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30/11/2007, 13:01 5-element Joined on 28/10/2006 Languedoc Posts 770 Re: Any recommendations for French authors to read? Although I am not certain of the suitability of the language - if you feel up to it, you must read Daniel Pennac - especially my favorite, "La Fee Carabine". Daniel Pennac bases the "Famille Malaussene" colourful characters in the Belleville area of Paris.  Before "La Fee Carabine", he wrote "Au bonheur des ogres", also happening in Belleville. Same kind of humour and colour as in the animated film "Les Triplettes de Belleville".    Report

30/11/2007, 13:51 crépuscule Joined on 19/01/2006 Scotland Posts 49 Re: Any recommendations for French authors to read? Although I enjoyed them, I found it hard work reading Daniel Pennac's books in English, never mind French!    Report

30/11/2007, 15:16 5-element Joined on 28/10/2006 Languedoc Posts 770 Re: Any recommendations for French authors to read? Sorry, I read them a while ago, and don't have any copies, so couldn't get back to them to check on the language. Apologies to those who don't feel up to those Daniel Pennac books - but to those of you whose French is fairly advanced, have a go - you won't regret it. Although, I have a feeling that they have a lot of slang. No wonder then, that they are heavy-going in English, as they probably don't translate very well!!!    Report

30/11/2007, 15:49 raindog Joined on 26/09/2007 HERAULT Posts 772 Re: Any recommendations for French authors to read? Was the film about the cyclists getting abducted to the USA? I hated it. But i'll have a go at the books! sociability is just a big smile and a big smile is nothing but teeth    Report

30/11/2007, 17:36 5-element Joined on 28/10/2006 Languedoc Posts 770 Re: Any recommendations for French authors to read? Raindog, now I am having terrible doubts over the suitability of Daniel Pennac's books. Good luck reading it/them, but please don't blame me if it's too much, or if you don't like it!! And yes you are absolutely right, Les Triplettes de Belleville ( made by Sylvain Bonnet in 2003, franco-belgian-canadian animated film) was/is about the cyclists being kidnaped and taken to the USA. I know many people thought it was very entertaining, but I found rather unsettling and sinister - so I didn't like it much either. I somehow don't think Daniel Pennac was involved with the Triplettes - it's just the Belleville connection, and perhaps a similar kind of milieu.    Report

23/01/2008, 18:31 Cendrillon Joined on 19/10/2007 S.E. England & S.W.France Posts 377 Re: Any recommendations for French authors to read? http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1142547/ShowPost.aspx Cendrillon    Report

08/03/2008, 22:41 Jill Joined on 23/08/2004 Posts 557 Re: Any recommendations for French authors to read? I was really surprised to read that Henri Troyat isn't French.  I studied La Neige en Deuil for A level and it was never mentioned.  However, I've googled him and he was only 9 when he moved from Russia to France, so surely his French must be pretty good, although it is true that he was considered an easy read.  I expect if any of you moved to France when your children were around the age of 9, they must speak and write French like a native by now. Irene Nemirovsky is also a Russian who went to France around the same time.  I was given Suite Francaise, and would recommend that.  I was actually given it in English, but would like to read it in French.  The book itself was never actually finished.  She died in a concentration camp, but her young daughters escaped and had taken the manuscript and notes with them.  I think it was about 50 years later that it was actually published.  Reading the notes she had made for the completion of the book along with some of her own thoughts, only days before she was arrested, is very poignant.  Prompted by this book, I bought David Golder, also by her.  It is OK, not thrilling but readable and may appeal to some of you. Christian Signol and Pagnol are my favourite French Authors, although I keep saying I must read more Moliere and Voltaire.  Especially having recently seen the film Moliere. Sac de Billes by Joseph Joffo is really good - true story about Joseph and his brother escaping out of occupied to the demiltiarised part of France and their movements to hide from the Germans.  Jill (99)    Report

09/03/2008, 7:45 Cendrillon Joined on 19/10/2007 S.E. England & S.W.France Posts 377 Re: Any recommendations for French authors to read? Jill you may like to read the following posts http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1142547/ShowPost.aspx http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/881375/ShowPost.aspx "Sac de Billes by Joseph Joffo is really good - true story about Joseph and his brother escaping out of occupied to the demiltiarised part of France and their movements to hide from the Germans. " Edit I liked some of the the Joffo books too. Have you read Baby-Foot ? There's another book linked to "Un Sac de Billes" but I will have to look up the title and will post later*. Madeleine Chapsal's "Noces avec la vie" is an interesting read about her own life, I have enjoyed some of her novels as well. Mazarine Pingeot's "Bouche Cousue" is an interesting book about her early life, she is the daughter of Francois Mitterrand. Edit: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Joffo *The other book is "Agates et Calots" Cendrillon    Report

10/03/2008, 22:48 Jill Joined on 23/08/2004 Posts 557 Re: Any recommendations for French authors to read? Thanks for that information Cendrillon.  I'll take the list to France with me next week.  Hopefully a few will turn up on market stalls for 2nd hand books.     Jill (99)    Report

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France Forum » Leisure and Pas... » Books and Liter... » Any recommendations for French authors to read?

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