The most famous French writers and their works. The most famous modern French writers. The best children's books in French
Anna Gavalda. "Ensemble, c"est tout" (the best and the last). Now I'm reading. The book was made into a film with Audrey Tautou. Very lifelike French, everyday expressions, vocabulary of different words of society.
Michel Tournier. Academician of the Goncourt Prize (the most prestigious in France). "Vendredi ou les limbes du pacifique." "Le roi des Aulnes". Both novels received the Goncourt Prize at one time. The second one was recently released into a film. One of the most revered modern writers.
http://www.academie-goncourt.fr/m_tournier.htm
Paulo Coelho. Brazilian writer. Read all over Paris.
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulo_Coelho
Marc Levi. Writer-philosopher. They say he is the lover of Ségolène Royale. "Mes amis Mes amours." "Si, cétait vrai." Same for every third person in the metro.
Harlan Coben, American writer.
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlan_Coben. "Ne le dis à personne." The movie came out.
Kennedy Douglas. An English writer lives in Paris and writes about Paris. "La femme du Ve"
http://www.amazon.fr/femme-du-Ve-Kennedy-Douglas/dp/2714441904/ref=pd_ts_b_73/403-1162454-2840466?ie=UTF8&s=books
Regine Deforge. Saga. "La bibyclette bleue." I watched the movie and read the book. A charming piece. In the film, the main character is played by Laéticia Casta. French "Gone with the Wind" from the Second World War. Bordeaux. Germans. Gorgeous. An enterprising young man. Life before and during the war.
M. Houellebecq. I would call him the number one writer of our time. I read Les particules élementaire. Shocking and makes you think about the meaning of life. A work that made the strongest impression on me in my life. La possibilité d'une île. New novel. They say it’s funny.
Andrey Makine. Le testement français. Prix Goncourt. A very juicy syllable despite its Russian origin. Juicier than Houellebecq's. A story about the life of his French grandmother in the USSR.
Christine Angot ("Incest")
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_Angot
Amelie Nothomb. Stupeur et Tremblements. Belgian writer, daughter of a diplomat, who lived in Japan.
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amélie_Nothomb
Frederic Beigbeder. Journalist. The most glamorous author. Born in Neilly (the most expensive city in France).
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frédéric_Beigbeder. I read "L"amour dure trois ans". Slightly superficial and vulgar. Although with humor. Like Zadornov.
Isabella Alexis. "Dès le premier soir." The name speaks for itself. A very cool book and easy to read. Super modern. The book Tu vas rire mais je te quitte was made into a film.
Tyne O"Connell. Australian writer living in London. Trente ans ou presque. Very cool and vital. One of my favorites. There are other novels.
Laure Caldwell. "Mefiez vous de vos voeux." The author is American. As a result, the book is strong in its originality of plot.
Evelyne Lever. Marie-Antoinette. Several books appeared last year to coincide with the release of the film of the same name.
Françoise Sagan. "De guerre lasse." A very well written novel. "Bonjour, tristesse." I just can't get around this block.
Stephen Clarke. "The year in the merde". Last year's hit. It is advisable to read in English. About the life of an Englishman in Paris.
Sebastien Japrisot. Among other things, the latest novel to be filmed: Un long dimanche de fiançailles, prix Interallié 1991 (Denoël, 1991). NB: roman adapté au cinéma par Jean-Pierre Jeunet, avec Audrey Tautou.
François Cavanna. "Le voyage", "Les Ritals", "Les Russkoffs". Lots of humorous novels.
Francis Veber."Le dîner de cons". Humorist. There are many films based on his scripts.
Umberto Eco. Famous modern Italian writer."Le Pendule de Foucault", "Le Nom de la rose".
Famous French writers have made an invaluable contribution to world literature. From the existentialism of Jean-Paul Sartre to Flaubert's commentary on society, France is well known for producing examples of literary geniuses. Thanks to the many famous sayings that quote masters of literature from France, there is a good chance that you are very familiar with, or at least heard of, works of French literature.
Over the centuries, many great literary works have appeared in France. While this list is hardly comprehensive, it contains some of the greatest literary masters who ever lived. Most likely you have read or at least heard about these famous French writers.
Honore de Balzac, 1799-1850
Balzac is a French writer and playwright. One of his most famous works, The Human Comedy, was his first real taste of success in the literary world. In fact, his personal life became more about trying something and failing than actual success. He is considered by many literary critics to be one of the "founding fathers" of realism because The Human Comedy was a commentary on all aspects of life. This is a collection of all the works he wrote under his own name. Father Goriot is often cited in French literature courses as a classic example of realism. A story of King Lear set in 1820s Paris, Père Goriot is Balzac's reflection of a money-loving society.
Samuel Beckett, 1906-1989
Samuel Beckett is actually Irish, but he wrote mostly in French because he lived in Paris, moving there in 1937. He is considered the last great modernist and some argue that he is the first postmodernist. Particularly prominent in his personal life was his involvement in the French Resistance during World War II, when he was under German occupation. Although Beckett published widely, he was most renowned for his theater of the absurd, depicted in the play En attendant Godot (Waiting for Godot).
Cyrano de Bergerac, 1619-1655
Cyrano de Bergerac is best known for the play that Rostand wrote about him called Cyrano de Bergerac. The play has been staged and made into films many times. The plot is well known: Cyrano loves Roxane, but stops courting her in order to read his poems to her on behalf of his not so eloquent friend. Rostand most likely embellishes the real characteristics of de Bergerac's life, although he really was a phenomenal swordsman and a delightful poet.
It can be said that his poetry is more famous than Rostand's play. According to descriptions, he had an extremely large nose of which he was very proud.
Albert Camus, 1913-1960
Albert Camus is an Algerian-born author who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957. He was the first African to achieve this and the second youngest writer in literary history. Despite being associated with existentialism, Camus rejects any labels. His two most famous novels are absurd: L "Étranger (The Stranger) and Le Mythe de Sisyphe (The Myth of Sisyphus). He was perhaps best known as a philosopher and his works are a reflection of the life of that time. In fact, he wanted to become footballer, but contracted tuberculosis at the age of 17 and was bedridden for a long period of time.
Victor Hugo, 1802-1885
Victor Hugo would call himself primarily a humanist who used literature to describe the conditions of human life and the injustices of society. Both of these themes can be easily seen in two of his most famous works: Les misèrables (Les Miserables), and Notre-Dame de Paris (Notre Dame Cathedral is also known by its popular title, The Hunchback of Notre Dame).
Alexandre Dumas, father 1802-1870
Alexandre Dumas is considered the most widely read author in French history. He is known for his historical novels, which describe the dangerous adventures of heroes. Dumas was a prolific writer and many of his stories are still retold today:
Three Musketeers
Count of Montecristo
The Man in the Iron Mask
1821-1880
His first published novel, Madame Bovary, became perhaps his most famous work. It was originally published as a series of novellas, and the French authorities filed a lawsuit against Flaubert for immorality.
Jules Verne, 1828-1905
Jules Verne is especially famous because he was one of the first authors to write science fiction. Many literary critics even consider him one of the founding fathers of the genre. He wrote many novels, here are some of the most famous:
Twenty thousand leagues under the sea
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Around the world in 80 Days
Other French writers
Moliere
Emile Zola
Stendhal
George Sand
Musset
Marcel Proust
Rostand
Jean-Paul Sartre
Madame de Scudery
Stendhal
Sully-Prudhomme
Anatole France
Simone de Beauvoir
Charles Baudelaire
Voltaire
In France, literature was, and continues to be, the driving force of philosophy. Paris is fertile ground for the newest ideas, philosophies and movements the world has ever seen.
Famous French writers
Famous French writers have made invaluable contributions to the world
literature. From the existentialism of Jean-Paul Sartre to commentaries on
Flaubert Society, France is well known for the phenomenon of world examples
literary geniuses. Thanks to the many famous sayings that
quote masters of literature from France, there is a high probability
that you are very familiar with, or at least have heard, about
works of French literature.
Over the centuries, many great works of literature have appeared
in France. While this list is hardly comprehensive, it does contain some
one of the greatest literary masters who ever lived. Quicker
everything you have read or at least heard about these famous French
writers.
Honore de Balzac, 1799-1850
Balzac is a French writer and playwright. One of his most famous
works "The Human Comedy" became his first real taste of success in
literary world. In fact, his personal life became more of an attempt
trying something and failing rather than actually succeeding. He, according to
according to many literary critics, is considered one of
"founding fathers" of realism, because the "Human Comedy" was
commentary on all aspects of life. This is a collection of all the works that he
wrote under his own name. Father Goriot is often cited in courses
French literature as a classic example of realism. History of the King
Lear, taking place in the 1820s in Paris, the book "Père Goriot" is
Balzac's reflection of a money-loving society.
Samuel Beckett, 1906-1989
Samuel Beckett is actually Irish, but he mostly wrote
in French, because he lived in Paris, moving there in 1937. He
considered the last great modernist and some argue that he is
the first postmodernist. Particularly outstanding in his personal life was
participation in the French Resistance during World War II,
when it was under German occupation. Although Beckett published a lot,
he most of all for his theater of the absurd, depicted in the play En attendant
Godot (Waiting for Godot).
Cyrano de Bergerac, 1619-1655
Cyrano de Bergerac is best known for the play that was
written about him by Rostand under the title "Cyrano de Bergerac". play
It has been staged and made into films many times. The plot is familiar: Cyrano
loves Roxana, but stops courting her so as not to
such an eloquent friend to read his poems to her. Rostand most likely
embellishes the real characteristics of de Bergerac's life, although he
he truly was a phenomenal swordsman and a delightful poet.
It can be said that his poetry is more famous than Rostand's play. By
He is described as having an extremely large nose, of which he was very proud.
Albert Camus, 1913-1960
Albert Camus is an author of Algerian origin who received
Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957. He was the first African
who achieved this, and the second youngest writer in history
literature. Despite the fact that he is associated with existentialism, Camus
rejects any labels. His two most famous novels are absurd:
L "Étranger (The Stranger) and Le Mythe de Sisyphe (The Myth of Sisyphus). He was,
perhaps best known as a philosopher and his works - mapping
life of that time. In fact, he wanted to become a football player, but
contracted tuberculosis at the age of 17 and was bedridden in
over a long period of time.
Victor Hugo, 1802-1885
Victor Hugo would call himself first and foremost a humanist who used
literature to describe the conditions of human life and injustice
society. Both of these themes can be easily seen in two of his most famous
works: Les misèrables (Les Miserables), and Notre-Dame de Paris (The Cathedral
Notre Dame is also known by its popular name - The Hunchback of
Notre Dame).
Alexandre Dumas, father 1802-1870
Alexandre Dumas is considered the most widely read author in French history.
He is known for his historical novels that depict dangerous
adventures of heroes. Dumas was prolific in writing and many of his
The stories are still retold today:
Three Musketeers
Count of Montecristo
The Man in the Iron Mask
The Nutcracker (made famous through Tchaikovsky's ballet version)
Gustave Flaubert 1821-1880
His first published novel, Madame Bovary, became perhaps the most
famous for his work. It was originally published as a series
novel, and the French authorities filed a lawsuit against Flaubert for
immorality.
Jules Verne 1828-1905
Jules Verne is especially famous because he was one of the first authors
who wrote science fiction. Many literary critics even consider
him one of the founding fathers of the genre. He wrote many novels, here
some of the most famous:
Twenty thousand leagues under the sea
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Around the world in 80 Days
Other French writers
There are many other great French writers:
Moliere
Emile Zola
Stendhal
George Sand
Musset
Marcel Proust
Rostand
Jean-Paul Sartre
Madame de Scudery
Stendhal
Sully-Prudhomme
Anatole France
Simone de Beauvoir
Charles Baudelaire
Voltaire
In France, literature was, and continues to be, the driving force of philosophy.
Paris is fertile ground for new ideas, philosophies and movements that
ever seen the world.
Frederick Beigbeder was born on September 21, 1965 in a family where he felt insecure since childhood, because his older brother was like an ideal for everyone. The bestselling author's mother worked as a translator of romance novels, and her father was a recruiter.
Even from school, the boy's writing abilities awakened, despite the fact that he was completely unsure of himself and his abilities. After his school days ended, the future writer entered the Paris Institute, while simultaneously studying to become a marketer, which was very popular at that time.
He successfully started his work in one well-known company, and soon he began to be invited as a reviewer for magazines and a radio presenter. The most famous, which she began publishing since 2000, are “99 francs”, “Love lasts three years”, “Romantic egoist”, “Ideal” and “Memoirs of an unreasonable young man”
Michel Houellebecq
Born on February 26, 1956 on the island of Reunion, which belonged to France. His parents were very busy with their work, so the boy never received enough attention. Only the grandparents on the mother’s side did not abandon their grandson and raised him for some time. But, soon, the paternal grandmother took Michel to her and did not regret it, because they began to live with each other in perfect harmony.
In adolescence, the writer becomes aware of the work of Howard Lovecraft, and after that he begins to actively write all sorts of works, creating his own magazine and writing his poems there.
The author's popularity comes to him only through the many difficulties he went through. Only in 1994, after a divorce from his wife and separation from his son, after long unemployment and deep depression, his first novel, “Expanding the Space of Struggle,” was published, which immediately became popular. Later “Elementary Particles”, “Platform”, “Island Opportunity” and others were released.
Bernard Werber
The talented writer Bernard Werber was born in 1962 in the city of Toulouse. From the age of six, he showed an ability for writing and drawing. He wrote small children's works that surprised people with their plot. Bernard had many talents, which he constantly revealed.
Outside of school, he was interested in engineering, astronomy, playing the electric guitar, drawing and much more. During his lyceum years, the author wrote many novels, and after finishing his studies, in 1978 he began writing the novel “Ants.” He put a lot into this work, but critics did not perceive it. But, later, the continuation of the novel won the hearts of readers, and Werber received his first magazine award. The most popular novels are "Ants", "Empire of Angels", "Star Butterfly", "" and many others.
Guillaume Musso
Guillaume Musso was born in 1974 on June 6. As a child, his main hobby was reading books. He read a lot and all the time. The parents were against their son’s literary activities, so the future writer had a hard time.
Publishers did not want to publish it, but he did not give up for a second. He worked as an ice cream salesman and lived in terrible conditions until he went to study to become a teacher, returning from Manhattan to France.
Only in 2001 was his novel finally accepted and published, which was happiness for the author. "Skidamarink" was a great success, as were later published works: "After", "Save Me", "Will You Be There?", "Because I Love You".
Mark Levy
Born on October 16, 1961 in Boulogne. The writer's father was a full-blooded Jew, and during World War II he fought alongside the communist parties against the fascist regime. Everything that happened to the writer became the basis for many of his novels.
When Mark graduated from school, he joined the Red Cross organization, then he was only eighteen years old. After this, he managed to organize his own company specializing in design. When he was 23 years old, the writer went to America and also created a design and technology company there. Returning to his homeland, he left all American branches to trusted representatives, and he himself took up creativity.
His first book, “Between Heaven and Earth,” immediately became very famous, and later the novel “Where Are You?”, “Everyone Wants to Love,” “Seven Days of Creation” and many others were published. By the way, many of them were filmed.
Anna Gavalda
Born in 1970 on December 9 in the city of Belon-Belancourt. Since childhood, the girl loved to write works with bright characters and plots. At the age of 14, due to her parents’ divorce, she entered a boarding school, where she studied and slept.
Later, when Anna was a student, she worked in many places, gaining experience. Soon after graduation, she became a French teacher for first grades. Her creativity began when she divorced her husband. All the excitement about this set her on a literary path.
Many of the writer’s works have received critical acclaim: “Aristote”, “I would like someone to wait for me somewhere”, “I loved him”, “Just together” and many others.
Daniel Pennac
Daniel Pennac was born on December 1, 1944 in Morocco in the city of Casablanca. The writer spent his childhood in the French colonies. The author studied in Nice, devoting himself to various professions from an ordinary taxi driver to a teacher.
None of the publishers accepted Daniel’s works, and only one of them, taking pity, wrote entire instructions on what needed to be corrected in what had been written and how. Since 1978, the writer decides to work on children's works. The period is known for two popular books, Eye of the Wolf and The Hound the Dog.
He soon became involved with political literature, ridiculing the authorities. And after that I began to get involved in detective work. Pennac's best novels are “Like a Romance,” “Diary of One Body,” “Cannibal Happiness,” “The Fairy Gunmother” and many others.
Pascal Quignard
Pascal Quinnard was born on April 23, 1948 in Verneuil-sur-Avre. As a teenager, he devoted a lot of time to ancient languages and philosophy. However, he soon stopped being carried away by the philosophical direction, leaving a place in his life for music. He was very attracted to the music of the Baroque era.
Once at the Elysee Palace, he influenced its management, and they decided to hold a celebration in the Baroque style, staging various theatrical performances with music and opera. And Pascal Quignard was in charge of all this, taking the trouble upon himself.
After many difficulties and gaining experience, the author leaves all the positions he held and devotes himself entirely to writing. His best works: “The Secret Life”, “Les Paradisiaques”, “Sur le jadis”, “Charon’s Rook”, “The Roving Shadows” and many others.
Antoine Volodin
Antoine Volodin was born in 1950 in the city of Chalon-sur-Saône. His name is just a pseudonym, but no one knows his real name, because he is secretive and does not tell anyone about his mysterious personality. The author's childhood years were spent in the city of Lyon.
The writer has Russian blood, he studied the Russian language, and, after that, translated many Russian works into French. Popularity came to the writer after he began publishing his novels in many magazines.
Antoine was also awarded the Russian Andrei Bely Prize. The best novels are considered to be “Dondog”, “Little Angels”, “Bardo il not Bardo”.
Jean-Christophe Grange
Born on July 15, 1961 in Boulogne-Billancourt. As a child, he read a lot and was very interested in music. The writer studied at the Sorbonne, while simultaneously studying the prose of modern authors. Having gone into the advertising business, Jean-Christophe did not stay there for long, and soon left this industry.
French novels are a real treasure trove of world classical literature. We'll tell you what works you can start with!
This article is intended for persons over 18 years of age
Have you already turned 18?
Reading is a great leisure option. Depending on the book you choose, you can not only pass the time, but also acquire a lot of useful skills. Some people read exclusively specialized literature, while others, on the contrary, read fiction. However, both can be used for training. Especially when it comes to books by French writers.
Popular literary works in French
If you sharply ask a simple passer-by the question “What French authors do you know?”, he can easily get confused and name only the name of Dumas. The names of Russian classics and British masters flash through my head. However, we have known many famous authors from France since childhood.
For example, almost everyone knows Saint-Exupery’s quote “We are responsible for those we have tamed.” And the work “The Three Musketeers”, written by Dumas, was repeatedly filmed.
1. Albert Camus “The Plague”. The author wanted to include in the work a symbolic description of Europe's struggle against Nazism. However, the resulting work covers not only the phenomenon of the “brown plague”, but also other sensitive social topics. The word “plague” played the role of a symbolic description of all the evil that exists in the world. The work is written in the form of a chronicle novel.
2. Albert Camus “The Stranger”. The writer's first story. Based on the ideas of existentialism. Many literary scholars believe that this work preaches freedom in its purest manifestation. The entire story is told in the first person and takes the reader through the world of the main character - Meursault.
3. Victor Hugo "Les Miserables". A novel by a master of French literature. Considered one of the greatest works written in the nineteenth century. A main philosophical thread runs through the entire novel, touching on such manifestations as love, humanity, cruelty, suffering and happiness. The plot itself revolves around the life of former convict Jean Valjean.
4. Alexandre Dumas “The Count of Monte Cristo”. A classic known to almost everyone. The novel is written in the adventure genre and tells about the count, who at the beginning of the story was imprisoned. Since its writing, a huge number of films have been made, either exactly repeating the plot or only based on it.
5. Voltaire “Candide, or optimism”. It is the author's most popular work. Almost immediately after its appearance it was banned. The reason was allegedly his “obscenity.” In essence, this is a philosophical story, presented in the form of a so-called “picaresque novel.” At the end of Candide, the hero discovers the secret of happiness, which turns out to be completely different from what he expected.
6. Alexandre Dumas “The Three Musketeers”. This novel is known all over the world. Numerous film adaptations, theatrical productions and cartoons created based on it only emphasize the special popularity of the work. The historical adventure novel tells about valor and friendship, love and betrayal, palace intrigue and brave prowess. The main characters are four friends who enlisted in the ranks of the musketeers and serve for the glory of the king.
7. Gustave Flaubert “Madame Bovary” . This novel has long been recognized as a world masterpiece, despite extreme simplicity of the plot. Its main value is unusual form of presentation. The words chosen to describe what is happening merge into a single canvas and form extraordinary beauty and then same time of simplicity text.
8. Victor Hugo “Notre Dame Cathedral”. Another work from the list of world classics. It is the first historical novel written in French. Based on its plot, a magnificent musical was staged, which was repeatedly covered by various performers, as well as two operas and a ballet. In addition, film adaptations of the work were repeatedly filmed. The whole plot revolves around Quasimodo, who is in love with Esmeralda. The work was written with the aim of preserving Notre Dame Cathedral, which was then planned to be demolished.
9. Honore de Balzac “Père Goriot”. The novel tells the story of Father Goriot, who has an unusually strong and sincere love for his children. However, the attitude of the children turned out to be completely different, and the old man ended up in a boarding house. It is from there that the story of a deeply unhappy man who was left abandoned in his old age begins. The novel raises acute social problems, and the disdainful attitude of the daughters is emphasized by the pronounced respect from a complete stranger - Rastignac.
10. Stendhal “Red and Black” . Returns the reader to France after the July Revolution. Main character— Julien Sorel - trying to build his career and has a great chance of growth in churches. However, women ruin him- he not only didn’t achieves what he wants, but And he himself dies because of his addiction. The novel has been filmed several times and is considered the predecessor of such a genre as psychological realism.
This list can be continued indefinitely. Many popular classic works came from the pens of French authors.
Separately, it is worth noting a number of interesting works in the fantasy genre. Despite the fact that most of the famous writers of this genre come from the United States, France also pleases with interesting ideas.
Among the popular classics of fantasy are the books by Maurice Renard "Doctor Lern, Demigod", Bernard Werber's "Paradise to Order" and Jules Verne's "The Mysterious Island". And Pierre Boulle’s work “Planet of the Apes” has been filmed several times and has gained particular popularity even among those people who are not fond of the fantasy genre.
Books in French for beginners - easy language learning
One of the most popular ways to learn a language today is to read literature in the original language. This is very difficult, but it is through such reading that you can effectively expand your vocabulary and gain the so-called “feeling” of the language.
You should select literature depending on your level of knowledge and vocabulary size. Therefore, it is better to start reading with small and simple works. It is preferable to learn the language from children's books. It uses the simplest vocabulary that is often found in everyday life.
Often the works of the above-mentioned Antoine de Saint-Exupéry are used to teach the French language. Stories by Rene Gascinni and children's books like The Funny Adventures of Rudud and Rikiki are also popular.
As your knowledge expands, you can move on to more voluminous and complex works. It is best to select literature based on genre. Fairy tales, stories and various everyday stories are perfect for starting learning. Over time, it will be possible to move on to more complex and voluminous works.
It is also worth considering the time when a particular book was written. Stories and novels of the nineteenth century most often contain phrases that are no longer used in modern speech. If you pick up vocabulary based on such literature, there is a high risk of looking funny and ridiculous.
It is preferable to learn a language from works of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. This will not only fill the dictionary with the most relevant words, but will also make reading much easier.
The best children's books in French
Among French literature there are many wonderful children's stories and fairy tales. They are perfect for school. For this purpose, books in the original language are used.
In addition to purely French literature, you can use French versions of fairy tales already known to you, such as “Beauty and the Beast”, “Aladdin and the Magic Lamp”, “Sleeping Beauty” and others. A familiar plot will make reading much easier, even if there are a lot of unfamiliar words.
If French is unfamiliar to you, you can find the Russian version. There are many collections of children's stories with translation.
Among the best French children's writers are the following authors:
- Charles Perrault;
- Madame d'Aunoy;
- George Sand;
- Sophia Segur;
- Rene Goscinny.
