Latest / Beyond the Margins: The University of California Press Podcast
Sarah Maza, “Violette Noziere: A Story of Murder in 1930s Paris” (U. of California Press, 2012)
On August 21, 1933, the teenaged Violette Noziere attempted to kill both her parents.
At first, seemingly so clearcut, the case ultimately came to be characterized by a “troubling ambiguity” that unsettled Paris for years.
Were the Nozieresan upstanding middle-class family? Was Violette a victim of sexual assault, her father a heinous predator? Was Violette a sexual degenerate? In an age of unprecedented social mobility, had the family tragically overstepped, with the parents granting a wild daughter too much freedom? No one knew.
It was the perfect cautionary tale of the time- giving voice…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.