France is a country synonymous with literature, producing some of the world’s most beloved and famous authors.
From medieval monks to postmodern playwrights, French authors have been at the forefront of philosophy and literature for centuries, founding or contributing to almost all European literary styles.
As summer reaches its zenith and outdoor activities become restricted, many turn to books as a pastime, opting to read in the shade or while lounging at the beach.
For those wanting to improve their French, reading in the language is a perfect way to do so.
It allows you to tackle material at your own pace, reading slowly and being able to reference words you do not understand in a dictionary or online. Compared to a film or radio show, you can tackle a book at your own pace, without needing to pause and rewind.
The mixture of descriptive language and dialogue provides a swathe of useful vocabulary that you can use both in everyday life and conversations.
In addition, reading in French can increase your general cultural awareness of the country, and help you learn specific vocabulary about an interest you have.
For example, an avid gardener may want to read a practical book on gardening, learning new vocabulary related to their hobby – and picking up useful tips about working in the French climate.
For others, delving into literature is an engaging way to learn.
Below are five books recommended to read in French to help learn the language. All the novels are originally written in French but have been translated into English, sometimes several times.
Selecting only five books from among France’s vast literary pantheon is extremely difficult, and there are dozens of books that were contenders for this list.
However, I opted for books that I have personally read and enjoyed.
The list generally goes from easiest to most difficult, but reading side-by-side an English translation copy can be useful if you have one.
Le Petit Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
A book that needs no introduction, Le Petit Prince is the perfect place to start reading in French.
The second-most translated book in the world after The Bible, and with reportedly 140 million copies sold worldwide, it is one of the most well-known pieces of literature.
Written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry during World War Two (and published posthumously in France after the author’s writings were outlawed by the pro-Nazi Vichy regime), the fantastical story recounts the travels of a young prince who visits various planets.
You have likely already read the book or seen an adaptation of it, particularly if you have children or grandchildren. This can make it easier to read in French, as you are already familiar with the story.
Despite being a children’s book, the novel touches on some eternal literary themes and is far from a simple fare and is a touching piece of literature for all ages.
The language used by Saint-Exupéry is accessible for those learning French, with straightforward prose and grammar, making it a perfect starting point.
Several copies of the novel exist, but many include Saint-Exupéry’s drawings alongside, which are always poignant.
L’Etranger - Albert Camus
‘Aujourd'hui, maman est morte. Ou peut-être hier, je ne sais pas,’ is the opening line of L’Etranger and one of literature’s most iconic sentences.
Since its publication in 1942, translators have grappled with how exactly to translate this opening line (roughly, ‘Today mum died. Or was it yesterday? I’m not sure’) as well as the novel’s title, philosophical undertones and final line, for decades.
The debut novel from the author, playwright, and philosopher Albert Camus, the book is synonymous with his philosophy of absurdism.
This school of thought is seen as a branch of existentialism (although Camus himself rejected the comparison), arguing (in brief) that humans are plunged into a world without meaning, but that we should accept this meaninglessness and live a life of passion regardless.
Protagonist Meursault flitters through the first half of the book, seemingly unattached to anything and showing little sign of emotion towards his surroundings or the fact his mother recently passed away.
This culminates in an oceanside tragedy partway through the book, setting up the second half of the novel.
At only around 100 - 150 pages in length depending on the copy you read, Camus’ novella is short but packs an emotional punch.
Despite its philosophical undertones, the book remains accessible and its language is poetic but understandable.
If you can hold a conversation in French you can likely read this book without having to reference a dictionary more than a couple of times.
Often ranked among the greatest French-language novels (including coming first in Le Monde’s ‘100 best books of the 20th century’), Camus’ masterpiece is a must-read for anyone wanting to gain a deeper understanding of French intellectual life.
An alternative novel by Camus is La Peste, which tells the tale of a devastating plague that hits a North African town.
An allegory for fascism and the Nazi occupation, the novel is denser than L’Etranger and expresses its absurdist philosophy through anti-hero protagonist Dr Rieux in a way that is less straightforward but equally rewarding to unravel.
L’eau des collines - Marcel Pagnol
Split into two novels – Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources - this story is about a group of peasants living in a rural village in Provence at the turn of the 20th century and forms one of France’s most cherished novel series.
It presents an unabashed view of Provençal peasant life; the avarice, rigid familial structures, betrayals and obsession with social status and reliance on nature, but also paints an idyllic view of the simple joy of a rural village with its pétanque games, bar-tabac, and the family bonds stretching back generations.
The first book, Jean de Florette, tells the story of the eponymous hunchback who arrives in the village from a nearby large town, rustling feathers and looking to restore an old farmhouse and make a profitable business rearing rabbits (a common meat in Provence).
The irrigation of the land is fed by a nearby spring which two locals have secretly blocked in an effort to get Jean to renounce his dreams and sell the land on the cheap to them.
They then plan to use the spring and the land to cultivate flowers that sell for huge profits in the markets of Nice and Marseille.
The second novel, Manon des Sources (Manon of the well) details the story of Jean’s daughter, Manon, and her integration into the village.
Both novels are touching and genuinely funny, whilst giving a perfect overview of the realities of life in the south of France before the French Riviera became an international tourist hotspot.
L’eau des collines remains accessible to those with a good grasp of French but some more difficult terms relating to agriculture, as well as flecks of Provençal dialect, make it more challenging than the entries above.
However, two beloved 1986 films based on the novels are a great watch either before or after reading the book to accompany it and can help you pick up anything you may have missed.
Germinal - Emile Zola
A personal favourite, Germinal is a harrowing novel about the plight of a group of miners in the north of France in the late 1800s.
It forms one of the major novels in Zola’s ‘Les Rougon-Macquart’, a 20-book series charting the life of the members of a single family across France throughout the reign of Napoléon III and up to the end of the 19th century.
Etienne Lantier, the protagonist of Germinal, is the son of Gervaise Macquart (a major character in the novel L’Assommoir) and half-brother of ‘Nana’, the eponymous character in another novel of the series.
All novels in the series can be read independently of each other, but many characters appear in multiple novels and placing them together provides an unrivalled snapshot into the era. For a real challenge, you can read all 20.
The series introduced Zola’s style of naturalism, a profound and unflinching study of human character through novel-writing, with Germinal perhaps the highlight of this technique.
In the story, Etienne arrives cold and hungry to a mining village in northern France. Desperate for work, he picks up a job in the local colliery pushing carts full of coal.
Well-liked and smart, Etienne quickly rises through the social order of the village and leads the miners on strike throughout a harsh winter after becoming convinced of an imminent socialist revolution.
Zola spares no blushes with his frank portrayal of human existence in these northern mining towns, comparing the treatment and behaviour of the miners and their families to animals on several occasions.
Scandalising but extremely popular when first released, the book has been held up as one of France’s greatest novels for more than a century.
It is lauded for its portrayal of the working class and cited by those on the left as a reminder of the perils of the industrial revolution.
Indeed, the title itself is a reference to a new dawn of humanity, drawing on France’s revolution-era calendar.
Undoubtedly a difficult read for a non-French native, the book is littered with cultural references and mining terminology that may require the help of a dictionary, even when reading in English.
Once you are drawn into the story however the book is hard to put down, and is worth the time and effort required to read it.
Several film and TV adaptations have been made.
Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
There are dozens of authors whose books could have gone into this final slot – Balzac, Proust, Stendhal, Jules Verne, de Beauvoir, Annie Ernaux, Dumas, the list is almost endless – but Victor Hugo truly deserves the accolade.
Les Misérables needs no introduction. In its own right it is one of the most renowned works of literature, but the record-breaking theatre production and film adaptations mean the novel is common knowledge around the globe.
Hugo’s masterpiece weaves the history of several characters, with reformed criminal Jean Valjean at the centre of the story.
It touches upon several themes including French history, monarchism vs republicanism, love, philosophy, religion, salvation, justice, and France’s revolutionary nature (much of the novel is set amid the backdrop of the 1832 June Rebellion in Paris and ruminates on what revolution means to France in the 19th century).
If you have seen the stage production or watched one of the film or TV adaptations, you will be familiar with the story, which can help you to focus more on the book and its incredible language instead.
It is a massive tome, with Hugo often spending several pages writing essays on topics, themes, or settings in the story that are completely unrelated to the plot.
Taking up roughly a quarter of the novel’s total length, these digressions do not advance the core story in any way but provide a rich tapestry of context, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the novel.
Again the book is classified as one of France’s most beloved novels, but reading it is no easy feat even for a French native.
It is a serious undertaking and you will most likely need a dictionary alongside you, but the effort is well worth it and reading the book brings a well-deserved badge of honour and – undoubtedly – admiration from French colleagues.
Do you have any books you would add to the list? What do you think is France’s best novel? Let us know via feedback@connexionfrance.com
