A French Book Reading Resource

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MorkTheFiddle
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Re: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby MorkTheFiddle » Wed Aug 28, 2019 10:58 pm

Carmody wrote:Major apology and correction re my assessment:

My final assessment: "5/5" should be corrected to read 5/10.

I am certain the way sexuality is handled in the book will shock most people on this Forum.

Now I feel really guilty that you went out and bought the book. :oops:
Not to worry. The title of the book gives a good clue to its contents. If I don't like it, I can always close it and go on to something else. :)
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Many things which are false are transmitted from book to book, and gain credit in the world. -- attributed to Samuel Johnson

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Carmody
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Re: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby Carmody » Fri Aug 30, 2019 6:12 pm

As anyone who visits here knows, I am always on the prowl for good French fiction from the 20th and 21st century. As part of that search, I ask the Alliance Francaise schools what titles they are reading in their B1 and C1 literature courses. This is the answer that I got from one of them:

French Institute Alliance Francaise

Aug 29, 18:22 EDT

B2.LIT.D01
September 24 - December 10
Tuesday afternoons, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Instructor: Zarina Yonossi
$529.00
Koenigsmark de Pierre Benoit
Dans ce cours, nous allons étudier Koenigsmark (1918) de Pierre Benoit. En 1912, Aurore, originaire des steppes russes, épouse le grand-duc Rodolphe de Lautenbourg, héritier d’une petite principauté allemande. Mais celui-ci meurt mystérieusement à l’occasion d’une mission en Afrique. En 1913, à l’aube de la 1ère guerre mondiale, Raoul Vignerte, jeune professeur de français, arrive au palais en tant que précepteur du fils du grand-duc Frédéric de Lautenbourg, beau-frère et deuxième mari d’Aurore, qui a hérité du grand-duché. Vignerte va s’éprendre de la fascinante Aurore qui semble apprécier sa compagnie.

B2.LIT.D02
September 24 - December 10
Tuesday evenings, 5:45pm - 7:45pm
$529.00
Un Amour de Swann de Marcel Proust
Un amour de Swann est la deuxième partie du roman Du côté de chez Swann, le premier tome d’À la recherche du temps perdu de Marcel Proust. Se détachant de la narration à la première personne et de l’intrigue principale car ayant pour personnage principal Charles Swann, Un amour de Swann est aussi publié comme un roman qui peut être lu indépendamment du reste de l’œuvre. En 1950, ce roman fut inclus dans la liste du Grand prix des Meilleurs romans du demi-siècle. C’est le récit d’une passion amoureuse, celle de Swann le personnage principal, juif, extrêmement riche qui est reçu, fêté et recherché dans le Monde, et Odette de Crécy, cocotte en vogue, appréhendée à travers le prisme de la jalousie avec, pour toile de fond, le Paris des années 1880, ses cafés, ses champs de courses, ses grands boulevards, ses divers salons et leurs codes langagiers.

B2.LIT.L01
September 25 - December 11
Wednesday evenings, 5:45pm - 7:15pm
Instructor: Hugo Fortin
$449.00
En finir avec Eddy Bellegueule d'Édouard Louis
Élevé dans une famille ouvrière de Picardie, Eddy ne ressemble pas aux autres enfants. Sa manière de se tenir, son élocution, sa délicatesse lui valent de nombreuses humiliations et injures, tant par ses camarades de classe que par son père alcoolique et sa mère revêche. Lui-même finit par s’interroger sur cette homosexualité dont on le taxe avant même qu’il éprouve le moindre désir. Mais la véritable persécution ne vient-elle pas du conditionnement social ? Il parviendra à s’arracher à cette enveloppe écrasante, qui donne au récit une allure zolienne, et à imposer sa personnalité en poursuivant des études de théâtre à Amiens, loin de l’enfer familial et villageois qu’il a connu. Ce texte, psychologiquement frappant, dresse un tableau saisissant d’un monde populaire brutal et sensiblement archaïque. Mais la finesse de l’auteur, par ailleurs sociologue, resitue dans un contexte social le drame familial qui aurait pu devenir une vraie tragédie individuelle. Comment échapper à la détermination ? Comment chaque être peut-il inventer sa liberté ?

B2.LIT.D03
September 26 - December 12
Thursday evenings, 5:45pm - 7:45pm
Instructor: Zarina Yonossi
$529.00
Le Confident d'Hélène Grémillon
Dans ce cours, nous allons étudier Le confident d’Hélène Grémillon. Après la mort de sa mère, parmi les lettres de condoléances, Camille reçoit une lettre d’un expéditeur inconnu. Des pages écrites par un certain Louis qui lui raconte une histoire, à priori celle d’une autre. Puis chaque semaine, de nouvelles lettres arrivent lui racontant une histoire débutée plus de trente ans auparavant, à l’aube de la Seconde guerre mondiale. Peu à peu, Camille comprend qu’elle n’est pas étrangère au terrible secret que cette correspondance referme.

B2.LIT.D04
September 28 - December 14
Saturday afternoons, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Instructor: Zarina Yonossi
$529.00
Thérèse Raquin d'Emile Zola
Dans ce cours, nous allons étudier Thérèse Raquin d’Emile Zola (1867). Thérèse est une femme nerveuse. La vraie nature de son tempérament est cependant voilée par son mariage avec le flegmatique Camille et l’environnement dans lequel ils évoluent : une boutique sombre, claustrophobique qui évoque un aquarium. Au fond d’elle-même, cependant, Thérèse couve les passions les plus violentes ; sa rencontre avec Laurent, un ami de son mari, va la pousser à cette passion criminelle qui se terminera en tragédie. Ce cours vous est plus particulièrement destiné si l’étude des personnages souverainement dominés par leurs nerfs et leur sang, entraînés à chaque acte de leur vie par les fatalités de leur chair, vous intéresse.

C1.LIT.A01
September 23 - December 11
Monday and Wednesday evenings, 7:30pm - 9:00pm
Instructor: Marie-Helene Koffi-Tessio
$449.00
Afrique : Voyages à travers les littératures d'Afrique francophone
Dans ce cours, nous allons penser à l’une des plus grandes questions de notre temps: les migrations. Malgré les promesses de la globalisation, certaines frontières deviennent poreuses alors que d’autres se referment. Notre cours se penchera sur le rôle des arts littéraires et cinématographiques pour aboutir à une meilleure compréhension de ce phénomène de migrations inégales. Le célèbre roman lauréat du Prix Goncourt de la franco-sénégalaise Marie NDiaye Trois Femmes puissantes et le film du metteur en scène sénégalais Moussa Traoré La Pirogue serviront de points d’ancrage. En analysant les récits de ces groupes de femmes et d’hommes, nous explorerons les questions de genres, de races, et des sentiments qui se font jour au travers de ces migrations. Nous prêterons une attention particulière aux caractéristiques narratives propres aux deux genres, le littéraire et le cinématographique.

C1.LIT.L01
September 25 - December 11
Wednesday afternoons, 11:30am - 1:00pm
Instructor: Ginette Reich
$449.00
La fortune des Rougon d'Emile Zola
Dans ce cours nous allons lire le roman des origines. La fortune des Rougon ouvre le cycle des Rougon-Macquart. Une étude de l’humanité dans ses plus intimes rouages ainsi qu’une recherche de la génétique qui se transmet à travers les générations. Ce livre se situe à l’époque du Second Empire et Zola nous donnera un aperçu historique des évènements. C’est l’histoire d’une famille à l’assaut des hauteurs. Les gens de rien comme Pierre Rougon et sa femme Félicité avides et cupides et les jeunes idéalistes, Silvère et Miette prêts à donner leurs vies pour leurs idées. C’est à la fois la somme de volonté de chacun et la poussée générale de l’ensemble. Nous allons rencontrer l’aïeule Adelaïde (tante Dide) et ses descendants légitimes et illégitimes. Nous entrerons dans la ville de Plassans et ses intriques, reflets des intrigues de la cour de Napoléon III. Cette lecture vous permettra de mieux situer et mieux comprendre l’œuvre gigantesque de Zola, Les Rougon-Macquart.


reception
Aug 29, 16:12 EDT
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DaveAgain
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Re: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby DaveAgain » Sat Aug 31, 2019 6:15 am

Carmody wrote:As anyone who visits here knows, I am always on the prowl for good French fiction from the 20th and 21st century.
There's a series on TV5Monde at the moment (Les pays d'en haut) that's based on a candian novel: Un homme et son péché.
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Carmody
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Re: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby Carmody » Sun Sep 08, 2019 12:54 am

I have just finished La nuit de feu by Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt. It is about the hiking trip in Algiers that he took as a young man during which he got lost out on the desert and underwent a "religious" experience.

He is a great believer in the Passé Simple.

This is just my first time through reading the book, but at this point I would give it a 5/10.
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MorkTheFiddle
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Re: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby MorkTheFiddle » Sun Sep 08, 2019 1:39 am

Interesting title. I will be curious to see what your final rating is.
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Many things which are false are transmitted from book to book, and gain credit in the world. -- attributed to Samuel Johnson

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Carmody
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Re: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby Carmody » Wed Sep 11, 2019 11:28 pm

Ok, so I just finished the book a second time through and know this is not a book for everyone.

In fact it deals with the author’s “La nuit de feu” or his mystic experience one night stranded and lost in the Sahara desert. Roughly put it was a mystical experience that totally took over his being and moved him deeply and beyond words.

Since I had a very similar experience early on in my life, I find it very interesting to read about. It is the only example in western literature of a person going through such a profound experience that I know of, so I found this of special interest.

Like I said this is not a book for everyone, but given my life experience I would give this book a 9/10.
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Carmody
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Re: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby Carmody » Thu Sep 12, 2019 2:22 pm

More on the book from Amazon:

A vingt-huit ans, Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt entreprend une randonne dans le grand Sud algrien. Au cours de l'expdition, il s'gare dans l'immensit du Hoggar. Sans eau ni vivres durant la nuit glaciale, il n'prouve pourtant nulle peur et sent au contraire se soulever en lui une force brlante. Un sentiment de paix, de bonheur, d'ternit l'envahit. Le philosophe rationaliste voit s'branler toutes ses certitudes. Ce feu, pourquoi ne pas le nommer Dieu Cette "nuit de feu", Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt la raconte pour la premire fois, dvoilant au fil d'un fascinant voyage intrieur son intimit spirituelle et l'exprience qui a transform sa vie d'homme et d'crivain. Un rcit vivant, concis, concret, qui claire les circonstances de sa conversion et ses consquences, sans chercher convaincre.
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Carmody
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Re: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby Carmody » Tue Oct 15, 2019 1:53 am

Just ran across another list for books that people might find of interest.

http://vehesse.free.fr/dotclear/index.php?2011/12/13/1681-lectures-conseillees-en-classe-de-seconde-et-premiere

I am also in the midst of my second reading of Charles de Foucauld by Réne Bazin. This 399 page book is the biography of Charles Eugène de Foucauld, Viscount of Foucauld, born on 15 September 1858 in Strasbourg (France), died on 1 December 1916 in Tamanrasset (Algeria), was a cavalry officer in the French Army, then an explorer and geographer, and finally a Catholic priest, hermit who lived among the Tuareg in the Sahara in Algeria. He was assassinated in 1916 and is considered by the Church to be a martyr."

I liked the book because I am interested in inner journeys and why it is people do what they do. I am not a Catholic or Christian but his life was interesting and the book is the classic biography of the man. If one were to read it, it would be necessary to pass over a lot of material that is very “stylized” and in the vernacular of the time.

It is not a book that most people would enjoy and I would steer people away from it but I did like it and would give it a 8/10.

I came across the book because Charles de Foucauld was very much the topic of the previous book I read: La nuit de feu Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt. (see above)
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Carmody
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Re: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby Carmody » Wed Oct 16, 2019 1:38 pm

Thanks to everyone for their visits.

If you have any suggestions re books to read, please do pass them along.
:D

I would greatly enjoy this thread being a conversation with others contributing their ideas rather than just me in a monologue.
:D :D :D
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MorkTheFiddle
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Re: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby MorkTheFiddle » Thu Oct 17, 2019 12:37 am

You are one of the best read and most widely read members here in French, so it is not always clear how to engage you. You seem to prefer the 20th and 21st centuries, and I am with you on that. The long-winded novels of the 19th century, French and English and Spanish, wear me out, though for whatever reason the works of Austen, Dostoevsky and Tolsoy get a bye. The Hugos, Balzacs, Sands, and Zolas of the French scene all have their moments, but by and large, they are all bores to me. (But so are Dickens and George Eliot, for that matter).
My interests also have always been equally divided between fiction and nonfiction, and my extensive reading has been confined to my youth and my retirement days. The major hurdle, which you seem to face as well, is knowing what to read. As a young man I seemed to pick up titles to read by osmosis. (The same thing happened with popular music. ) Do the French have a contemporary Stephen J. Gould or Richard Feynman or Lynn Margulis?
For the moment, I have started Hugo's Quatrevingt-treize, taking Kanawai's judgment that Hugo's focus stays sharper than with his other novels. Also, as I have said before, Hugo's poetry is a different story from his novels. Hugo keeps his wits about himself when he writes poetry. I don't know where I am going with this. Maybe moving to France for a few years is the only answer for me, though that is not going to happen.
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Many things which are false are transmitted from book to book, and gain credit in the world. -- attributed to Samuel Johnson


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