Category Archives: France

Suspended Sentences

Posted on April 25, 2015 by beckylindroos

Suspended Sentences by Patrick Modiano  (French) 2014 / 232 pages rating – 9.25 / three novellas (autobiographical) Called the “Marcel Proust of our time”,he won the 2014 Nobel Prize in Literature “for the art of memory with which he has evoked tvhe … Continue reading →

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Manon Lescaut

Posted on November 18, 2014 by beckylindroos

Manon Lescaut by Abbe Prévost 1731/ 174 pages (Kindle) rating 8 / classic French novel Manon Lescaut was written a full 100 years prior to The Red and the Black by Stendhal (1830),  but only another 50 years prior to The Ladies’ Paradise by Emil Zola.  Oh, … Continue reading →

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Capital in the 21st Century

Posted on May 3, 2014 by beckylindroos

Capital in the 21st Century by Thomas Piketty 2014 / 696 pages rating 10 (yes) / non-fiction – economics So what’s up with this new and very hot-selling economics book, “Capital in the 21st Century” by Thomas Piketty? Published in … Continue reading →

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Candide

Posted on April 25, 2014 by beckylindroos

Candide by Voltaire 1759/ 100 or so pages rating 10 / classic-satire The entire basis for this book is that a young man named Candide is taught by his Professor Pangloss that “this life is the best of all possible … Continue reading →

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The Ladies’ Paradise

Posted on April 19, 2014 by beckylindroos

The Ladies’ Paradise by Emile Zola 1883/ 480 pages rating 9.5  classic – French (Introduction, Notes and translation by Brian Nelson) Zola knew what he was talking about when he wrote page after page of busy and boisterous narrative about a … Continue reading →

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The Little Prince

Posted on August 3, 2013 by beckylindroos

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (French) 1943/112 pages rating 10/classic I have no idea how I missed this book,   but in deference to Saint-Exupery I felt really should read it.   It is his most famous work by a long … Continue reading →

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Wind, Sand and Stars

Posted on July 28, 2013 by beckylindroos

Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry  (French) 1939/103 pages rating:  6/classic I’m not a fan of this book – imo it’s not meant for women – the author likely would have thought his ideas would just confuse women.   … Continue reading →

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Swann’s Way

Posted on June 19, 2013 by beckylindroos

Swann’s Way Marcel Proust (France) 1913 in France (Lydia Davis trans – 1999)/468 pages Rating: 10 / Classic So, yes,  I re-read this truly excellent book for the third time and I must say it only gets better with each … Continue reading →

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HHhH

Posted on March 10, 2013 by beckylindroos

HHhH by Laurent Binet (tr. by Sam Taylor) historical fiction – WWII 2010 Fr / 2012 US / 336 Kindle Rating: 9.5 I suppose I should dislike this book if I’m to remain consistent with prior ideas,  but …  I … Continue reading →

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All Our Worldly Goods

Posted on January 12, 2013 by beckylindroos

All Our Worldly Goods by Irène Némirovsky  (France) 1947 / France / 264 pages rating: 8.5  / classic First a word about Némirovsky.  The 20th century French writer (novelist, journalist, refugee, Jewish-Catholic) was arrested by the occupying German forces in 1942 and died … Continue reading →

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The Count of Monte Cristo

Posted on December 27, 2012 by beckylindroos

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas – 1854 Read by John Lee –   47 hours (Oxford Edition – 1130 pages) Rating – 10  (they just don’t write them like this anymore) I enjoyed this book far far … Continue reading →

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Father Goriot

Posted on August 14, 2012 by beckylindroos

Father Goriot by Honore Balzac 1835 – Rating 10 Jean-Joachim Goriot, a widowed and retired wheat dealer who sold his business,  lives alone in a pension in Paris.  Since the death of his wife Father Goriot has doted on his … Continue reading →

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