French literature books recommendation

[Clueless Northman]

I concur about Stendhal, he's very good.

Same with Maupassant, but books are short, and most writings are short stories, which is very different from War and Peace - though other Russian authors did well in short stories.

Considering what you said, I think Caligula would be Camus' more interesting than La Peste.

For big novel with some epic, Hugo's Miserables is probably the best bet. Dumas might work as well, but there's less food for thought, I suppose - it's considered less serious and high literature.

And if you don't have a problem with writings that aren't literature at its highest and most serious, you might also want to try some works by Barjavel.

Though an issue here is that people might nominate books from authors you had to suffer through during your school days - Camus, Hugo or Stendhal are probably on the French kids/students cursus.

[Summah]

I'm not sure how much you read for quality or beauty of writing, characters or plot, but Proust's prose (in french, I don't know about the english translation) is beautiful, but A la recherche du temps perdus is quite long and if plot and quick pacing are particularly important to you, you will probably hate it.

I noticed that no one recd anything newer than de Beauvoir, Sartre, Camus, do you want more current recs, or prefer the classics? Also early 20th century are Colette, Malraux, Genet. Most of the more recent literature I've read and enjoyed has been written by francophones from outside France, frequently the Maghreb, but other francophone countries as well, for example Djebar, ben Jalloun, Kourouma.

Do you like poetry or drama, there are a lot of good french poetry and plays as well.

[Astromech]

I noticed that no one recd anything newer than de Beauvoir, Sartre, Camus, do you want more current recs, or prefer the classics? Also early 20th century are Colette, Malraux, Genet. Most of the more recent literature I've read and enjoyed has been written by francophones from outside France, frequently the Maghreb, but other francophone countries as well, for example Djebar, ben Jalloun, Kourouma.

Thank you for reminding me of more recent authors. I have had Georges Perec's La Vie mode d'emploi sitting on my bookshelf for several years. I keep getting sidetracked with other books and procrastinating. I always intended to tackle Perec's work paying very close attention to the writing constraints he employs in order to gain a better appreciation of the work.

[Summah]

Thank you for reminding me of more recent authors. I have had Georges Perec's La Vie mode d'emploi sitting on my bookshelf for several years. I keep getting sidetracked with other books and procrastinating. I always intended to tackle Perec's work paying very close attention to the writing constraints he employs in order to gain a better appreciation of the work.

Have you read la Dispiration by Perec? it's written entirely sans e. Worth reading just to see what happens when someone decides to write a novel without one of the most common letters, but it's interesting also.

[Astromech]

Have you read la Dispiration by Perec? it's written entirely sans e. Worth reading just to see what happens when someone decides to write a novel without one of the most common letters, but it's interesting also.

I have not, but may have to now.

[Larry.]

I'm not sure how much you read for quality or beauty of writing, characters or plot, but Proust's prose (in french, I don't know about the english translation) is beautiful, but A la recherche du temps perdus is quite long and if plot and quick pacing are particularly important to you, you will probably hate it.

I noticed that no one recd anything newer than de Beauvoir, Sartre, Camus, do you want more current recs, or prefer the classics? Also early 20th century are Colette, Malraux, Genet. Most of the more recent literature I've read and enjoyed has been written by francophones from outside France, frequently the Maghreb, but other francophone countries as well, for example Djebar, ben Jalloun, Kourouma.

Do you like poetry or drama, there are a lot of good french poetry and plays as well.

Ahem, I recced several from the past two decades, including Djebar ;) But I do second the ben Jalloun and Kourouma. :D

[Pilusmagnus]

Have you read la Dispiration by Perec? it's written entirely sans e. Worth reading just to see what happens when someone decides to write a novel without one of the most common letters, but it's interesting also.

Was there an English translation respecting that constraint?

[Errant Bard]

So who here read Modiano? (You know, the 2014 Literature Nobel prize). Not a prose meeting the opening post requirements?

[Larry.]

So who here read Modiano? (You know, the 2014 Literature Nobel prize). Not a prose meeting the opening post requirements?

I read Rue des boutiques obscures last October after the announcement, but sadly, his name slipped my mind when I wrote my initial list. Same for Annie Ernaux and Marguerite Duras.

[melx]

Louis-Ferdinand Céline "Journey to the End of the Night" its one of the best thing I've read

[Les Météores D]

So who here read Modiano? (You know, the 2014 Literature Nobel prize). Not a prose meeting the opening post requirements?

I don't and kinda feel bad about it (always forget him :/) BUT Lacombe Lucien is the best film about collaboration/Vichy France imo.

[The Marquis de Leech]

No love for the Marquis de Sade? ;)

[mgambino]

Has anyone here read anything by Eugine Sue? Dumas is one of my favorite authors and a friend of mine recommended Sue to me. It's pretty hard to find good information on him in English.