Belle De Jour This is the classic work of erotic fiction by one of France's greatest writers, long unavailable and more timely than ever. The startling and groundbreaking novel that inspired Luis Bunuel's film by the same name is finally available once more. In a world that blurs the lines between feminism and female sexuality, "Belle de Jour" remains as vital and controversial today as it was on its 1960 debut. Severine Serizy is a wealthy and beautiful Parisian housewife. She loves her husband, but she cannot share physical intimacy with him, and her vivid sadomasochistic fantasies drive her to seek employment at a brothel. By day, she enacts her customers' wildest fantasies under the pseudonym 'Belle de Jour': in the evenings, she returns home to her chaste marriage and oblivious husband. Famous for its unflinching eroticism, Joseph Kessel's novel continues to offer an eye-opening glance into a unique female psyche.