A French Book Reading Resource

[jeffers]

Yesterday I listened to an episode of the easy French podcast "Paris O'clock", which was about the book Le passe-muraille by Marcel Aymé. The episode discusses a bit of the context but the majority of the 20 minutes or so is the host reading the first few paragraphs and then giving detailed explanations of the language within them. It definitely has made me want to read the book (soon!) and also visit the statue based on the idea if I ever get to visit Montmartre in Paris.

Podcast link: https://parisoclock.com/2020/06/10/sevader-avec-le-passe-muraille-de-marcel-ayme/
Map link for the statue: https://goo.gl/maps/vFxny3HmMtSznGX47

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[Le Baron]

Since I already finished the Dutch book - Eetlezen - Remco Campert - I was using for bedtime reading, I started another one which happens to be French (taken for reasons of chapter length). Worth mentioning here I think because it has very short chapters of 2-3 pages and is easy to read. I think this is one for Carmody because it has a strain of dry humour.

Agota Kristof's Le Grand Cahier. I actually thought her books were translations, but she wrote in French after being in Neuchâtel after leaving Hungary in 1956.

[jeffers]

Since I already finished the Dutch book - Eetlezen - Remco Campert - I was using for bedtime reading, I started another one which happens to be French (taken for reasons of chapter length). Worth mentioning here I think because it has very short chapters of 2-3 pages and is easy to read. I think this is one for Carmody because it has a strain of dry humour.

Agota Kristof's Le Grand Cahier. I actually thought her books were translations, but she wrote in French after being in Neuchâtel after leaving Hungary in 1956.

Damn you, that's one more book for my reading list!
No it isn't, it's THREE more books, because this is the first part of a trilogy!

Joking aside, thank you for the suggestion. This looks like another good one!

[Le Baron]

No it isn't, it's THREE more books, because this is the first part of a trilogy!

Crikey, I didn't know that. I hope the others are also in the same format or I've shot myself in the foot.

[Carmody]

https://groveatlantic.com/book/the-note ... third-lie/
“A haunting, harrowing tale that lingers in the imagination long after you’ve turned the last page.” –The Washington Post Book World

Definitely not something Carmody would read to go to sleep.....

[Carmody]

A reckoning :

I have talked before about melancholy in the French fiction literature of the 20th century and I think I should probably come clean and say it was why I was attracted to it. With authors like: F. Sagan, M. Duras, A. Gide, A. Nothomb, M. Houellebecq, F. Mauriac, M. Duras, Jean Giono, B. Vian, G. Bernanos and so many others like them get the big awards and readership; it is obvious that France has a thing for melancholy.

The French themselves have a widely recognized national trait that can be summed up with the constant need to râler or to moan and groan. Possibly that predisposition leads them to riot more frequently than the rest of us.

However, as I age I sense there is more to life than a primary focus on melancholy. Excellent biographies and histories are a wonderful alternative for me and if you know some titles I would love to hear them.

I would like to end by saying how very much I admire A. Nothomb and her writings. They come out of such an anguished place deep within and yet throughout all the pain she is able to transcend it with a beautiful sense of humor that is both honest, insightful, and out loud hilarious. None of the other authors mentioned have humor in their books. Nothomb stands alone. No one here likes Nothomb, but I stand by her for all the pain and torture that she has had to endure within.

[jeffers]

Just a reminder to all who enjoy reading books in French, that I have set up a thread for you over in
Language Programs and Resources section under

A French Book Reading Resource
https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 19&t=10113

If you want ideas on books to read or want to share your reviews of what you have read in French please do join us.

All are welcome!

Oh crumbs, I just realized that I posted in the wrong thread, and now we're all using it. The perils of naming two threads with identical names!

[Carmody]

Would people please continue to post to
A French Book Reading Resource
at this thread.


Moderators if you could redirect the other thread it would be appreciated.

[Carmody]

Carmody » Wed Apr 26, 2023 8:11 am

A reckoning :

I have talked before about melancholy in the French fiction literature of the 20th century and I think I should probably come clean and say it was why I was attracted to it. With authors like: F. Sagan, M. Duras, A. Gide, A. Nothomb, M. Houellebecq, F. Mauriac, M. Duras, Jean Giono, B. Vian, G. Bernanos and so many others like them get the big awards and readership; it is obvious that France has a thing for melancholy.

The French themselves have a widely recognized national trait that can be summed up with the constant need to râler or to moan and groan. Possibly that predisposition leads them to riot more frequently than the rest of us.

However, as I age I sense there is more to life than a primary focus on melancholy. Excellent biographies and histories are a wonderful alternative for me and if you know some titles I would love to hear them.

I would like to end by saying how very much I admire A. Nothomb and her writings. They come out of such an anguished place deep within and yet throughout all the pain she is able to transcend it with a beautiful sense of humor that is both honest, insightful, and out loud hilarious. None of the other authors mentioned have humor in their books. Nothomb stands alone. No one here likes Nothomb, but I stand by her for all the pain and torture that she has had to endure within.

[Le Baron]

The French themselves have a widely recognized national trait that can be summed up with the constant need to râler or to moan and groan. Possibly that predisposition leads them to riot more frequently than the rest of us.

I would have said this chiefly about Russian literature (and temperament) more than French. As a stereotype with a pinch of truth and they also do gallows humour well. Also a lot of European literature has this vibe. You can even find it in British literature (until the trend for excessive comedy took over). And in the U.S. it resides among the novels of the 'literati'. All in slightly different ways.

I don't see it as melancholy as much as 'realism'. In general 'happiness' as something constant is an unreal state. People seem to make an effort to appear happy as though it is a sign of 'peace' or sanity or propriety, or good mental health.. Perhaps utter misery is also unreal, but, complaining and sardonic perspectives are more usual. Ther may be an argument that fiction doesn't have to mirror reality or 'real life', but if it does I'm okay with it.

Some readers dislike literary fiction of a certain kind because it's considered to have 'no plot'. Like that La Salle de bain I read a while ago. But I don't care about plot that much now. It's usually only a vehicle for thoughts and set pieces and ideas. Some people don't want that, which is fine and they'll be better reading other books.

France also produces popular fiction and humour etc.