Today naughty Frederic Beigbeder celebrates his 50th birthday. We took advantage of this occasion and remembered the best French writers of our time.
Thanks to Beigbeder, Houellebecq, Levy, Verber and Gavalde, modern French literature is read and loved far beyond the borders of France. There is an opinion, for example, that Beigbeder and Houellebecq are more popular abroad than at home. This can be explained by the fact that the publishing business in France, although it is not blooming and smelling, is not stopping either - new writers appear here every week, but it was still possible to single out the most read ones.
Frederic Beigbeder
An advertising agency employee easily survived his dismissal - the reason for the dismissal was a scandalous novel 99 francs (today - 14.99 euros), which tells about the side of the advertising business hidden from ordinary people. Coming from a wealthy family, Beigbeder, in principle, could not work or write, but after 99 francs he was unstoppable - with a slight delay, the book Love Lives for Three Years, published three years earlier, and then any equally cynical and snobbish book became popular , Beigbeder's creation was a success with the public simply because of his name on the cover.
Michel Houellebecq
The most famous French writer outside of France. Houellebecq's novels are sharp, juicy, and often psychologically difficult. Each work contains the reflections of an intellectual, attempts to understand the world without losing respect for people. Read: Expanding the space of struggle, Elementary particles, The possibility of an island.
Daniel Pennac
The charming intellectual humorist is known in France for his children's books (Dog the Dog, Eye of the Wolf), and then found himself in the ironic detective genre, starting a series of novels about the loser Benjamin Malossin (read: Cannibal Happiness, The Carbine Fairy, The Little Prose Trader, Mister Malossin) . The cartoon Ernest and Celestine: The Adventures of a Mouse and a Bear, based on Pennac's script, received the French Cesar Award (“colleague” of the Oscar).
Bernard Werber
A philosopher and graphomaniac, Werber filled all bookstores - and not only in his homeland. The most famous works are the ant trilogy (Ants, Day of the Ant, Revolution of the Ants - practically the Matrix, in general!) and the highly pretentious Star Butterfly, which draws haunting parallels with the Bible.
Guillaume Musso
A relatively young French novelist, wildly popular among French readers. As soon as Musso’s new novel comes out, you immediately see it in the hands of every second person on the subway and in a restaurant. Read: After... (two literary awards and the film adaptation of Hostage to Death, 2008), Paper Girl, Tomorrow.
Antoine Volodin
The author wrote more than 30 works in different genres - and signed them with different names. The real name of the author is still kept secret - only the Russian grandmother, birth in Burgundy, translation of Tokareva, Strugatsky, Limonov and others into French is known. Without giving critics the opportunity to attribute him to any literary movement, Volodin rushes between genres and asks his style to be called post-exoticism. Read: Dondog and everything you find in Russian.
Andrey Makin
Andrei Sergeevich Makin is the grandson of a French emigrant who settled in Russia since 1917. He studied in Moscow, then went to France and asked for asylum. He taught Russian to the French and wrote books that they did not want to publish - then he passed them off as translations of Russian works into French. After that, they began to publish him - and for his third novel (The French Testament) he received the most prestigious literary award in France - the Gongur Prize.
Pascal Quignard
Winner of the Gongur Prize, essayist, poet, prose writer - writes both novels and philosophical essays, and poetry. Read: Sex and Fear (about the evolution of eroticism in ancient art), The Staircases of Chambord (studying the architecture of the Chateau de Chambord in the Loire, designed by Leonardo da Vinci, the main character reflects on happiness and human relationships), All the Mornings of the World (about art and love).
Mark Levy
The prolific novelist once built a business in Silicon Valley working in computer graphics. After the success of his first book (Only if it were true - the book was used to make the Hollywood film Between Heaven and Earth with Reese Witherspoon) he stopped doing business and devoted himself entirely to literature. Levy is a popular writer among housewives and the quiet intelligentsia. To a person accustomed to aggressive and intellectual prose, his books may seem something like an exquisite Daria Dontsova.
Anna Gavalda
There are only eight novels - and what popularity! Ever since the first novel - I loved her. I loved him - it became clear that Françoise Sagan’s laurels haunted Anna. Later she found her own path: each of her works is a story about love, to one degree or another, and how it adorns every person. Read: Just together, A consolation game of petanque.
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 of writing a particular book. 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 use. 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.
Hi all! I came across a list of the 10 best French novels. To be honest, I didn’t get along well with the French, so I’ll ask connoisseurs - what do you think of the list, what you read/did not read from it, what would you add/remove to it?
1. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry - “The Little Prince”
The most famous work of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry with original drawings. A wise and “humane” fairy tale-parable that simply and heartfeltly talks about the most important things: friendship and love, duty and loyalty, beauty and intolerance to evil.
“We all come from childhood,” the great Frenchman reminds us and introduces us to the most mysterious and touching hero of world literature.
2. Alexandre Dumas - “The Count of Monte Cristo”
The plot of the novel was gleaned by Alexandre Dumas from the archives of the Parisian police. The true life of François Picot, under the pen of a brilliant master of the historical adventure genre, turned into a fascinating story about Edmond Dantes, a prisoner of the Château d'If. Having made a daring escape, he returns to his hometown to bring justice - to take revenge on those who destroyed his life.
3. Gustave Flaubert - “Madame Bovary”
The main character, Emma Bovary, suffers from the inability to fulfill her dreams of a brilliant, social life, full of romantic passions. Instead, she is forced to eke out a monotonous existence as the wife of a poor provincial doctor. The painful atmosphere of the outback suffocates Emma, but all her attempts to break out of the bleak world are doomed to failure: her boring husband cannot satisfy his wife’s requests, and her outwardly romantic and attractive lovers are in fact self-centered and cruel. Is there a way out of life's impasse?..
4. Gaston Leroux - “The Phantom of the Opera”
“The Phantom of the Opera really existed” - one of the most sensational French novels of the turn of the 19th-20th centuries is dedicated to the proof of this thesis. It belongs to the pen of Gaston Leroux, a master of the police novel, author of the famous “The Secret of the Yellow Room”, “The Scent of a Lady in Black”. From the first to the last page, Leroux keeps the reader in suspense.
5. Guy De Maupassant - “Dear Friend”
Guy de Maupassant is often called the master of erotic prose. But the novel "Dear Friend" (1885) goes beyond this genre. The story of the career of the ordinary seducer and playmaker Georges Duroy, developing in the spirit of an adventure novel, becomes a symbolic reflection of the spiritual impoverishment of the hero and society.
6. Simone De Beauvoir - “The Second Sex”
Two volumes of the book “The Second Sex” by the French writer Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986) - “a born philosopher,” according to her husband J.-P. Sartre, are still considered the most complete historical and philosophical study of the entire range of problems associated with women. What is “women’s destiny”, what is behind the concept of “natural purpose of gender”, how and why the position of a woman in this world differs from the position of a man, is a woman in principle capable of becoming a full-fledged person, and if so, then under what conditions, what circumstances limit a woman’s freedom and how to overcome them.
7. Cholerlo de Laclos - “Dangerous Liaisons”
“Dangerous Liaisons” is one of the most striking novels of the 18th century - the only book by Choderlos de Laclos, a French artillery officer. The heroes of the erotic novel, the Vicomte de Valmont and the Marquise de Merteuil, start a sophisticated intrigue, wanting to take revenge on their opponents. Having developed a cunning strategy and tactics to seduce the young girl Cecile de Volanges, they masterfully play on human weaknesses and shortcomings.
8. Charles Baudelaire - “Flowers of Evil”
Among the masters of world culture, the name of Charles Baudelaire burns like a bright star. This book includes the poet’s collection “Flowers of Evil,” which made his name famous, and the brilliant essay “The School of the Pagans.” The book is preceded by an article by the remarkable Russian poet Nikolai Gumilyov, and ends with a rarely published essay on Baudelaire by the outstanding French poet and thinker Paul Valéry.
9. Stendhal - “The Parma Abode”
The novel, written by Stendhal in just 52 days, received worldwide recognition. The dynamism of the action, the intriguing course of events, the dramatic denouement combined with the depiction of strong characters capable of anything for the sake of love are the key points of the work that do not cease to excite the reader until the last lines. The fate of Fabrizio, the main character of the novel, a freedom-loving young man, is filled with unexpected twists and turns, taking place during a period of historical turning point in Italy at the beginning of the 19th century.
10. Andre Gide - “The Counterfeiters”
A novel that is significant both for the work of Andre Gide and for French literature of the first half of the 20th century in general. A novel that largely predicted the motives that later became fundamental in the work of the existentialists. The entangled relationships of three families - representatives of the big bourgeoisie, united by crime, vice and a labyrinth of self-destructive passions, become the backdrop for the coming-of-age story of two young men - two childhood friends, each of whom will have to go through their own, very difficult school of “education of feelings.”
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".
French literature is one of the treasuries of world culture. It deserves to be read in all countries and in all centuries. The problems that French writers raised in their works have always worried people, and the time will never come when they will leave the reader indifferent. Epochs, historical settings, costumes of characters change, but passions, the essence of relationships between men and women, their happiness and suffering remain unchanged. The tradition of the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries was continued by modern French writers and literary figures of the 20th century.
Commonality of Russian and French literary schools
What do we know about European wordsmiths in the relatively recent past? Of course, many countries have made significant contributions to the common cultural heritage. Great books were also written by Britain, Germany, Austria, and Spain, but in terms of the number of outstanding works, the first places are, of course, occupied by Russian and French writers. The list of them (both books and authors) is truly huge. It is no wonder that there are multiple publications, there are many readers, and today, in the age of the Internet, the list of film adaptations is also impressive. What is the secret of this popularity? Both Russia and France have long-standing humanistic traditions. As a rule, the focus of the plot is not on a historical event, no matter how outstanding it may be, but on a person, with his passions, virtues, shortcomings, and even weaknesses and vices. The author does not undertake to condemn his characters, but prefers to let the reader draw his own conclusions about what fate to choose. He even pities those of them who chose the wrong path. There are many examples.
How Flaubert felt sorry for his Madame Bovary
Gustave Flaubert was born on December 12, 1821 in Rouen. The monotony of provincial life was familiar to him from childhood, and even in his adult years he rarely left his town, only once making a long trip to the East (Algeria, Tunisia), and, of course, visiting Paris. This French poet and writer wrote poems that seemed to many critics then (this opinion still exists today) to be too melancholic and languid. In 1857, he wrote the novel Madame Bovary, which became notorious at the time. The story of a woman who sought to break out of the hateful circle of everyday life and therefore cheated on her husband, then seemed not just controversial, but even indecent.
However, this plot, alas, is quite common in life, performed by the great master, and goes far beyond the scope of the usual obscene anecdote. Flaubert tries, and with great success, to penetrate into the psychology of his characters, towards whom he sometimes feels anger, expressed in merciless satire, but more often - pity. His heroine dies tragically, the despised and loving husband, apparently (this is more likely to be guessed than indicated by the text) knows about everything, but sincerely grieves, mourning his unfaithful wife. Both Flaubert and other French writers of the 19th century devoted quite a lot of their works to issues of fidelity and love.
Maupassant
With the light hand of many literary writers, he is considered almost the founder of romantic eroticism in literature. This opinion is based on some moments in his works containing immodest, by the standards of the 19th century, descriptions of scenes of an intimate nature. From today's art historical perspective, these episodes look quite decent and, in general, are justified by the plot. Moreover, this is not the main thing in the novels, novels and stories of this wonderful writer. The first place in importance is again occupied by relationships between people and such personal qualities as depravity, the ability to love, forgive and simply be happy. Like other famous French writers, Maupassant studies the human soul and identifies the necessary conditions for his freedom. He is tormented by the hypocrisy of “public opinion”, created precisely by those who themselves are by no means impeccable, but impose their ideas of decency on everyone.
For example, in the story “Golden Man” he describes the story of the touching love of a French soldier for a black resident of the colony. His happiness did not materialize; his relatives did not understand his feelings and were afraid of possible condemnation from their neighbors.
The writer's aphorisms about war are interesting, which he likens to a shipwreck, and which should be avoided by all world leaders with the same caution as ship captains avoid reefs. Maupassant shows observation by contrasting low self-esteem with excessive complacency, considering both of these qualities to be harmful.
Zola
The French writer Emile Zola shocked the readership no less, and perhaps much more. He willingly based the plot on the life of courtesans (“The Trap”, “Nana”), the inhabitants of the social bottom (“The Belly of Paris”), described in detail the hard life of coal miners (“Germinal”) and even the psychology of a murderous maniac (“The Beast Man” ). The general literary form chosen by the author is unusual.
He combined most of his works into a twenty-volume collection, collectively called Rougon-Macquart. With all the variety of subjects and expressive forms, it represents something unified that should be perceived as a whole. However, any of Zola’s novels can be read separately, and this will not make it any less interesting.
Jules Verne, science fiction writer
Another French writer, Jules Verne, does not need any special introduction; he became the founder of the genre, which later received the definition of “sci-fi”. What did this amazing storyteller not think of, who foresaw the emergence of nuclear submarines, torpedoes, lunar rockets and other modern attributes that became the property of mankind only in the twentieth century. Many of his fantasies today may seem naive, but the novels are easy to read, and this is their main advantage.
In addition, the plots of modern Hollywood blockbusters about dinosaurs resurrected from oblivion look much less plausible than the story of antediluvian dinosaurs that never went extinct on a single Latin American plateau, found by brave travelers (“The Lost World”). And the novel about how the Earth screamed from a merciless prick of a giant needle completely goes beyond genre boundaries, being perceived as a prophetic parable.
Hugo
The French writer Hugo is no less fascinating in his novels. His characters find themselves in a variety of circumstances, revealing bright personality traits. Even negative characters (for example, Javert from Les Misérables or Claude Frollo from Notre Dame) have a certain charm.
The historical component of the story is also important, from which the reader learns with ease and interest many useful facts, in particular about the circumstances of the French Revolution and Bonapartism in France. Jean Voljean from Les Miserables became the personification of simple-minded nobility and honesty.
Exupery
Modern French writers, and literary scholars include all the writers of the “Heminway-Fitzgerald” era as such, have also done a lot to make humanity wiser and kinder. The twentieth century did not spoil Europeans with peaceful decades, and memories of the Great War of 1914-1918 soon received a reminiscence in the form of another global tragedy.
The French writer Exupery, a romantic, creator of the unforgettable image of the Little Prince and a military pilot, did not remain aloof from the struggle of honest people around the world against fascism. The posthumous popularity of this writer in the USSR in the fifties and sixties could be the envy of many pop stars who performed songs, including those dedicated to his memory and his main character. And today, the thoughts expressed by a boy from another planet still call for kindness and responsibility for one’s actions.
Dumas, son and father
There were actually two of them, father and son, and both were wonderful French writers. Who doesn’t know the famous musketeers and their faithful friend D’Artagnan? Many film adaptations have glorified these characters, but none of them have been able to convey the charm of the literary source. The fate of the prisoner of the Chateau d'If will not leave anyone indifferent (“The Count of Monte Cristo”), and other works are very interesting. They will also be useful for young people whose personal development is just beginning; there are more than enough examples of true nobility in the novels of Dumas the Father.
As for the son, he also did not disgrace the famous surname. The novels “Doctor Servan”, “Three Strong Men” and other works clearly highlighted the peculiarities and bourgeois features of contemporary society, and “The Lady of the Camellias” not only enjoyed well-deserved reader success, but also inspired the Italian composer Verdi to write the opera “La Traviata”, it formed the basis of her libretto.
Simenon
Detective will always be one of the most read genres. The reader is interested in everything about it - who committed the crime, the motives, the evidence, and the inevitable exposure of the perpetrators. But there is a difference between detective and detective. One of the best writers of the modern era is, of course, Georges Simenon, the creator of the unforgettable image of the Parisian police commissioner Maigret. The artistic device itself is quite common in world literature; the image of a detective-intellectual with an indispensable feature of his appearance and recognizable behavior has been exploited more than once.
Simenon's Maigret differs from many of his “colleagues” in the kindness and sincerity characteristic of French literature. He is sometimes ready to meet halfway people who have stumbled and even (oh, horror!) to violate certain formal articles of the law, while still remaining faithful to it in the main thing, not in the letter, in its spirit (“And yet the hazel tree turns green”).
Simply a wonderful writer.
Gra
If we take a break from the past centuries and mentally return to modern times, then the French writer Cedric Gras, a great friend of our country, who dedicated two books to the Russian Far East and its inhabitants, deserves attention. Having seen many exotic regions of the planet, he became interested in Russia, lived in it for many years, learned the language, which undoubtedly helps him get to know the notorious “mysterious soul,” about which he is already finishing writing a third book on the same topic. Here Gra found something that, apparently, he lacked in his prosperous and comfortable homeland. He is attracted by a certain “strangeness” (from a European point of view) of the national character, the desire of men to be courageous, their recklessness and openness. For the Russian reader, the French writer Cedric Gras is interesting precisely because of this “look from the outside,” which is gradually becoming more and more ours.
Sartre
Perhaps there is no other French writer so close to the Russian heart. Much in his work is reminiscent of another great literary figure of all times and peoples - Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. Jean-Paul Sartre's first novel, Nausea (many consider it his best), affirmed the concept of freedom as an internal category, not subject to external circumstances, to which a person is doomed by the very fact of his birth.
The author's position was confirmed not only by his novels, essays and plays, but also by personal behavior demonstrating complete independence. A man of leftist views, he nevertheless criticized the policies of the USSR in the post-war period, which did not prevent him, in turn, from refusing the prestigious Nobel Prize, awarded for allegedly anti-Soviet publications. For the same reasons, he did not accept the Order of the Legion of Honor. Such a nonconformist deserves respect and attention; he is certainly worth reading.
Vive la France!
Many other outstanding French writers are not mentioned in the article, not because they are less deserving of love and attention. You can talk about them endlessly, enthusiastically and enthusiastically, but until the reader himself picks up the book and opens it, he does not fall under the spell of the wonderful lines, sharp thoughts, humor, sarcasm, light sadness and kindness emitted by the pages . There are no mediocre peoples, but there are, of course, outstanding ones who have made a special contribution to the world treasury of culture. For those who love Russian literature, it will be especially pleasant and useful to become familiar with the works of French authors.
