Any recommendations for French authors to read?

[Scooby]

[quote user="Cat"]

I'm reading Plus Tard Tu Comprendras by Jerome Clement at the moment.  I already know the outline of the story, as it revolves around the Jewish families that were taken in during the war and hidden by people in the the Lot.  Some of these were later betrayed, and killed.

It's a good read, and the author is also the chairman of Arte TV.  He came here a few months ago to present the legion of honour medal to one of the people that took in and sheltered a Jewish family.  A lot of people around here are very secretive or reticent about what went on during the war, and it's fascinating to get an insight

[/quote]

Sounds like a good read Cat - will have a look for that one..

[raindog]

Anyone read any Michel Houellebecq? I seem to remember his first book was translated into English and had good reviews. Never read it, but my son has just lent me Extension Du Domaine De La Lutte. Only just started it, but it's already funny and cynical - right up my street![:)]

Would love to hear other's views.

[5-element]

Although I am not certain of the suitability of the language - if you feel up to it, you must read Daniel Pennac - especially my favorite, "La Fee Carabine". Daniel Pennac bases the "Famille Malaussene" colourful characters in the Belleville area of Paris.  Before "La Fee Carabine", he wrote "Au bonheur des ogres", also happening in Belleville.

Same kind of humour and colour as in the animated film "Les Triplettes de Belleville".

[crépuscule]

Although I enjoyed them, I found it hard work reading Daniel Pennac's books in English, never mind French!

[5-element]

Sorry, I read them a while ago, and don't have any copies, so couldn't get back to them to check on the language.

Apologies to those who don't feel up to those Daniel Pennac books - but to those of you whose French is fairly advanced, have a go - you won't regret it. Although, I have a feeling that they have a lot of slang. No wonder then, that they are heavy-going in English, as they probably don't translate very well!!!

[raindog]

Was the film about the cyclists getting abducted to the USA? I hated it. But i'll have a go at the books![:)]

[5-element]

Raindog, now I am having terrible doubts over the suitability of Daniel Pennac's books. Good luck reading it/them, but please don't blame me if it's too much, or if you don't like it!![:D]

And yes you are absolutely right, Les Triplettes de Belleville ( made by Sylvain Bonnet in 2003, franco-belgian-canadian animated film)

was/is about the cyclists being kidnaped and taken to the USA. I know many people thought it was very entertaining, but I found rather unsettling and sinister - so I didn't like it much either.

I somehow don't think Daniel Pennac was involved with the Triplettes - it's just the Belleville connection, and perhaps a similar kind of milieu.

[Cendrillon]

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1142547/ShowPost.aspx

[:)]

[Jill<br><br>Jill (99)]

I was really surprised to read that Henri Troyat isn't French.  I studied La Neige en Deuil for A level and it was never mentioned.  However, I've googled him and he was only 9 when he moved from Russia to France, so surely his French must be pretty good, although it is true that he was considered an easy read.  I expect if any of you moved to France when your children were around the age of 9, they must speak and write French like a native by now.

Irene Nemirovsky is also a Russian who went to France around the same time.  I was given Suite Francaise, and would recommend that.  I was actually given it in English, but would like to read it in French.  The book itself was never actually finished.  She died in a concentration camp, but her young daughters escaped and had taken the manuscript and notes with them.  I think it was about 50 years later that it was actually published.  Reading the notes she had made for the completion of the book along with some of her own thoughts, only days before she was arrested, is very poignant.  Prompted by this book, I bought David Golder, also by her.  It is OK, not thrilling but readable and may appeal to some of you.

Christian Signol and Pagnol are my favourite French Authors, although I keep saying I must read more Moliere and Voltaire.  Especially having recently seen the film Moliere.

Sac de Billes by Joseph Joffo is really good - true story about Joseph and his brother escaping out of occupied to the demiltiarised part of France and their movements to hide from the Germans. 

[Cendrillon]

Jill

you may like to read the following posts

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1142547/ShowPost.aspx

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/881375/ShowPost.aspx

"Sac de Billes by Joseph Joffo is really good - true story about Joseph and his brother escaping out of occupied to the demiltiarised part of France and their movements to hide from the Germans. "

Edit

I liked some of the the Joffo books too. Have you read Baby-Foot ? There's another book linked to "Un Sac de Billes" but I will have to look up the title and will post later*.

Madeleine Chapsal's "Noces avec la vie" is an interesting read about her own life, I have enjoyed some of her novels as well.

Mazarine Pingeot's "Bouche Cousue" is an interesting book about her early life, she is the daughter of Francois Mitterrand.

Edit:

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Joffo

*The other book is "Agates et Calots"

[Jill<br><br>Jill (99)]

Thanks for that information Cendrillon.  I'll take the list to France with me next week.  Hopefully a few will turn up on market stalls for 2nd hand books.

 

 

[chocccie]

I read the Angelique series of books nearly twenty years ago, when I was a teenager - in English.  I read a couple again a year or two ago and still really enjoyed them.  They are by Sergeanne Golon and are a gripping read.

 

They are romantic history (which is not my bag at all!) - lots based on historical fact ... a friend read them in  the French and said it was pretty easy going.

[Clair]

I remember the films based on the Angélique series![:-))]

Robert Hossein as Jeoffrey de Peyrac (what a name! very Barbara Cartland!) and Michèle Mercier as Angélique, Marquise des Anges...

[cooperlola]

Angelique - crikey that brings back memories!

[Jill<br><br>Jill (99)]

I remember reading some Angelique books in my youth - I seem to remember it being a bit juicy!  Perhaps 20 or more years on, it might seem quite tame!

[Scooby]

[quote user="sweet 17"]

I do what you have just described when I am stretching myself in French.  Went to the Bricolage place when we first came (last April) and asked for a door-stop.  Because I didn't know the word, I asked for something that stops the door banging on the wall.  I think I was told it was called a "buttoire" but the French people on the forum will tell me whether I heard right!

[/quote]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread...blame NormanH [;-)].  The above is one of the earliest (and most helpful) lessons we had from our French teacher - describing something by its use and appearance.  He explained that his car had broken down and he had had to do this to locate and buy the spare part he needed.  We have had to resort to this approach many times [:)].

[NormanH]

Blame me again!

L'Élégance du hérisson is first-rate, but demanding

It is one that could also be read in English

There is an interesting article from the Guardian asking whether Modern French fiction is too 'spiky' for English audiences, but the most useful part is the mention of several books and authors