French novels

[Llantony]

I haven't read a novel in French for years and have no idea what I'd enjoy now. I don't fancy Camus, Gide etc! Can anyone recommend good, readable novels? I enjoy lots of English language novels such as Virgin Blue, Chocolat, Christopher Brookmyre (though I don't think Id' understand a French equivalent - if there is one!) whodunnits.

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

You could try reading books by Christian Signol (yes, this has been my answer on a few occasions - I wonder if anyone has tried it yet?)

Les Bonheurs d'Enfance is a sort of autobiography, but as you said you like Joanne Harris, it may suit you. In this particular book, he describes his childhood, growing up at the time when there were still "Les Vieux Metiers" and you can smell the hay and everything just the way you can taste things in Joanne Harris's books. It has a feeling of the old France - possibly what some people experience still in rural areas. I'm taking his "Les Noel's blancs" to France with me next week as well as "La Gloire de Mon Pere" - Pagnol.

You said you like whodunnits too. This may be complete trash, I'm no authority - but you could see if you could get Le Crime de combe jadouille by Brigitte leVarlet. Of course there is always Simenon but I never got into it.

Neither of these are heavy going, so if it's a while since you read in French they may be a good starting point

Hope you find something you like. It may be an idea to ask in a second hand book shop. Sometimes people in those shops are more interested in what they are selling than in places like FNAC - and in a supermarket, I doubt if anyone would know.

Jill (99)

[letrangere]

"Policiers" are very popular with French readers there are huge sections of them even in Carrefour. But if you're at a loss as to which one to chose you could always try Agatha Christie in French, assuming you're not opposed to books in translation. There are dozens of them and they stand out on the shelves thanks to their canary yellow colour covers.

Margaret