Reading in another language can be one of the most beneficial (and enjoyable!) ways to expand vocabulary, develop wider cultural understanding and challenge your comprehension abilities, but it can be difficult sometimes to know where to start with the literature of another country. Below are my top 5 recommendations for (relatively) easy reads in French — I have avoided the usual suspects such as Camus and Beauvoir (as merveilleux as they are!) and tried to bring to the forefront some slightly less complex and less oft-cited options.
Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
This novella is probably one of the most famous French books — you only need to go into any tourist shop in any major city in France to see its illustrations plastered all over every postcard, novelty notebook and fridge magnet in sight.
It is ostensibly a ‘children’s’ book telling the story of a little prince who explores various other planets, meeting a motley crew of characters along the way, but it deals with pretty much every theme associated with the human condition and is at times deeply emotional and starkly honest.
It is the perfect starting point for someone who is still feeling a little unsure about their French ability and with its beautiful illustrations and universal, timeless themes, I guarantee it will immediately win a special place in your heart. Just don’t let the contrived, Americanised Netflix adaptation ruin it for you!
Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan
Bonjour Tristesse was one of the first books I ever read in French, and I wrote about it on my personal statement for university applications, so it is a good option for A Level students; challenging but not too difficult to read, and relatively short.
Françoise Sagan was only 18 years old when she published this story of bored, self-centred 17-year-old Cécile set in the lazy heat of summertime on the French Riviera. During the course of the novel, Cécile enlists her older boyfriend Raymond to assist her in attempting to get rid of her father’s new girlfriend.
The book was pretty much an immediate success when it was released in 1954, mostly due to a significant amount of uproar and scandal about the subject content, and when I first read it, I was completely captivated by just how incredibly ‘French’ it seemed to me. Sagan’s writing style is deliciously astute, and strongly influenced by existentialist writing such as that of Camus. The film is equally as fantastic, and I would also recommend many of Sagan’s other books, which are all quite short and (almost) as good as this one.
Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky
Irène Némirovksy was a French writer of Ukrainian-Jewish origin, who was murdered at Auschwitz in 1942. She intended for Suite Française to be a series of five novels portraying life in France in 1940 as the German occupation began, but only managed to complete the first two in the series before being arrested and detained as a victim of the Holocaust. The manuscript was somewhat extraordinarily preserved by her daughter, and published in 2004.
Suite Française as it it published today comprises these first two novels, the first of which depicts the flee of refugees from Paris as the German army approached, and the second of which focuses on an affair between a French woman and a German soldier in a small French town under occupation.
Némirovsky’s own increasing anxiety as France fell to German control can be felt palpably through the writing, and this is by no means an easy read, but is certainly a powerful one.
There is also a film that can be watched alongside reading the novel — it didn’t strike me as the most accomplished adaptation, but it does feature Kristin Scott Thomas, which is always a saving grace.
The Journal of Hélène Berr
Frequently referred to in France as ‘the French Anne Frank’, Hélène Berr was a young Jewish girl who documented her life in Paris during the German occupation, until she died at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, just five days before the camp was liberated. She was a literature student at the Sorbonne, and recorded the rise of anti-Semitism as she was forced to wear a ‘Judenstern’ and was unable to pass her final exams due to anti-Semitic laws.
Hélène writes of her thoughts, hopes and fears as an ordinary young girl, as well as her heartbreaking experiences. As a lover of English literature, she frequently cites and refers to famous English writers such as Shakespeare and Keats. Her writing is incredibly easy to follow, and deeply impactful to read. I truly believe her story deserves more attention on an international scale.
Chanson Douce by Leïla Slimani
I read Chanson Douce in the final year of my French degree at university, but it is a surprisingly easy read in French, using quite simple language that an intermediate-level speaker should be able to grapple with. It tells the disturbing story of a nanny who murders the two children she has been trusted to take care of, inspired by real life murders by nannies and their portrayal in the media.
It is a fascinating psychological thriller more interested in the reasons behind the killing than the murder itself, both societal and psychological, which touches on themes of gender, class and race in modern French society. For those looking for a more recent read, look no further than this one — it won the prestigious Prix Goncourt in 2016 and has been compared favourably to hugely popular thrillers such as Gone Girl.
Don’t be disheartened!
If you feel slightly intimidated by the prospect of tackling a whole French novel, it can be helpful to first try out some books you love in English in French translation, particularly if you are already familiar with the story — it will be easier to follow and facilitate more focus on the language rather than the content. There is nothing wrong with starting out with the French translation of easier, familiar reads such as Harry Potter, The Hunger Games or Twilight!
My Top 5 French book recommendations written by Ella Fornsworth
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