A French Book Reading Resource

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Caromarlyse
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Re: TOTW: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby Caromarlyse » Sat Dec 07, 2019 9:52 am

Hello, I've just joined the forum but went through this post a few weeks ago to get some book recommendations/ideas. From I think a link that MamaPata posted, 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 asked for another couple off the list for Christmas, so will be able to report back next year what I thought of Les dieux voyagent toujours incognito and Le liseur du 6h27, which look also to be popular fiction but perhaps a little more adult rather than young adult.
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Carmody
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Re: TOTW: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby Carmody » Sat Dec 07, 2019 2:15 pm

Thanks so much for your ideas and feedback; greatly appreciated.

And welcome to the Forum.
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Carmody
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Re: TOTW: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby Carmody » Sat Dec 07, 2019 5:22 pm

I am always on the look out for literary sites and think book members may find this of interest: https://www.lexpress.fr/culture/livre/
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Carmody
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Re: TOTW: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby Carmody » Sun Dec 08, 2019 12:11 am

Up to this time we have been discussing books at a B1 level or higher, however, all levels -A1-C2- are welcome to this thread.

If you are interested in a teen level book or are reading at an A1-A2 level, I learned that many people find the following a good book:
Une disparition mystérieuse by Theresa Marrama. It is set in Louisiana and has to to with a missing boy.

You can find out more about it here: https://www.amazon.com/disparition-mystérieuse-French-Theresa-Marrama/dp/1733957804/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?keywords=une+disparition+mysterieuse+dr+theresa+marrama&qid=1575763757&s=books&sr=1-1-fkmr0
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Carmody
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Re: TOTW: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby Carmody » Sun Dec 08, 2019 3:29 pm

This was news to me:
Le géant du commerce en ligne Amazon a annoncé qu'il allait désormais rémunérer à la page lue les auteurs de livres publiés sur sa plateforme Kindle Direct Publishing.
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Carmody
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Re: TOTW: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby Carmody » Sun Dec 15, 2019 12:56 am

This is a book for someone at the intermediate level. Intermediate level books are sometimes difficult to find.

Les lettres de mon moulin Alphonse Daudet

The stories are all told by the author in the first person, typically addressing a Parisian reader. The author, having relocated his home from Paris, recounts short bucolic tales about his new life in Provence as well as his trips to Corsica and French Algeria. Considered to be light-hearted, and often a bit tongue-in-cheek, the stories vary from day-to-day events in southern France to Provençal folk-tales, and often feature professions and faunal references characteristic of Provence.

Alphonse Daudet
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letters_from_My_Windmill

Letters from My Windmill (French: Lettres de mon moulin) is a collection of short stories by Alphonse Daudet first published in its entirety in 1869. Some of the stories had been published earlier in newspapers or journals such as Le Figaro and L'Evénement as early as 1865.

Letters From My Windmill is sometimes considered to be Daudet's most important work. It is cherished by many French, particularly in the South, for the picture it paints of the local culture.

If you choose this particular edition:
https://www.amazon.com/Lettres-Moulin-SEntrainer-English-French/dp/8853010266/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=les+lettres+de+mon+moulin&qid=1576371436&s=books&sr=1-5
you will find it accompanied by many additional notes for the student.
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DaveAgain
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Re: TOTW: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby DaveAgain » Sun Dec 15, 2019 10:16 am

Carmody wrote:
Les lettres de mon moulin Alphonse Daudet

The stories are all told by the author in the first person, typically addressing a Parisian reader. The author, having relocated his home from Paris, recounts short bucolic tales about his new life in Provence as well as his trips to Corsica and French Algeria. Considered to be light-hearted, and often a bit tongue-in-cheek, the stories vary from day-to-day events in southern France to Provençal folk-tales, and often feature professions and faunal references characteristic of Provence.
Some of the stories are light hearted, but there's a lot of sad ones too.
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Carmody
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Re: TOTW: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby Carmody » Sun Dec 15, 2019 1:52 pm

DaveAgain »
Some of the stories are light hearted, but there's a lot of sad ones too.
A lot of French literature can be very sad; it seems to go with the territory. Do you have any other thoughts on the author? I have not read him before. My sense is that he is very similar in style and sensibility to Marcel Pagnol, who I think at some point did a film of this book; but I am not sure.
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DaveAgain
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Re: TOTW: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby DaveAgain » Sun Dec 15, 2019 2:48 pm

Carmody wrote:
DaveAgain »
Some of the stories are light hearted, but there's a lot of sad ones too.
A lot of French literature can be very sad; it seems to go with the territory. Do you have any other thoughts on the author? I have not read him before. My sense is that he is very similar in style and sensibility to Marcel Pagnol, who I think at some point did a film of this book; but I am not sure.
I believe there have been multiple adaptations of the stories, Mr Pagnol adapted Les Trois messes basses (one of the funny stories) and I think two or three others. Isabelle Adjandi was in a TV adaption of Les Étoiles (I think part of a series using all the stories), Fernandel recorded the stories as an audiobook.

I just didn't want anyone to choose this book on the assumption its a My Family and other Animals laugh-a-long read, when its not.

(I've mentioned my favourite ones before.)
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Carmody
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Re: TOTW: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby Carmody » Sun Dec 15, 2019 8:53 pm

Many thanks for your guidance and explanation; greatly appreciated.

I am definitely going to check him out.
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