dan

Sorry, there was an error in my earlier posting. The website was galleyslaves.com, not gallery.

Neal Sanders

Martha, I can suggest two literary sources. While neither fits the "contemporary" category, they go to the heart of the French sensibility, especially about urban and rural life. <BR> <BR>I have found several translations of Alphonse Daudet (1840-97), including "Letters From My Windmill," "The Woman of Arles" and "Short Stories." <BR> <BR>Also, you may want to track down Marcel Pagnol's (1895-1974) memoirs, "La Glorie de Ma Pere" and "Le Chauteau de Ma Mere", which were briefly available in English after the release of the films of the same name in the early 1990s. <BR> <BR>While you say you're not interested in film, you may want to make an exception for the works of Diane Kurys, especially her autobiographical trilogy, "Diablo Menthe," "Cocktail Molotov" and "Entre Nous." They are a marvelous prism through which to view recent French social history. "Cocktail Molotov," set amid the events of 1968, is especially memorable -- and hilarious. <BR> <BR> <BR>

Cynthia

Dear Martha, <BR>I tried posting this afternoon, so my apologies if this list pops up again..... but here are a few more suggestions for you to consider: <BR> <BR>"The Sun King" by Nancy Mitford <BR>"To the Scaffold, The Life of Marie Antoinette" by Carolly Erickson <BR>"Scaramouche - A Romance of the French Revolution" by Rafael Sabatini (historical novel -- a great read) <BR>"Napoleon Bonaparte" by Alan Schom <BR> <BR>"Voltaire in Love" by Nancy Mitford (bizarre tale of Voltaire's 16-yr. affair with the Marquise du Chatelet; very long, but entertaining) <BR> <BR>"Zarafa" by Michael Allin (the story of France's first giraffe, a gift from Egypt's Ottoman Viceroy to Charles X in 1826) <BR> <BR>"Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes" by Robert Louis Stevenson (description of Stevenson's walking tour in 1878) <BR> <BR>"Birdsong" by Sebastian Faulks (haunting love/war story in WWI France through present) <BR> <BR>"Paris Was a Woman: Portraits from the Left Bank" by Andrea Weiss <BR>"Shakespeare and Company" by Sylvia Beach (good companion to Janet Flanner's books -- see above post on "Paris Was Yesterday"; also Hemingway's "A Moveable Feast") <BR>"Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation: A History of Literary Paris in the Twenties and Thirties" by Noel Riley Fitch <BR>"Literary Cafes of Paris" by Noel Riley Fitch (a perfect size for Left Bank walks) <BR>"Walks in Hemingway's Paris: A Guide to Paris for the Literary Traveler" by Noel Riley Fitch <BR> <BR>"Long Ago in France: The Years in Dijon" by M.F.K. Fisher <BR>"Two Towns in Provence" by M.F.K. Fisher <BR> <BR>"Travelers' Tales France" and "Travelers' Tales Paris" (both books edited by James P. O'Reilley) <BR> <BR>"The Blessing" by Nancy Mitford (I've not read this one yet, but Mitford is such a fine writer, you may enjoy this post-WWII light-hearted look at both the French and the English) <BR> <BR>Also, if you don't already know about it, the website www.commonreader.com is a great resource. Check out their "Travel / French Postcards" category for more possibilities. <BR> <BR>Thanks for posting this topic -- I'm glad to have all these "French" book recommendations in one location. Happy reading..........Cynthia

Annalynn

I had another thought on more modern books. Francoise Sagan wrote a wonderful novel called "Bonjour Tristesse" and I believe its available in English as well as in French. They also made a movie out of it sometime in the 50s or 60s, but it was not very well done. <BR> <BR>I'd second or third the post who recommended An American in Paris. Pretty much any Audrey Hepburn movie makes me think of Paris. Oddly, even Roman Holiday does! Gigi is another wonderful classic, full of great showtunes like "I don't understand the Parisians." <BR> <BR>Dan-- I studied history at Mount Holyoke College with Michael Burns. I spent my junior year in England at the University of Sussex at Brighton and studied with H.R. Kedward.

Carol

Martha- <BR> <BR>Another book you might enjoy -- for a lighter read -- is Marge Piercy's City of Darkness, City of Light. It is a ficticious account of the French Revolution, with an focus on the role of women. It's an easy read if you know French history, but enjoyable nonetheless. <BR>

tina

Just found this compilation of short stories and novellas The Decadent Reader, Fiction, Fantasy and Perversion fron Fin-de-Siecle France, ed. Asti Hustevedt, published Zone Books, NY, 1998. I will carry it with me on my solo trip in 3 weeks. <BR> <BR>The new 99 Fodor's Paris guidebook looks very complete and helpful as well. <BR> <BR>

catherine

I can't believe that no one has mentioned Emile Zola.He is my favourite author of all time! also victor hugo with Les miserables.Guy de Maupassant has written the best short stories I have ever read even better than my other love D.H .Lawrence.

Maira

Martha, after the amazing recommendations of great classics and renowned authors that have been posted, I will like to recommend a book that became an international sensation from the moment of its publication in Germany in 1996. The title of the book is Perfume and is the story of a lonely soul lost in 18th-century France and his quest for the perfect perfume. The book is a very strange story; be forewarned, but probably one of the best books I read last year. <BR> <BR> <BR>

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this seems like an oldie but a goodie - so, to the top it is!

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More contributions, please!!!

tina

Another vote for Notre Dame de Paris...take it with you and read a bit in the cathedral itself...yummy <BR> <BR>

mem

Martha, <BR>Some modern French books about France and Paris (don't know how many have been translated): <BR> <BR>Daniel Pennac's Malaussene books (most have been translated)--Au bonheur des ogres, La fee carabine, La petite marchande de prose, Monsieur Malussene, etc. take place in Belleville, and are wonderfully wacky. <BR> <BR>Jean Echenoz: Les Grandes Blondes (translated as The Big Blondes), a sort of mystery story but mostly a novel. <BR> <BR>Claude Michelet: Des Grives au Loups--not brand new but a very traditional story about French peasants; very well-known. <BR> <BR>Jean-Claude Izzo's trilogy--Apres Kheops, Chiourmo, Solea--about retired cop Fabio Montale in today's Marseille; I would guess these have not been translated--they are very popular in France but you will need a dictionary. <BR> <BR>In the same vein, but about Paris and even darker in outlook, would be Theirry Jonquet's mysteries Les Orpailleurs and Moloch. <BR> <BR>Anything by San Antonio (Frederic Dard)--a clerk in Montreal told me once, he makes up words, just keep reading, and that turned out to be true--they're not easy but they're very French. <BR> <BR>Amin Maalouf's Les Echelles du Levant (I think this was translated as Ports of Call)isn't exactly about France but begins and ends in Paris. He's also very popular; his current bestseller is Le Periple de Baldassare (not at all about France). <BR> <BR>Not exactly new but very well known is Le Cheval d'orgueil (The Horse of Pride), I think by Hekiaz; it's his ethnological biography of growing up Breton in Bretagne. <BR> <BR>Robert Merle's series Les Fortunes de France--novels about the wars of religion--written in a style that may take a bit of effort. <BR> <BR>Anything by Boileau-Narcejac (mysteries). <BR> <BR>Jean Giono--Le Hussard sur le Toit--about a cholera epidemic in 19th century Provence; a modern classic. <BR> <BR>Didier Daeninckx--La mort n'oublie personne or Meurtres pour memoire. <BR> <BR>Sebastien Japrisot--Compartiment tueurs. <BR> <BR>For the Alps, one classic novel would be Frison-Roche, Premier de cordee. Or the Bernard Clavel series Les colonnes du ciel (five or six books, I think). <BR> <BR>and something you can probably for sure read in French, <BR> <BR>Sempe-Goscinny, Le petit Nicolas.

Steve Mueller

Just finished Utz by Bruce Chatwin. Simultaneously fascinating and depressing story about a man so obsessed with his Meissen porcelain collection that he refuses to escape beyond the Iron Curtain despite repeated opportunities. Although fervently anti-Nazi and pro-British, the main character welcomes World War II because violent conflict "presents wonderful opportunities for the collector." Eventually, Utz become virulently anti-British upon hearing a BBC reporter summarize the Dresden bombing with the line "there's no more porcelain in Dresden."

topper

to the top

nancy

Kathy, <BR>Or this?

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topping for Monica

wendy

Tropic of Cancer by Miller, Paris in the Fifties by Stanley Karnow, Autobiaography of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein, The Impressionists' Paris : Walking Tours of the Painters' Studios, Homes, and the Sites They Painted by Ellen Williams and Picasso's Paris : Walking Tours of the Artist's Life in the City by Ellen Williams (both these are a combination of history and walking tours and are fantastic!!)Delta of Venus by Anais Nin. <BR> <BR> <BR>

Jen

I'm topping this for my selfish self. I am going to France in June 2003 and I am trying to immerse myself in all things French. I was hoping to see if anyone can add any more french books or movies to this list. I was also on a website recently that talked about being a &quot;french hedonist&quot; as it referred to food. I'm already enjoying croissants (of course) but other suggestions to get in a &quot;french mood?&quot;<BR><BR>Thanks in advance for your marvelous responses and the usual critical ones.

Topper

Topping

Bree

Emile Zola's novel, The Masterpiece, tells of the struggles of an artist in Paris in the 1860's and 1870's. It's wonderfully evocative of Paris, and -- despite the fact that it was written over 100 years ago -- many of the scenes it describes are still recognizable today. In fact, I like to re-read it whenever I come home from a trip to Paris, to make myself feel like I'm still there.<BR><BR>My favorite passage in the book (which starts in the middle of Chapter 4) describes the route the artist and his girlfriend take when he walks her home from his studio on the Ile St-Louis, after they've spent the afternoon together. I can't resist quoting these sentences that appear near the end of the passage: &quot;Never, over ancient forest, mountain pathway, or meadow in the plain does day depart in such a blaze of triumph as over the dome of the Institut, when Paris retires to rest in all its glory. ... And twilight would come down as they took leave of each other, their eyes still dazzled by the glory of the sky, and felt that Paris in its triumph had its share in the boundless joy that was theirs every time they wandered along the old stone parapets of the Seine.&quot;