View Full Version : French Literature
Imperfectionist
12-23-2008, 02:41 AM
Okay so for my French A level class we've been asked to read a French novel over the Christmas holidays, but I have no idea where to even begin to look for such a book. I don't know anything about French literature!
Anywho, does anyone happen to have any suggestions of some good French books that I can read?
Thanks guyyyysss :D
Les Miserable, if you're up to read a 1000+ page novel. They'll probably give you an A+ for that!
rubah
12-23-2008, 03:43 AM
Read L'Etranger, by Albert Camus. It's fairly short and not too difficult to pick up
Oooh, good one, I didn't think about that, because we read that for whatever reason, in my Brit Lit class in High School. xD
I Took the Red Pill
12-23-2008, 05:16 AM
In Search of Lost Time. I dare you.
Read L'Etranger, by Albert Camus. It's fairly short and not too difficult to pick up
Seconded. Not to mention it's fairly easy to find a translation of, if you want to make sure you're reading it all right. I highly recommend doing a chapter in French and then rereading it in English, especially if you're not all that used to reading in French. When I read in other languages, I sometimes miss the point and the story that I think I read ends up being entirely different than what the text actually said. >.>
I found Voltaire's <i>Candide</i> especially funny, but I read it in English and only chunks of it in French.
Maybe, if you're allowed, you might also try and find a book you're already familiar with in English that has been translated to French.
licence
12-23-2008, 09:23 AM
Could always have a look at The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. Not sure how it ranks next to the other novels mentioned though.
scrumpleberry
12-23-2008, 03:34 PM
L'etranger. Brilliant and short.
James Leopold
12-25-2008, 09:30 PM
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (originally called Notre-Dame de Paris) by Victor Hugo (same guy who did Les Miserables).
I haven't read either myself but they've aroused my interest and Hugo is a renowned author. It's quite a bit shorter than Les Mis though, so it may be able to help you out.
Madame Adequate
12-26-2008, 03:14 PM
If you've not already made a start, I second Candide by Voltaire. I assume the French is even better than the genius English. :p Camus is always a good option, too.
Edit: Candide is fairly short, too.
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