A French Book Reading Resource

[DaveAgain]

Several local libraries have been rebuilt, but libraries in general have changed. I liked it when they were quiet places with just books and librarians who knew how to find things. Now with all that having to compete with the internet and also the increased ability to buy books, they're not quite the same. I'm often disappointed by the offerings. Utrecht has many public library branches, but as each one is renovated it seems to be at the expense of the actual books. You expect a central library to be filled with them, but this one doesn't feel like that.

The central library in my town carries DVDs as well as books, but the DVDs are a small section. One common thing in local libraries before the Covid thing was reading books aloud to groups of small children, I'm not sure if that's resumed again or not. There's also an eBook offering via the library website, but I've not used it myself.

[rdearman]

I'm really happy with our public library system where I live in the UK. The libraries are run county wide, and the central library is massive, with lots of books (and zero parking). I don't get down there much, but my village has a small local branch with only one room. But, and this is an important but, you can log into the library system online, and search for books in any library in the country (78 in total) and you can reserve a book, DVD, or whatever, and it will be delivered to your local library for pickup.

It is an amazing service. It is a pity more people don't make use of it. It also has links to huge databases as well as online libraries and language schools, etc, and all you need is a library card.

(Happy Birthday Carmody)

Edit: Opps, county, not country

[Le Baron]

I'm really happy with our public library system where I live in the UK. The libraries are run country wide, and the central library is massive, with lots of books (and zero parking). I don't get down there much, but my village has a small local branch with only one room. But, and this is an important but, you can log into the library system online, and search for books in any library in the country (78 in total) and you can reserve a book, DVD, or whatever, and it will be delivered to your local library for pickup.

Yes this is roughly how the library system works here. Coming from England I was always annoyed that there was a large fee to join, whereas in England it was free to get a library card.

Despite being a large central library, with many sizeable local branches, they are very poor for language materials. On a search in the central catalogue (for the entire country) any books are always located in some obscure library in a different province or just Amsterdam/Rotterdam. I get the feeling they back off from acquiring commonly used texts because of the university library system and to assist sales for the many courses run in the city. In general you'll turn up about 10-15 books in a search many of which are multiples, which is pathetic.

However, I found that if I go to Amsterdam's central library and I ask for something in person, they seem to turn up all kinds of things; especially from the vaults. Yet none of them are in the accessible catalogue!

[Carmody]

La Religieuse by Denis Diderot

There are a multitude of things you absolutely need to do before you die, however, reading this book is not one of them.

Did you ever read a book where the author was just putting down words to fill page after page; you can just feel how bored he is by the whole project.

I am not saying that Diderot is not a great man but I am saying this book is not the true measure of the man.

The book is about a woman who is forced to join a convent because her mother had her out of wedlock and she wishes to atone for it by sending her daughter to a convent. And thus ensues a very long and arduous description of her travails in and out of the convent life.

Save yourself the trouble on this book and do something but don’t waste your time here.
4/10
C1-2

[DaveAgain]

La Religieuse by Denis Diderot

There are a multitude of things you absolutely need to do before you die, however, reading this book is not one of them.

You could try a "religieuse" pastry instead

https://cuisine.journaldesfemmes.fr/rec ... at-au-lait

[jeffers]

Just catching up, so a few things to comment on:

• Almost all of my reading for the past 7-8 years has been in French. I have limited time to read, and limited time to study languages, so I just feel like I'm wasting my time a bit when I read in English. I guess it's the old protestant work ethic which gives me the urge to "make the most of every moment". Positively, the same work ethic allows me to play hours of Civilisation VI because I play it in French!
• When I first moved to the UK I used to visit often with my children, but one sour faced volunteer put us off. However, our county libraries have Pimsleur French and German levels I to III. The levels are from different versions, so sometimes there are odd things you're expected to know at the start of a new level, but it's a minor hurdle to jump when you can get an expensive course for free! I keep meaning to ask them to try to get levels IV and V.
• The Kennett library looks incredible. Here in the UK libraries are definitely on the decline, and I have seen several large branches closed down in my area.
• Happy belated birthday, Carmody!

And to get back to the main theme, here is my summer reading plan:

• Hexagone: sur les routes de l'histoire de France by Lorant Deutsch. I started this a while ago, but put it aside for simpler things while preparing for my A2 exam, so I'm about 27% of the way through it. I also have the DVDs of the documentary.
• Une chance sur un milliard by Gilles Legardinier. Another one I started earlier in the year, but put aside because it is a bit sad. I've already read the first 10% of so.
• I'm considering reading Harry Potter 2 in French this summer, for a quick and easy page turner.
• Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall. Yes, a book in English!!! It looks interesting: I like maps and I think it's important to understand how much geography influences our existence and life chances.

All that can start after I finish re-re-re-re-reading Les bêtises du Petit Nicolas.

[Carmody]

jeffers » Tue Jul 18, 2023 9:56 pm
Just catching up, so a few things to comment on:

Almost all of my reading for the past 7-8 years has been in French. I have limited time to read, and limited time to study languages, so I just feel like I'm wasting my time a bit when I read in English. I guess it's the old protestant work ethic which gives me the urge to "make the most of every moment". Positively, the same work ethic allows me to play hours of Civilisation VI because I play it in French!

And yes to that; same here. The last 7 yrs I have been reading books that are just in French. I am literally afraid that if I stop all my French will disappear. I am sure that happens.

Une chance sur un milliard by Gilles Legardinier. Another one I started earlier in the year, but put aside because it is a bit sad. I've already read the first 10% of so.

That is on my to read list; thanks. But first I have to read Jacques le Fatalistes.

Thanks for taking the time to do a wrap up of what you are doing.

Stay cool.

[Carmody]

Just a note to Le Baron that today I start Jacques le Fataliste by Diderot. I have no idea what to expect but if Le Baron read it twice, it must be worthwhile.

[DaveAgain]

... I was directed to the author Delphine de Vigan. I read her book No et moi in a day. It was great to increase my confidence and show me that I could enjoy reading books in French (the scars left by university reading lists are deep...). I'd say it's an intermediate read. It tells the story of a 13-year-old girl who's a bit of an outsider and the relationship she develops with a homeless girl as part of a school project on homelessness. If, like me, that's the sort of stuff you enjoyed reading as a teenager, it might suit you!

I've just finished this, and I thought it was super too.

EDIT
I was a little curious about the name "No" > Nolwenn, so I asked the internet:

Quelle est l'origine du prénom Nolwenn ?
Le prénom Nolwenn est un prénom breton.

Quelle est la signification du prénom Nolwenn ?
L'élément -wenn, qui compose le prénom Nolwenn, peut être rapproché du vieux breton uuin qui signifie "blanc", "pur". D'autre part, le préfixe Nol est inspiré du celtique Noal qui est un toponyme gaulois.

Jour de la Sainte Nolwenn
Sainte Nolwenn fut une femme de Cornouailles, qui vint s'installer en Bretagne pour vivre en ermite. Elle y aurait accompli de nombreux miracles. On l'honore le 6 juillet.

https://www.journaldesfemmes.fr/prenoms ... renom-1868

[Caromarlyse]

... I was directed to the author Delphine de Vigan. I read her book No et moi in a day. It was great to increase my confidence and show me that I could enjoy reading books in French (the scars left by university reading lists are deep...). I'd say it's an intermediate read. It tells the story of a 13-year-old girl who's a bit of an outsider and the relationship she develops with a homeless girl as part of a school project on homelessness. If, like me, that's the sort of stuff you enjoyed reading as a teenager, it might suit you!

I've just finished this, and I thought it was super too.

Wow, it was a long time ago that I read that book. Thanks for the reminder! Glad you liked it too