Ready to move on from “Le Petit Prince,” but not “Les Misérables”?
Choosing the correct French-language book can be difficult, especially for intermediate French students.
However, once you’ve progressed past the beginner level, gained a substantial amount of vocabulary, and are comfortable with French grammar, you’ll be able to purchase intermediate-level books that will not only improve your French but also make you feel accomplished with what you’ve already accomplished.
Addicting French Novels
If Those who want to be fluent in the French language should enroll in the best French language classes.
Many entertaining, engaging French books are created for the general public that appeals to French readers of all levels, especially intermediate learners.
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“The Ant Trilogy”
You’re probably wondering why I’d want to read a book on ants. Let me comfort you: the author, Bernard Werber, is a master at weaving a compelling tale together in an accessible manner. Before you know it, you’ll be obsessed with this ant empire.
This series consists of three books: “Les Fourmis” (English: “Empire of the Ants”), “Le Jour des Fourmis” (English: “The Day of the Ants”), and “La Révolution des Fourmis” (English: “The Revolution of the Ants”).
Since its first publication in 1991, the book has sold over two million copies and has been translated into over 30 languages.
Werber employs a lot of dialogue, which is excellent practice for following French conversation. The plot is compelling, and the language and vocabulary are simple to comprehend, even for low-level intermediate speakers. The narrative is set in the current day and depicts two worlds: one of the humans and one of the ants.
The primary protagonists are a male human and a female ant. When the human receives a house and a mysterious letter from his uncle, he walks into the cellar to investigate—and never returns. When others try to follow him, they vanish as well. Simultaneously, the ant is on a foraging trip damaged by an unknown source, and she suspects another ant colony is attempting to eliminate them.
However, these two universes will ultimately collide, and you’ll have to read the series to find out.
Mr. Werber is a prevalent science fiction author with many other novels that have been incredibly successful and have a writing style comparable to “The Ant Trilogy.”
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“The Elegance of the Hedgehog”
I’m picking up on a trend…an animal motif!
The primary protagonists are simply humans this time. Muriel Barbery’s book has two narrators: Renee, a middle-aged concierge in a Parisian building, and Paloma, a small girl who lives in one of the building’s flats. These two opposites have a common problem: they are both very bright people who hide their abilities and interests to be accepted.
The narrative is narrated from the perspectives of both narrators, who, unusually, do not meet until an unforeseen incident pulls them together.
After its first release in 2006, the book earned widespread acclaim and remained one of the most cherished French books. This work is for fans of philosophy and art who adore books with strong characters.
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“Viviane Elisabeth Fauville” (“Viviane: a Novel”)
Julia Deck’s brief but fascinating psychological thriller follows a newly divorced young mother as she struggles to establish a new life.
She had just moved out of the flat she shared with her husband and into her apartment with her newborn daughter in Paris. What begins as a straightforward first-person narrative becomes a weird enigma when Viviane stabs her therapist with a knife she received as a wedding gift. Soon later, the cops began their investigation.
Though narrated solely from Viviane’s point of view, the work employs a variety of pronouns, ranging from Je (I) to tu (informal “you”) to Vous (formal “you”) to on (we).
Because the narrator swaps pronouns frequently, this work is excellent for learning subject-verb agreement detection and understanding. Ms. Deck employs simple language, so it’s not a challenging read, but the pronoun swaps require close attention. On the other hand, the tale is addictive, and Viviane’s personality draws the reader into her impetuous murder and its ramifications.
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“Wash This Blood Clean from My Hand”
The story “Wash This Blood Clean from My Hand” is from author Fred Vargas’ Commissaire Adamsberg series. The major figure is commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg.
This narrative revolves around a mysterious weapon—a trident—and a spate of murderers who can’t remember what they did after losing consciousness the night of each crime. Commissaire Adamsberg believes all of these deaths are connected to one individual, Adamsberg’s brother was allegedly falsely accused by someone years ago. This is not the first time it has happened., Adamsberg sets out to find the perpetrator and solve the situation.
For this chilling narrative, crime author Fred Vargas earned the Crime Writers‘ Association Duncan Lawrie International Dagger. She has already received the prize for two previous novels. Her lovely style and skillful storytelling are a gem for everyone who enjoys a good mystery and fine writing.
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“The Apocalypse Starts Today”
Jean Yanne wrote it in 1977, telling the story of a guy named Robin Cruso who finds himself in a world where vehicles have supplanted all other modes of transportation, including walking, and people only survive underground.
As more and more automobiles enter the Earth, the planet becomes a massive traffic jam effectively, and Robin gets sick of it. He gets out of his auto to try to halt the Grand.
Cerveau (The Supreme Mind) governs civilization and his Grand Dessein (Ultimate Plan).
Yanne’s writing is straightforward and appealing. Robin is a lovable guy striving to restore order to his wild, out-of-control world, and it’s difficult not to want to know how the narrative ends.
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