Francoise Sagan

Sagan died of heart and lung failure at a hospital near her home in Normandy.

Born Francoise Quoirez in Cajarc, southwest France, into a wealthy family, Sagan took her pseudonym from a character in Marcel Proust's Remembrance of Things Past.

She wrote Bonjour Tristesse (Hello Sadness) in 1953 while on summer vacation from her studies at the Sorbonne. Sagan, then 18, completed the manuscript in just six weeks.

The work was the story of Cecile, a worldly 17-year-old girl who plots to break up her philandering father's sudden engagement to his former mistress by plotting the woman's death.

The novel brought Sagan instant celebrity and wealth. It was translated into more than 15 languages and sold 2 million copies worldwide.

The Japan Times Weekly: Oct. 2, 2004
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