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This post contradicts the thread title, but I just thought that some of you might be interested in my experience of reading a book (in French) that I bought a year ago.

At our annual Repas des Aînés, there was an elderly gentleman there as guest of honour. It turned out that he was a 91 year old former resident of the village who, with the encouragement of his family, had self-published a book of his early life. It was only €10, so I bought a copy.

His account of life in a rural French village in the 30’s was fascinating. His father was a paysan and most folk rarely went further than the local town 15kms away. There were only one or two cars in the whole area. Most families had a horse, a cow, some chickens, a dog and a pig (for slaughter in late-november). There was a priest at the village church - one priest in a local small town now ministers to twelve communes!

Travelling tradespeople would regularly visit in order to mend pots, sharpen knives and tools, sell needles, thread and fabric and carry out the annual slaughter of the pigs (which all the woman would assist with the butchering on a cooperative basis). The author was in serious trouble one September with his schoolteacher and the priest for returning to school two weeks late one year - he had been obliged to help his father with the vendange, so that was the priority!

I’ve only skimmed the surface of this fascinating book. In WWII, he was ‘called up’, but this was Vichy France and he was sent to the Loire to provide muscle for bomb damage clearance. When he returned home on leave, he had to walk the last 8kms and arrive unannounced late one evening - no phones or telegram service.

The author eventually became a reasonably senior manager with SNCF. A delightful account.

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Gardian. What is the title of the book, and how could I get a copy, please?

Meanwhile, I can recommend a book I read a couple of years ago which I am about to begin again -

"The Discovery of France" by Graham Robb.

Facts about France you never dreamed of, written by a man who rode 14,000 miles around France on his bicycle to gather them.

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[quote user="Loiseau"]Ooooo, sounds good!

I have just ordered it - for 06p (plus postage)![/quote]

If you like that one, little bird, you might also like A Greengage Summer by Rumer Goodden.  You could know the book already, of course, as it's well-known and I know you are a tremendous reader[:)]

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Nomoss ........

Without any great expectation, I looked Amazon Fr, but no joy. sorry, can’t remember the title because it’s currently on loan to a friend.

I’ll drop by the Mairie on Monday and see whether they’ve got a copy. If not, they’ll probably be able to get one because la secrétaire is his granddaughter (or something related!)

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QUOTE mint

...you might also like A Greengage Summer by Rumer Goodden. ...

END QUOTE

Gosh, I think I read that years ago, mint, after somebody who had stayed at my cottage said the garden reminded him of that book. I must try and find it; thank you for reminding me.

Now back to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, which I have to finish for my book group...

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  • 2 weeks later...
Just finished A House in Flanders; what a charming book. Michael Jenkins sounds a very interesting man; I wonder if he is still alive.

I could imagine exactly where the book was set; must be on the lower slopes of the Mont Cassel. The town at the top was one of my favourite discoveries when I was doing my guidebook to northern France.

Thanks so much for the recommendation mint and Cendrillon
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Loiseau, I, too, described the book as "charming"[:)]

More interesting for you, of course, Angela, as you know the setting.  I suspected that you'd have a good idea of the area and so it's proved.

I have read a couple of so-so books translated from English/American to French and I definitely found that quite a lot was "lost in translation".  I think I'd have enjoyed them more before I came to France and knew no French.  Now all I do is fume and say things like.....but the French would never have said that!  

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Loiseau, on the back of my copy of A House in Flanders it says that Michael Jenkins and his wife own and are restoring an old house in Gascony.

I suppose we could Google his name and discover whether he is toujours vivant.

I am really pleased to hear that you enjoyed his book.
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  • 3 months later...
I have discovered the ultimate book for franglaisphones!  In a second hand bookshop recently, I was looking for a big, fat book to alleviate the boredom of hospital appointments.  My eyes alighted on The Rack by AE Ellis.

I opened the first page and the very first sentence mentioned the Haute Savoie, one of my favourite places in France, having visited in summer and winter, walked and skied there.

Then I learned that it was set in a sanatorium so I just HAD to read it as those huge, great ex-sanatorium buildings to be found all over the département fascinated me.

There are lots of reviews on this book on the internet.  But, for me, the treatment of TB had many parallels with my own treatment for cancer.  The pain of the procedures, the side-effects, the futility of some of the procedures and the hope, vain or otherwise, that inevitably you cling on to.  It is all there.  In fact, you could substitute TB with any number of long-term illnesses that require treatment that is often painful and whose results are uncertain.

During the reading of the book, I even managed to get myself a diagnosis of chronic bronchitis!!![:-))]

So, why fraglais speakers?  Because the book is littered with French words and phrases and even whole snatches of conversation in French.  But the French is basic and easily understood and does add authenticity.

Lastly, don't worry that it is all gloom and doom.  It isn't and there is a large and varied cast of characters that will remind you of people you already know.  Even humour to be found throughout.

If anyone has read it, I'd like to have your opinion on it. 

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Can I recommend Michel Bussi. I've just read' Black Waterlilies'-a murder /mystery set in Giverney. A really good read with a twist at the end that made me begin reading it again straight away to see if I'd missed a clue along the way. He is a popular French writer-although I had never heard of him. I read it in translation as my French isn't good enough to read and really enjoy a book in the original-too much stopping and starting to keep the flow going. Just about to start another of his 'After the Crash'- hope it's as good.
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I hadn’t heard of The Rack either, Mint, but it sounds fascinating and the health parallels you mention would be of interest to me. Also, as a student I spent 2 summers teaching in the children’s ward in a TB hospital - only realising a couple of weeks into my first session that the children who looked healthiest, with rosy cheeks, were usually the most ill.

Mac, I bought After the Crash on my ipad this week, having had it recommended. I haven’t started it yet as I already have several books waiting, but what a coincidence!
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  • 1 year later...
‘A Certain Idea of France - the Life of Charles de Gaulle’ by Julian Jackson.

I’ve just soldiered through the 700+ pages of this, but having persevered with the first 50 or so pages, it was well worth it.

He was pretty horrible to work for, totally arrogant and self-centred and yet a superb negotiator (he learned a lot from Stalin) and totally perceptive in the way world politics and ‘power’ would pan out.

He said in 1952, “I admit that I do not believe at all in the value of any government I would not have the honour of presiding over”. That says it all.

A good read, the only drawback being the sheer weight of the volume - would have been better split in to two books.

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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/902887.The_Rack

Variable reviews but treatment back then was not as advanced / instantly effective (or not) as today.

GG - one of my earliest experiences was seeing a patient and asking where he had been for his holidays - unfortunately nowhere: his liver was knackered.

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