French literature
Bonjour!
I have often been asked, to provide a list of French books to read to accompany our course, therefore I have done some research, today, of the most popular French books to read for different levels.
You will also find below a list for the books we use in the class.
For beginner level, I will recommend to read easy book for children to start with as the vocabulary is simpler. Reading is fundamental to improving your speaking ability as little by little, it can widen your vocabulary in French and help you understand phrase structure and grammar.
There are a list of a few bilingual books ( French-English) which will make your reading easier and you will not have to look for every single word in the dictionary.
There are also a few books with shorts stories and easy vocabulary.
Some of older French classics like Baudelaire, Victor Hugo, Flaubert, Proust etc are considered difficult to read even by natives so I don’t recommend them unless you have a very advanced level. For those type of books, you have to know the “passé simple” which is a tense used only in writing and is very formal.
Enjoy!:)
Books for our classes
- Grammaire progressive du Francais debutant (A1) ( for Tuesday class -1.40pm)
- Grammaire progressive du Francais intermediaire A2-B1) (for all the other classes)
- Echo A1 Methode de Francais by J.Girardet and J.pecheur ( for Tuesday class -1.40pm)
- Echo A2 Methode de Francais by J.Girardet and J.pecheur
- Echo B1 Methode de Francais by J.Girardet and J.pecheur ( for Tuesday classes at 9.30 and 12pm)
- Alter Ego B1 ( but used for B2 level as there are lot of interesting subjects and more complex vocabulary and syntaxes) ( for Thursday and Friday class)
FRENCH NOVELS FOR HOME READING
Beginners A1 level:
- Literature jeunesse libre ( a few short French stories to download for free)
- French short stories for beginners by Lingo Mastery
- Le petit Nicolas by René Goscini ( French book for children but entertaining for adults too!):
The story takes place around the 1960s and offers us a picture of the society of the time. This French book tells the adventures of a little boy, Nicolas. We follow him through all the stages of his young life, always punctuated by fights and mischief of all kinds. Very curious and observant, little Nicholas shares his daily life and his moods with us.
- Le Petit Prince by Antoine de st Exupery: ( bilingual book English/French):
The story tells the encounter between a broken-down aviator and a child who suddenly appears to him in the Sahara desert. Each encounter of the Little Prince is the occasion for an allegory that highlights the absurd behaviour of grown-ups who have forgotten that they were children.
Elementary A2 level:
- L’étranger by Albert Camus: (Famous French book):
The story begins on the day of the death of Meursault’s mother, a young Algerian and modest employee. When he received a telegram announcing his mother’s death, he went to the old people’s home near Algiers to attend the funeral. However, Meursault does not cry at the funeral, because he did not want to simulate a grief he does not feel.The next day, the hero goes to meet Marie at the sports baths, a typist. In the evening they go out together to see a film at the cinema, and spend the rest of the night together.The next morning, his neighbour Raymon asks him to help him write a letter denigrating his mistress. The following week, Raymond hits and insults his mistress in her flat. The police summon Raymond to the station, who has the idea of using the hero as a character witness.
- Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is an adventure novel by Jules Verne, published in 1869-1870. It tells the story of the journey of three shipwrecked men captured by Captain Nemo, a mysterious inventor who travels the depths of the sea in the Nautilus, a submarine that is far ahead of the technology of the time.
- Les trois mousquetaires ( French/English) by Alexandre Dumas ( Classic French book):
“The Three Musketeers” plunges readers into the fascinating adventures of a poor 18-year-old boy nicknamed d’Artagnan with Louis XIII’s three musketeers: Athos, Aramis and Porthos. The four of them, together, try to defend the image of the sovereign Anne of Austria, opposing the Cardinal of Richelieu and his agents.
- Arsène lupin gentleman cambrioleur by Maurice Leblanc: ( the great Netflix Serie “Lupin” is based on this story)
The first of Maurice Leblanc’s collections about his devilish, debonair rogue, Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-cambrioleur presents eight dazzling short stories that display some of Lupin’s greatest thefts and escapes. Lupin robs from within prison, leaves its walls with ease, steals priceless diamonds from the rich and outwits the greatest detective of all: Sherlock Holmes. Witty, cunning, and taunting, Lupin is a genius on the wrong side of the law, although his noble code of ethics and Robin-Hood-like ways often see him use his talents for good.
Intermediate B1 Level:
- Le fantome de canterville : ( Bilingual book):
Mr. and Mrs. Otis, wealthy Americans, move to England with their four children to a mansion whose former owners claim it is haunted. The Americans don’t believe a word of it and take possession of the place without worrying about the ghost. However, the ghost is determined to terrorise them. But what will the ghost do in the face of this disbelieving family.
- Sukkwan island by David Vann ( French edition):
Roy, a 13-year old boy and his father, Jim, are spending a year away from the society on a small isolated island in Alaska. After a succession of personal failures, he sees this as an opportunity to make a fresh start and to reconnect with his son.
- Broderies by Marjane Satrapi:
This is the autobiography-based story of Marjane Satrapi’s close circle of women at home. She presents a collection of anecdotes from Iranian women. While the young Marjane prepares the samovar, the family stories follow one another, horrible or incredible, but always funny and touching.
- Stupeurs et tremblements by Amelie Nothomb:
In the early 1990s, the narrator is hired by Yumimoto, a powerful Japanese firm. She discovers to her cost the implacable rigour of corporate authority, as well as the codes of conduct, incomprehensible to the layman, that govern social life in Japan.
- Oscar et la dame rose by Emmanuel Schmitt:
Oscar is ten years old and now lives in hospital. Even though no one dares to tell him, he knows he is going to die. One of the ladies in pink scrubs who come to spend time with the sick children suggests that he write to God to make him feel less alone. These letters describe twelve days in Oscar’s life, funny and poetic days, full of funny and moving characters. Twelve days that may be his last. But thanks to Mamie-Rose, who forms a very strong bond with Oscar, they will become a legend
Upper intermediate B2/ advanced C1 level:
- Sukkwan island by David Vann ( French edition):
Roy, a 13-year old boy and his father, Jim, are spending a year away from the society on a small isolated island in Alaska. After a succession of personal failures, he sees this as an opportunity to make a fresh start and to reconnect with his son.
- L’élégance du Hérisson by Muriel Barbery:
The story of 2 people, one is a very clever caretaker and the other one is a rich teenager but both of them will experience a discrepancy with their pears and the society, until they meet.
- L’amant by Marguerite Duras:
‘L’amant’ is an autobiographical tale by Marguerite Duras. It is the story of a young girl who fall in love with a rich, older Chinese gentleman during French-colonized Vietnam.
