10 French Books You Should Read | SBB ☕︎

HEY EVERYONE  !!

For today's article I thought it would be interesting to shift our focus onto french literature. I'm french, not born but raised in France, and throughout all my years of non-english reading I've come across certain books that have stuck with me. Many of them I had to read for school, and most I didn't like. However, for the few that I did like, I thought it would be interesting to share with you non-french readers my top 10 french books. Fortunately, most of these are very famous books and most of them have been translated in english and other languages, so if you're interested, you can easily get your hands on them.

Candide

Brought up in the household of a powerful Baron, Candide is an open-minded young man, whose tutor, Pangloss, has instilled in him the belief that 'all is for the best'. But when his love for the Baron's rosy-cheeked daughter is discovered, Candide is cast out to make his own way in the world.

And so he and his various companions begin a breathless tour of Europe, South America and Asia, as an outrageous series of disasters befall them - earthquakes, syphilis, a brush with the Inquisition, murder - sorely testing the young hero's optimism.

Dom Juan

Don Juan, the "Seducer of Seville," originated as a hero-villain of Spanish folk legend, is a famous lover and scoundrel who has made more than a thousand sexual conquests. One of Molière's best-known plays, Don Juan was written while Tartuffe was still banned on the stages of Paris, and shared much with the outlawed play. Modern directors transformed Don Juan in every new era, as each director finds something new to highlight in this timeless classic. 

Witty, urbane, and poetic in its prose, Don Juan is, most importantly, as funny now as it was for audiences when it was first presented.

 The Stranger

A young Algerian, Meursault, afflicted with a sort of aimless inertia, becomes embroiled in the petty intrigues of a local pimp and, somewhat inexplicably, ends up killing a man. Once he's imprisoned and eventually brought to trial, his crime, it becomes apparent, is not so much the arguably defensible murder he has committed as it is his deficient character. The trial's proceedings are absurd, a parsing of incidental trivialities--that Meursault, for instance, seemed unmoved by his own mother's death and then attended a comic movie the evening after her funeral are two ostensibly damning facts--so that the eventual sentence the jury issues is both ridiculous and inevitable.

  

The first book of The Fleurville Trilogy: Sophie is a naughty little girl, she delights in disobeying her mother

and engaging in mischevious pranks. Sophie unintentionally melts her favourite wax doll and gets into trouble

when she stands outside in the rain to make her hair curl. Why can't she be well behaved like her cousin

Paul and her two delightfully sensible friends Camille and Madeleine? - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.com.au/Fleurville-Trilogy-Sophies-Misfortunes-Book-1/Stephanie-Smee/9780731814602#sthash.vfzxqoH5.dpuf

Sophie's Misfortunes

The first book of The Fleurville Trilogy: Sophie is a naughty little girl, she delights in disobeying her mother and engaging in mischievious pranks. Sophie unintentionally melts her favourite wax doll and gets into trouble when she stands outside in the rain to make her hair curl. Why can't she be well behaved like her cousin Paul and her two delightfully sensible friends Camille and Madeleine?

The Imaginary Invalid

A hypochondriac, victimized by pompous physicians, tests the loyalty of a loving daughter and discovers the contempt of his scheming and greedy second wife. This classic comedy from one of the most brilliant satirists in the history of literature deflates the pretensions of society and reveals the universal frailties of 

humanity.

 

Persepolis

Persepolis paints an unforgettable portrait of daily life in Iran and of the bewildering contradictions between home life and public life. Marjane’s child’s-eye view of dethroned emperors, state-sanctioned whippings, and heroes of the revolution allows us to learn as she does the history of this fascinating country and of her own extraordinary family. Intensely personal, profoundly political, and wholly original, Persepolis is at once a story of growing up and a reminder of the human cost of war and political repression. It shows how we carry on, with laughter and tears, in the face of absurdity. And, finally, it introduces us to an irresistible little girl with whom we cannot help but fall in love.

 

 The Last Day of a Condemned Man

 A man vilified by society and condemned to death for his crime wakes every morning knowing that this day might be his last. With the hope for release his only comfort, he spends his hours recounting his life and the time before his imprisonment. But as the hours pass, he knows that he is powerless to change his fate. He must follow the path so many have trod before him—the path that leads to the guillotine.

 

Lorenzaccio

The plot takes place in Florence, ruled by the Medicis at the time when Charles Quint was emperor.  Alexandre de Médicis, Duke of Florence, governs the city and is loathed by his people as he is despotic and libertine. He is manipulated by the Catholic Church and sold to Charles Quint. 

Lorenzo (nicknamed Lorenzaccio) is a Médicis who wants to murder Alexandre for personal reasons. He swore to kill a tyrant one day and chose Alexandre. He decides to befriend with Alexandre to achieve his goal and becomes Alexandre’s favourite and confident. He follows him in all his partying, makes sure he thinks him harmless in order to approach him unguarded.

 

La Venus d'Ille

 A very short story written by Prosper Mérimée, a French historian, archaeologist and short story writer. This story dates back to 1837 and is the story of a travelling archaeologist visiting a fellow archaeologist who has just discovered a statue of Venus. This statue then shows supernatural traits.

 The Three Musketeers

The story of the early adventures of the young Gascon gentleman d'Artagnan and his three friends from the regiment of the King's Musketeers: Athos, Porthos, and Aramis.

Under the watchful eye of their patron M. de Treville, the four defend the honour of the regiment against the guards of the Cardinal Richelieu and the honor of the queen against the machinations of the Cardinal himself as the power struggles of 17th-century France are vividly played out in the background.

Hope you enjoyed the post ! Let me know in the comments !