Catherine website since September 2008 



 

The second Catherine Novel was first published in France by Editions de Trévise 1964 - see my 'International Cover page' for all the different French covers →  here




The English translation for Catherine by Jocasta Goodwin was published in Great Britain 1965 by William Heineman Ltd.

The Dust jacket was created by Jon DAVIS, of which the journalist 'Oliver Warner' of the magazine TATLER  had made a disparaging remark about the dress the very popular heroine was wearing. If he had written that the artist had no idea about tooting and blowing because the story takes place in the Middle Ages, I would have understood.
I absolutely did not appreciate what he said about the book and I bet a box of our best Swiss chocolate that the arrogant journalist had not even read the book !
... and yes Mr. Warner, the book did sell well, so well that they are still re-issued and read in 2021 everywhere in the whole wide world!
 







 


These are images of the English Pan books and one Canadian edition from the Sixties. The second in the series 'Catherine' was illustrated by the late Italian Artist 'Gino d'Achille' as was confirmed to me by his daughter Simona d'Achille. Mrs. Simona manages now her fathers Archive and Studio Editions. Link to the official website


 
Ctherine Royal Mistress

The USA paperback on the left above was painted by American Illustrator Elaine Gignilliat and the one on the right by Milton Charles.We find that information either on the cover or inside the paperbacks...unfortunately Publishers at that time, did not find it always necessary to let their readers know who the Artist was. That's a shame in retrospect, because some of the artists became really famous, like Alan Lee (Lord of the Rings !) who created one of the Marianne covers.



The above cover shows us Telos publishing's cover for the second Novel CATHERINE. The Illustration was done by Artist Martin Baines. The Catherine series have been re-issued in England by Telos Publishing Ltd. since 2015!

For all facts see → INFO PAGE  and at Telos Publishing Ltd. official website   here and important fact, the books are not abridged this time !

The re-issued Catherine series in English are dedicated to 'Linda Compagnoni Walther', webmaster of this website, which had been the wish of the late Juliette Benzoni in 2014.



Souvenir photo with the author Juliette Benzoni on 31 October 2009 during my first visit at Saint-Mandé.




The Book of the Week - Il suffit d'un amour II (Catherine)
Excellent article on 10 July 1964by the late Henri de Montfort Journalist, historian, author, French Resistance worker and co-founder of ICI PARIS. I have translated the first section from' Monsieur de Montfort's' article about Juliette Benzoni's  « Catherine, Il suffit d'un amour 2 »

« This is a very enthralling Novel of which one can say that it deserves well the term "Romanesque" which is the best guarantee to keep a reader spellbound with pleasure and emotion during reading. Worth mentioning are the excellent treasury of words and of style » Henri de MONTFORT



The Catherine series and the PRESS → rare material from 1959 - 2021 never seen articles and photos here


 
The Catherine series have so far been translated into more than twenty-six languages
- see the international Book covers page (31 countries !) → here



The → Ballad of Catherine 1965 -  Composer: Paul AMAR, text: Juliette Benzoni -  Singer: Bernard Stéphane and Michèle Arnaud.



Film adaption in 1968 Catherine, Il suffit d'un amour  

Director 'Bernard Borderie', the same man who had already directed the Angélique films (after the books by Anne Golon). Juliette was extremely disappointed by the end product, because they had turned her story into a Political unrest, inspired by the '1968 Paris riots'! The original story was no longer recognisable! I can only agree with her. I have decided to create an extra page with photos and it is under construction The movie had after all some international Stars which deserve to be mentioned - like Olga Georges-Picot, Claude Brasseur, Horst Frank and Francine Bergé. 

Music by Michel Magne - who already composed the Film music for the Angélique films.




Television-Series in 1986 Catherine, Il suffit d'un amour

Co-Production Antenne 2 - SFP

Director Marion Sarraut

Adaption by Juliette Benzoni & Jean Chatenet

Music by Robert Viger

Marion Saraut's TV-Series Catherine, il suffit d'un amour premiered in 1986



Story of Catherine  - as seen from the 1986 TV-Series Catherine, il suffit d'un amour



Portrait of Director Marion Sarraut → here  

 

Synopsis : Catherine


Catherine Legoix, daughter of a Parisian goldsmith in the time  of the hundred  Years War,is the victim of a hopeless passion  for Arnaud de Montsalvy, prominent member of the Armagnac  aristoracy, although she herself a favourite of the the Duke of Burgundy, Philippe le Bon. He has arranged her marriage to his wealthy Treasurer, Garin de Brazey, and every force in the troubled times in which they live: hatred, war, vengeance; drives Catherine and Philippe together, keeps her and Arnaud apart.

But Catherine defies the gulf which seperates Armagnac and Burgundian and, driven by the blind love, she travels the roads of France and Burgundy: from Dijon to Bruges, then to the beleaqured city of Orléans, where Arnaud de Montsalvy is among the defending corps. There her path crosses that of the Maid herself, Joan of Arc; and later she encounters an enemy from her childhood, the so-called "Butcher of Rouen"... Bishop Pierre Cauchon alias Bishop of Beavais.
' There is more sense in the flight of a blind bird than in a woman's hear.' Catherine's friend and adviser, the Moorish physician Abou-al-Khayr, once said to her. Through fire and water, hardship and every brutality of a country ravaged by war, Catherine pursues her destined course.

 

The main characters






click → here


Book 1


Book 2


Book 3


Book 4


Book 5


Book 6


Book 7

Paperback and Kindle : Telos Publishing Ltd-
Cover art for all new books: Martin Baines




 

returning to page Book Series HERE


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