If you only read one french book- make it this....

[Paysages de France]

'Voyage au bout de la nuit' by Louis Ferdinand Celine.

     Wrtitten in 1929, this book is decades ahead of its time. A novel that still surprises and written in an entirely modern idiom. It follows its hero from colonial Africa to the USA and is renowned for its caustic dissection of colonialism and its  exposure of the alienation of indivdualism  inherent in  modern industrial society. Celine is a very readable writer - at that time there was absolutely no-one  writing in English to measure up to his brilliance- the only author who came near perhaps being DH Lawrence.

         Unfortunately, Celine developed anti-semite tendancies and collaborated during the war and was banished from France.

 'Voyage' is a classic in french literature.

[Miki]

Firstly apologies, I haven't read it. I am just waiting now to see if anyone can pick the bones out of that post [;-)]

[Dick Smith]

I'm not sure that antisemitism, collaboration with the invader and banishment from France counts as 'unfortunate'.

[Bugsy]

I have read "A Year in the Merde" by Stephen Clarke. Does that count as a French book ?

[Dick Smith]

Now that's an author who should have been banished from France!

[Bugsy]

The funniest statement in that book was that he resorted to walking to work with supermarket bags on his feet to keep the dog poo off his shoes.....................................[:)]