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Good French novels to read

I’m doing A level French and it’s definitely my favourite subject. I love languages so much. :smile:

Does anyone have any recommendations for good French novels I can read? I’m more interested in horror/crime/sci fi kind of stuff but I’ll read anything really. I’d say my French is sort of upper intermediate level, I’m not fluent but I know quite a lot. Also preferably books I can get quite cheap on Amazon or at a standard bookstore. :smile:

Reply 1

redmeercat

I'm reading 'Ceux Qui Sauront' at the moment and that's good - it's sort of alternative historical fiction, or 'what if' history, but there's definitely an authoritarian tone as well! But it is also quite heavy at some points in terms of high-level vocab.
'Bakhita' is really good, against if you like historical fiction - it's about someone's gradual liberation from slavery and their life story in general, and is such an amazing story to read!
One of the first French books I read was La Fille de Papier, which is about a man's relationship with one of the characters from his book when she appears in the kitchen one day.
If you want something a bit heavier, something like 'Horace' (which is a play but I really enjoyed it!) or 'Le Pere Goriot' might be good! the former is about enforced family conflict in Rome/ Alba, whereas the latter is about an old man's relationship with the world and the shocking way in which he's treated.

I don't read a lot of crime so I'm sorry I can't be more specific, but hopefully one of these might interest you!

Reply 2

Anna Schoon

Original post by Hannah.Banana.

I’m doing A level French and it’s definitely my favourite subject. I love languages so much. :smile:

If you like crime, a classic detective series is Maigret, by Georges Siménon. The French is not particularly difficult and the plots are well thought-out. Siménon was prolific, there are 75 of titles in the series, plus short stories.

You might also enjoy the Arsène Lupin books, by Maurice Leblanc. These are stories about a "gentleman burglar" - a sort of modern-day Robin Hood - who eventually, as the series progresses, becomes a detective himself. They are light-hearted, amusing books. The plots are intricate as Arsène Lupin has to get around the detective who hounds him, Herlock Sholmès. Again, a prolific series with 18 novels and 35 short stories.

All these will be available second-hand on various websites and won't set you back a fortune.