Teamedup Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 I haven't read it in french, but it is a french book and that is The Count of Monte Cristo. I love this book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 I do like that one and I also enjoy its cheesy movie version with Richard Chamberlain...!I was made to study so many of the classics of French litterature as part of the curriculum I read very few of them now, even though they still crowd my bookshelves!I do enjoy re-reading Rimbaud, Beaudelaire and Prévert, but everytime I think Prévert, I hear Yves Montand in my head! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWINKLE Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 37°2, Le Matin - Phillipe Djian. It was the first book I read in French and I loved it. They made it into a film - the English title is "Betty Blue" starring Beatrice Dalle and Jean-Hugh Anglade.My favourite classical writer has to be Guy de Maupassant and my favourite is his collection of short stories "Les Contes de la Bécasse" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 I'm afraid this is very predictable - my favourite book would have to be the complete works of Shakespeare. If only one play allowed, then the Tempest. Most of my reading these days is light fiction, but I am currently reading "The Physics of Superheroes", Bryan Sykes' "The Blood of the Isles" and "The Orogons of the British: A Genetic Detective Story" - which is a bit hard going, to be honest, but has a lot to say to all you Celtic Fringers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tresco Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 [quote user="Teamedup"]I haven't read it in french, but it is a french book and that is The Count of Monte Cristo. I love this book. [/quote]I haven't read it since I was very young, but I just KNOW I have got a copy of it here somewhere. I remember it as a rip roaring adventure but no doubt there are elements a 19 year old would have missed.Now TU, my house will get turned upside down searching for it. You have also raised a memory of a scene in the Shawshank Redemption where the prisoners are cataloguing books donated to the library, and one guy reads the authors name as Alexander Dumb A ss[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 I was lent a copy of "Le Déjeuner de Sousceyrac" by Pierre Benoit, as we live in the area in which the 'action' takes place.Biggest load of tosh I've ever wasted my time on.The language is so heavy and old-fashioned that turning each page was like opening a musty old wardrobe... with rusty hinges!I nearly gave up before the end of the first chapter, but I persevered because I wanted to read if the description of the village still matched...and it did... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paysages de France Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 Considering this thread was completely bare when I posted the first entry, it seems that I have achieved something - getting you to discuss books.(even if you don't want to discuss them with me!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 I think there's something wrong with my computer - every now and then I hear a strange whining noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 [quote user="Dick Smith"]I think there's something wrong with my computer - every now and then I hear a strange whining noise.[/quote]I thought it sounded more like a 'gurgling noise'.......................................[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 It must be the software playing up again, as I get it too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 which brings me to the very good website design book I've read over the last couple of weeks, but it's in Amer-english, so I'd better not discuss it here... [:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LanguedocGal2 Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 Song of Solomon - Toni MorrisonHistories - HeroditusMust get around to re-reading both of these gems again soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paysages de France Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 Ok, stay amongst yourselves. The weather's looking great now outside anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 [quote user="Dick Smith"]I'm afraid this is very predictable - my favourite book would have to be the complete works of Shakespeare. If only one play allowed, then the Tempest. [/quote]Favourite French book??? Is my computer playing tricks too?[:D]One of my favourite Fench books of all times has to be "La Peste" - Albert Camus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 No, just your eyes! TU started her post with "My favourite book"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyC Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 [quote user="5-element"] [quote user="Dick Smith"]I'm afraid this is very predictable - my favourite book would have to be the complete works of Shakespeare. If only one play allowed, then the Tempest. [/quote]Favourite French book??? Is my computer playing tricks too?[:D]One of my favourite Fench books of all times has to be "La Peste" - Albert Camus.[/quote]One of my "A" Level set texts - I think I might be able to face it again after 30 something years! Now the Racine would be a different question alltogether. Did anyone else do "A" level in the days when heavyweight amounts of literature were the order of the day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turnip Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Wind In The Willows - a classic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 My favourite (not French) book is (as is often the case) the one I am reading at the moment: "What I loved" by Siri Hustvedt - set in New York, great descriptions of paintings and making art, but also madness, eating disorders, all slightly sinister and exquisitely written. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 [quote user="KathyC"][ Now the Racine would be a different question alltogether. [/quote]Ah, Racine!!! My favourite: Bajazet... I used to stay up half the night in front of the mirror, reciting some of Roxane's lines... the wronged woman...:"Avec quelle insolence et quelle cruauteIls se jouaient tous deux de ma credulite!Quel penchant, quel plaisir je sentais a les croire!Tu ne remportais pas une grande victoire, Perfide, en abusant ce coeur preoccupe,Qui lui-meme craignait de se voir detrompe!Moi, qui de ce haut rang qui me rendait si fiere,Dans le sein du malheur t'ai cherche la premierePour attacher des jours tranquilles, fortunes,Aux perils dont tes jours etaient environnes.Apres tant de bontes, de soins, d'ardeurs extremes,Tu ne saurais jamais prononcer que tu m'aimes?????????" Act IV, Scene 5Now, can you all see what you have been missing[:D] if you have never read Racine's Bajazet?[:D]Alright, I stop now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Back in A level days - one of our set books was The Tempest and it's fixed in my imagination for ever. The other was Anthony and Cleopatra. We were expected to read the whole works of various people eg Wilfred Owen which I loved and Gerard Manley Hopkins, also E. M. Forster and Virginia Wolff among many others. In french one was Le Rouge et le Noire but can't say it was a favourite. Recently I saw a serialisation on tv and it was nothing like I remember it so perhaps I missed the point! The one I liked best was Le silence de la Mer. But must admit range very limited - must try to read more in french. Pat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Gerard Manley Hopkins is a great favourite of mine. A few years ago I acquired some thrown-out furniture from Manresa House in Roehampton, ever afterwards to be known as Gerard Manley Hopkins' Coffee Table... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Treasure Island.............................................. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsey2 Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 I did Racine's 'Phedre' for A level, also Moliere and Corneille, and the Romantic poets - Lamartine, Gautier, Baudelaire and de Musset. Lamartine was my favourite at the time, though a couple of years later, knowing some Baudelaire became really cool (all those naughty substances!), and I wished I'd paid him a bit more attention!I also remember doing Anouilh's 'Antigone', though I can't for the life of me remember whether it was in French or English; Daudet's 'Lettres de mon Moulin' and Le Grand Meaulnes which I loved, without actually understanding it very well - maybe all those were at O level - did we do O level lit? The memory is fading now...... but I must have another go at Alain-Fournier one day when I'm feeling strong!Lindsey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hastobe Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 [quote user="5-element"][quote user="Dick Smith"]I'm afraid this is very predictable - my favourite book would have to be the complete works of Shakespeare. If only one play allowed, then the Tempest. [/quote]Favourite French book??? Is my computer playing tricks too?[:D][/quote]My thoughts too - I was just looking forward to list of good 'French' books to get my teeth into - and they're all English books! I only started French lesssons a little over a year ago so not up to anything 'heavy' but I have enjoyed some of the Marcel Pagnol books, read a few of the Maigret novels (definitely not heavy french!) and I'm now reading 'Et si c'etait vrai' by Marc Levy (french 'chic lit' I'm afraid!).Any recommendations of other books around this level gratefully received....Kathieps apologies for any typos / lack of accents but just had reconstructive surgery on right shoulder so it's one handed typing atm [:(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 Double post - dunno why... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now