hanl, poor you :'( I sympathize but I'm glad you enjoy reading Amelie Nothomb's novels, I love them!
tout espoir n'est pas perdu donc...
coco

I've started reading French literature just a few months ago and have finished 1 novel, Remise de Peine, by Patrick Modiano, which I liked very much and now intend to read more by him (read his La Petite Bijou in Hebrew and liked that a lot, want to read it in French as well).
I've tried a collection of stories by Le Clézio and wasn't too enthusiastic. I now intend to start another collection of stories, by Irène Némirovsky. I'm so glad I'm now able to read French literature, the experience is fantastic. I can't exactly put it in words - it's like magic, highly sensual, different and beautiful expereince. It's also less difficult than I'd thought. English is not my mother tongue and after having studied it for many years (every book I read in English is learning material for me, among other things), learning French was not that hard.
I read Le Monde online and watch the news on France 2 and shows like Campus and On ne peut pas plaire à tout le monde to get to hear French in addition to reading it (not to mention there are some quite lovely French men on French TV).
I think reading and watching TV have somewhat improved my conversation skills, I have met a French woman here who enjoys talking to me, I'm able to have some simple conversations with her. It'll be interesting to see how it goes in France when I go back next October. Curiously, I have never had French people switching to English while talking to me.
Thank you, Fodorites, for your great book recommendations.

Keren, I can say bravo! to be able to understand a word of what Marc Olivier Fogiel says on "on ne peut pas plaire à tout le monde". he speaks so quickly sometimes that even the Frenchs find it hard to understand! ;-)

Obviously, most posters here have much better reading French than I do, although I can pick up a copy of Le Monde and have a fair idea of what's going on -- but Paris Match (if there is text!) is harder, so I know there's a whole realm of contemporary language I'm out of. But my6 favorite way to try to keep up with comprehension is the Scola channel on US cable -- not all areas have it, but it broadcasts 1/2 hr. of news from each of several countries, including France and some francophone countries -- esp. Canada. Had foreign-service training in French decades ago and they made a point of alternating teachers from various regions: Paris, Brussels, Marseilles, Haiti, etc., so I like access to news in a variety of "accents."

Well, Coco, I understand more than a few words but it's true it's not easy, however it's reassuring to know French people find him difficult as well . Mostly, however, I'm too busy staring at him to make the effort of listenning to every word he has to say. I find him extremely sexy...

do you??? He should not be so arrogant with that little voice, and I hate when he cuts someone short, and he can be very nasty when he doesn't like the person he is interviewing >

"He should not be so arrogant with that little voice, and I hate when he cuts someone short, and he can be very nasty when he doesn't like the person he is interviewing"

Gosh, I had no idea Bill O'Reilly had a French brother!

Do you have a picture to show me so I can compare, but I know Marco is in his early 30's.
here is one funny from him just found on google :http://data.over-blog.com/lib/4/9/20...-gaulthier.jpg
I think JP Gaultier is much nicer! (you'll haveto look at the picture to understand ;-) )
here, a normal one :http://guillotine.joueb.com/images/MOF.jpg

That's true - arrogant, maybe nasty at times, I don't know him that well. But I wouldn't mind trying to wipe off that self-conceit smile of his, if you know what I mean...

lol keren! and I just found Bill O'Reilly's pictures. Marco could be his son (or grandson?...)

The most entertaining way to stretch your French vocabulary is to read the Belgian French newspaper La Derniere Heure. Page after page of Belgian crimes, scandals, hijinks, lots of lurid prose. For such a small country, a surprisingly large amount of people are up to some truly weird stuff.
www.dhnet.be Unfortunately, the really juicy stories seldom appear on the web site.

Keren:
Ditto on Le Clezio for me. I just didn't take to his writing.

A bientot!