Bartleby
Moderator
yeah, it seems to be his masterpiece, and I want to read it eventually... just not now, not very much interested in the theme of revolution and that part of history right now
French Literature
- Thread starter Stewart
- Start date
Stevie B
Current Member
I was going to say that Anatole France falls into the category of “great authors that hardly anyone reads anymore,” but then I realized most great authors would fall into that category because hardly anyone reads anymore.
Stevie B
Current Member
FYI - The Penguin paperback of this novel is entitled The Gods Will Have Blood. It was translated by Frederick Davies.
tiganeasca
Moderator
I loved Sylvestre Bonnard and while I can understand, somewhat, the comparison to Huysmans, I find them completely different. France is wry, warm, and satirical.... If you're still looking around, have you considered Penguin Island? Or perhaps Crainquebille, a collection of tales.
ministerpumpkin
Well-known member
Oh, I agree, I didn't see many similarities between the two in that one book I read. I was talking specifically about Thais, which I haven't read yet.
Penguin Island is a possibility, but I'd prefer something more realistic. I actually know nothing about his short fiction. Maybe I'll dip into a few stories online to get reacquainted with his style, because it's been years! Thanks for the suggestions!
tiganeasca
Moderator
If you prefer something more realistic, I'll offer one other suggestion: At the Sign of the Reine Pedauque. It's a historical novel based, in part, on fact. It's actually the first novel in a trilogy but can certainly be read alone. And it does not feature penguins engaging in metaphysics (more's the pity...).
ministerpumpkin
Well-known member
I thought I'd swing by and update this little Anatole France discussion. I decided to read Thais and I enjoyed it more than Sylvestre Bonnard.
*Spoilers*
The meat of the novel concerns a holy man who wants to save the ravishing title character's soul. Of course, it's not because he wants to sleep with her. Oh no, he's just that pious and upstanding of a guy. Until he learns of her impending death, which sends him into a rage at God for taking her away before he can...you guessed it:
Then, at the idea that she had given herself to others, and not to him; that she had poured forth an ocean of love, and he had not wetted his lips therein, he stood up, savagely wild, and howled with grief. He tore his breast with his nails, and bit the flesh of his arms.... "God, I hate Thee—dost Thou hear? Overwhelm me with Thy damnation. To compel Thee to, I spit in Thy face. I must find an eternal hell, to exhaust the eternity of rage which consumes me."
*End of spoilers*
Anyway, I'm glad I paid Anatole another visit. Ironically, a few days after I finished the book, I found a copy of The Gods Are Athirst at my local Goodwill, so I'll probably get to that next year, although At the Sign of the Reine Pedauque sounds more appealing.
Thanks to all who gave me some good recommendations!
*Spoilers*
The meat of the novel concerns a holy man who wants to save the ravishing title character's soul. Of course, it's not because he wants to sleep with her. Oh no, he's just that pious and upstanding of a guy. Until he learns of her impending death, which sends him into a rage at God for taking her away before he can...you guessed it:
Then, at the idea that she had given herself to others, and not to him; that she had poured forth an ocean of love, and he had not wetted his lips therein, he stood up, savagely wild, and howled with grief. He tore his breast with his nails, and bit the flesh of his arms.... "God, I hate Thee—dost Thou hear? Overwhelm me with Thy damnation. To compel Thee to, I spit in Thy face. I must find an eternal hell, to exhaust the eternity of rage which consumes me."
*End of spoilers*
Anyway, I'm glad I paid Anatole another visit. Ironically, a few days after I finished the book, I found a copy of The Gods Are Athirst at my local Goodwill, so I'll probably get to that next year, although At the Sign of the Reine Pedauque sounds more appealing.
Thanks to all who gave me some good recommendations!
Last edited:
Corswandt
FAFO
A couple of his novels (Les Dieux on Soif and La Révolte des Anges) were fairly recently published in PT translation, but I have to admit that this was a most surprising development.
I only read Thaïs, which was the only book by Anatole France readily available back when I did my token "Nobel list" purchase, and I found it a pure delight to read.
Cleanthess
Dinanukht wannabe
For those who liked Thaïs, good news: Anatole France's ancient history short stories are wonderful, some more so than others.
My favorite is The Procurator of Judea; you can read it here for free at Project Gutenberg .
I recently finished Sven Delblanc's excellent One Night at Jerusalem, which displays a heavy indebtedness to The Procurator, but I'll write a separate post to properly praise Delblanc's novel.
My favorite is The Procurator of Judea; you can read it here for free at Project Gutenberg .
I recently finished Sven Delblanc's excellent One Night at Jerusalem, which displays a heavy indebtedness to The Procurator, but I'll write a separate post to properly praise Delblanc's novel.
wordeater
Well-known member
Here's my top 15 of French language books, including two Belgian.
- Stendhal - The Red and the Black - 1830
- Émile Zola - Thérèse Raquin - 1867
- Victor Hugo - The Hunchback of Notre-Dame - 1831
- Françoise Sagan - Bonjour Tristesse - 1954
- Marcel Pagnol - The Water of the Hills - 1963
- Georges Simenon - Maigret Sets a Trap - 1955
- Gustave Flaubert - Madame Bovary - 1856
- Jules Verne - Around the World in Eighty Days - 1872
- Marguerite Duras - The Lover - 1984
- Jean-Paul Sartre - Nausea - 1938
- Honoré de Balzac - At the Sign of the Cat and Racket - 1830
- Guy de Maupassant - Short stories
- Molière - The Miser - 1668
- Amélie Nothomb - Fear and Trembling - 1999
- Louis-Ferdinand Céline - Journey to the End of the Night - 1932
tiganeasca
Moderator
Very interesting list, but although I find much I agree with (as well as more than I few I haven't read), I'm not sure I can agree with that particular Balzac...or even that particular Verne.
Stevie B
Current Member
I’m with you on L’Assommoir - one of my all-time favorite depressing books.
Ben Jackson
Well-known member
What a beautiful list you have.
I have had great respect for French literature for, simply, producing the finest works and writers in world literature in my opinion (one might say England have better dramatists because of Shakespeare and Russia might boast of Tolstoy and Dostoyevesky as two of the world's finest novelists; Italy might have Dante, but France have greater writers). Here's mine, only novels by French natives:
Less Miserables--- Victor Hugo
Madame Bovary--- Gustave Flaubert
Candide--- Voltaire
Count of Monte Cristo--- Alexandre Dumas
Father Goriot--- Honore De Balzac
L'Assommoir---- Emile Zola
Swann's Way---- Marcel Proust
Jean Christophe---- Romain Rolland
The Stranger--- Albert Camus
The Fall--- Albert Camus
Nausea---- Jean Paul Sartre
The Lover---- Marguerite Duras
The Years--- Arnie Ernaux
Missing Person--- Patrick Modiano
The Trolley--- Claude Simon
Verkhovensky
Well-known member
Oh, so we are publishing our Top 15 French books? Great.
Here is mine.
Only one work per author.
1. Gustave Flaubert, Sentimental Education
2. Albert Camus, The Stranger
Rest in no particular order:
Michel Houellebecq, The Map and the Territory
Stendhal, The Red and the Black
Honore de Balzac, Sarrasine
Emmanuel Carrere, The Kingdom
Patrick Modiano, Dora Bruder
Laurent Binet, HHhH
Marguerite Yourcenar, Memoirs of Hadrian
Voltaire, Candide
Amin Maalouf, Leo the African
Marguerite Duras, The Lover
Marcel Schwob, Imaginary Lives
Guy de Maupassant, any short story collection that includes Boule de Suif
Gilles Leroy, Alabama Song
Here is mine.
Only one work per author.
1. Gustave Flaubert, Sentimental Education
2. Albert Camus, The Stranger
Rest in no particular order:
Michel Houellebecq, The Map and the Territory
Stendhal, The Red and the Black
Honore de Balzac, Sarrasine
Emmanuel Carrere, The Kingdom
Patrick Modiano, Dora Bruder
Laurent Binet, HHhH
Marguerite Yourcenar, Memoirs of Hadrian
Voltaire, Candide
Amin Maalouf, Leo the African
Marguerite Duras, The Lover
Marcel Schwob, Imaginary Lives
Guy de Maupassant, any short story collection that includes Boule de Suif
Gilles Leroy, Alabama Song
Liam
Administrator
Wonderful choices, all!
Don't know if these were mentioned yet:
Fiction: Denis Diderot, Georges Sand, Théophile Gautier, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Poetry: Baudelaire, Mallarmé, Rimbaud, Valéry
Drama: Corneille, Racine, Sartre (esp. No Exit), Ionesco (wrote in French)
Philosophy: Montaigne (my eternal "summer project," LOL), Pascal, Descartes
20thC Theory: Lacan, Foucault, Kristeva, Derrida
*And a special mention to: Jules Renard's Journal, probably the best diary I have ever read (in terms of wisdom gleaned, etc)
Don't know if these were mentioned yet:
Fiction: Denis Diderot, Georges Sand, Théophile Gautier, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Poetry: Baudelaire, Mallarmé, Rimbaud, Valéry
Drama: Corneille, Racine, Sartre (esp. No Exit), Ionesco (wrote in French)
Philosophy: Montaigne (my eternal "summer project," LOL), Pascal, Descartes
20thC Theory: Lacan, Foucault, Kristeva, Derrida
*And a special mention to: Jules Renard's Journal, probably the best diary I have ever read (in terms of wisdom gleaned, etc)
tiganeasca
Moderator
Oh goodness.
I have no competence in French poetry or, indeed, in anything other than fiction--and my competence there is questionable in any event. Still, incompetence will not stop me from adding a few names that I believe are deserving of consideration, if not outright inclusion:
France (as in Anatole)
Alain-Fournier
Giono
Le Clezio
Queneau
Michion
Bernanos
Breton
Gracq
Cohen
Cendrars
Artaud
Claudel
Huysmans
and, of course, Dumas!
I have no competence in French poetry or, indeed, in anything other than fiction--and my competence there is questionable in any event. Still, incompetence will not stop me from adding a few names that I believe are deserving of consideration, if not outright inclusion:
France (as in Anatole)
Alain-Fournier
Giono
Le Clezio
Queneau
Michion
Bernanos
Breton
Gracq
Cohen
Cendrars
Artaud
Claudel
Huysmans
and, of course, Dumas!
tiganeasca
Moderator
P.S. If you will permit me to channel Stanley Kowalski for a moment (what follows is an inside joke to those on this board who know him and will be impenetrable to others, for which I offer my apologies): "Adrien!! Adrien!!" (Where is nagisa when we need him?)
Stevie B
Current Member
I've never read Pierre Michon and there are shockingly few customer reviews for his books on Amazon for an author sometimes tipped to win a Nobel. By the way, I don't rely on Amazon customer reviews when making reading decisions. It's just an observation. Where do you think would be a good starting point for his work? Small Lives?
wordeater
Well-known member
I haven't read that much Balzac, but I liked the sad realism and the visual descriptions in this short opener of La Comédie humaine. For Verne it was a close call between this one and 20,000 Leagues. I liked the clever outcome and the spirit of adventure and exploration.
tiganeasca
Moderator
Steve,
If memory serves, Small Lives is very highly regarded, though I will confess it's not my favorite (and I have a number to read that I haven't touched). FWIW, I truly enjoyed Winter Mythologies which is paired with Abbots in a slender volume.