Annie Ernaux’s ‘Positions’ (‘La Place’, Gallimard, 1983) is the perfect antidote to all those heavily marketed ‘beach reads’ and flashy summer blockbusters vying for your attention in airport bookshops.
It’s a double-whammy this month. Thrill-seekers, plump for ‘The Greenland Breach’, and detective-story-turned-psychological drama ‘Under the Channel’ makes for an unnervingly noirish read.
Sink your teeth into some new French fiction with our review of Nagasaki: an understated and haunting new novella from Francophone author Éric Faye.
It’s a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants political-socio-cultural rant that will leave you grinning inanely to yourself in the midst of a public library.
Read our review of the famous French novel 'The people in the photo' ('Eux sur la photo') by Hélène Gestern.
Real happiness lies in little things. Discover 'The list of my desires', by Delacourt, a French bestseller and an exquisite and meditative novel.
Bestselling French thrillers: The Bleiberg Project is a fast-paced, furious read with as much action-per-minute as any Hollywood crime blockbuster.
‘The Outsider’ – sometimes translated as ‘The Stranger’ – holds a special place in my heart: it was the first novel I managed to read in French.
Nothomb is a slippery writer; an acquired taste – and perhaps one of the most interesting writers you ever read. As one of Francophonie’s most high profile authors, I’ve always wanted her to make an appearance in this column.
“I believe you should always seek to uncover secrets” says Cooker in the opening chapter. And off he goes to crack the mystery... his quest takes in intriguing paintings, art restoration, wine microbiology, Bordeaux’s urban planning and the odd parking ticket (tossed aside, of course).
Come with us to experience French life beyond the cliché.
Magazine – Events – Experiences
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