteen. But is it?

The Hurt is the story of a first relationship at the age of eighteen. But is it? In The Hurt time is reshuffled and mixed up. As Saint Phalle says, 'Pain ran through my thoughts like a wild animal, making nonsense of past, present and future.' The intriguing narrative is a beguiling mix of memoir and parable, infused with remarkable characters, humour and pathos, and Parisian light.

The author is drawn to the different and the marginalised. Her insight into herself and others arises from her deep understanding of the flawed nature of the human condition. And the company of great books. She writes 'books were my real teachers. I can't remember learning a single thing in a classroom. The craft of reading was the only one I really took away from that dreadful time.'

Just perhaps hurt can be both our undoing and our making, as this story of sliding time illuminates. The Hurt is a remarkably honest and captivating work of literature.

Praise for Saint Phalle's Writing

'Saint Phalle writes with a clear-eyed humanity and wisdom about human nature that is reminiscent of Nabokov's account of memory and childhood.' Stella Judges

'The narrating voice of the book is intensely likeable gentle, witty, well-read and highly articulate. Yet the story it unearths circles back and back to the bewildered innocence of a small girl who is lied to, neglected, palmed off on a hired minder, then suddenly, breathtakingly indulged in ways that only a city like Paris can provide.' Helen Garner on Poum and Alexandre

Details

ISBN13: 9781923023642
Format: Paperback / softback
Number of Pages: 192
Edition:
Publication Date: 01 Aug 2026
Publisher: Transit Lounge Publishing
Publication City, Country: Yarraville, VIC, Australia
Dimensions (cm): 23.4(H)x15.3(L)
Weight (gm):

Author Biography

Catherine de Saint Phalle lives at home in Brunswick with her dog Mary. She has had four books published in Paris by Actes Sud, one by Buchet-Chastel and one by Sabine Wespieser Editeur. She also had two radio plays broadcast on the French national radio, France Culture. Transit Lounge has published four of her books in Melbourne, one of which was shortlisted for the Stella. The Hurt is her fifth work that has been brought out to the Australian light.

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