GET A GLIMPSE AT FOREIGN LITERATURE

In this list of books, I will mainly recommend you francophone books, but also some other great international books I had the pleasure to read.

Why this list? As a translator, I know that few foreign books are translated into English, and also that foreign books are not really advertised in the United States. IT IS A SHAME! When you read a book written by a foreign writer, sometimes (not always!) you get another point of view, you get to look at things differently… You travel through another state of mind through another culture.

This list is entirely based on my readings, so sometimes I will present an author with several books I have read, and sometimes just one book by one author. I will indicate the original title, try to include a short biography of the author, and also mention the number of pages.

BIENVENUE EN FRANCE!!!Madame de La Fayette (1634 – 1693)

This book is considered as the first modern French novel. It is a really well-written story of passion and virtue, with as a background the life at the court.

Comtesse de Ségur (1799 – 1874)A writer who accompanied my childhood, and the childhood of numerous French people. Her stories are intended mainly for children, but the quality of the language, and the stories by themselves are also entertaining adults.

Eugène Sue (1804–1857)

Eugène Sue is a French novelist. His most famous book is The Mysteries of Paris.The Mysteries of Paris were published as a feuilleton, published every week in a newspaper. It is a 1000-page book, which will delight you if you are interested in history. It is a fiction, but it gives quite a realistic image of Paris in the 19th century. Because it was published as a feuilleton, it contains a lot of twists and turns. It is also an engaged book as it denounces poverty, social conditions, etc. The only problem will be to find a good translation in English of this book.

Gaston Leroux (1868–1927)

Here are the two books by Leroux I’ve read and deeply enjoyed. Gaston Leroux has a talent: torturing his readers. If you are an impatient reader (unless you deeply like suffering), don’t go there.

Colette (1873 – 1954)What to say about that famous French writer? More than a writer, she was also a journalist (not that easy at her time). She is most well-known for her series of books called “Claudine”:

Claudine at School is the first one of the series. It is a really interesting reading (a description of French school at the beginning of the 20th century).

Joseph Kessel (1898 – 1979)From this really good writer, I deeply recommend The Lion, the story of a friendship between a little girl and a lion. Another book I recommend, especially if you like history, is The Man with the Miraculous Hands, the story of Himmler’s doctor.

Aymé Marcel (1902 – 1967)

The Man Who Walked through Walls is actually a book with different short stories, all entertaining. Do not expect down-to-earth stories, though. Most of them are fantastic.

Vercors (1902 – 1991)

The Silence of the Sea is a must read. A French family forced to host a German officer choose the silence as a way of resisting.

Eugène Ionesco (1909 – 1994)

In this book, I must say I preferred reading The Lesson. These two plays are a good introduction to the Theater of the Absurd.

Jean Anouilh (1910–1987)—Playwright

Contemporary rewriting of Antigone, a marvelous work!I deeply also recommend The Traveller Without Luggage. Gaston comes back from the 1st World War without any memory of his past, until several families recognize him. It is a really interesting play that invite to think.

Yves Bonnefoy (1923 -)

Here is a book of contemporary French poetry, which I plan to read again pretty soon. I read it for the first time at the age of 16, and I still keep some remembrance of it.

Françoise Sagan (1935 – 2004)Bonjour Tristesse (literally “Hello Sadness”) is now a classic of the French literature. It is a story of a teenager with a father who has numerous affairs, until the day he wants to remarry.

Daniel Pennac (1944 -)Daniel Pennac is well-know in France for his crazy series of books about Benjamin, a scapegoat. I would recommend any book of the series. You can read them in the order, or not (I have one or two left to read… among which the first one of the series):

For information, the name of the series is “La Saga Mallaussène.”

Daniel Pennac also wrote other books, among which an essay that will interest most readers:

Patrick Modiano (1945 -)—Nobel Prize

Patrick Modiano wrote mainly about the period around the two wars. Dora Bruder is a really nice book, about the writer’s quest to find anything he can on Dora Bruder, a young Jewish girl who ran away in 1942 from her school.

Pierre Péju (1946 -)

Here is an extremely sad, but beautiful read.

Jacques Tardi (1946 -)

Adele & the Beast is the first album of the graphic novel featuring Adèle Blanc-Sec. This is a graphic novel for adults, the plot is quite complicated, but quite interesting. The drawings are really well done.

Erik Orsenna (1947 -)A well-known French author with a seat at the French Academy! He is one of my favorite authors, and if your French is good enough, I encourage you to read his books in French. His books are generally quite short (around 200 pages).

The past few years, he’s been well known for his series of books about the language (mainly French), about the beauty of grammar, of the accents, of the musicality of the language, etc.:

Grammar is a sweet, gently song is actually the only book of the series that is translated into English… What a shame!

He also wrote historical novels:

The Indies Enterprise is about Christopher Columbus, and his brother. The narrator of the book is actually Christopher Columbus’s brother. (320 pages)

Here is a small biography of André Le Nôtre, the famous French gardener.

For the guitar lovers, here is History of the World in Nine Guitars. I keep quite a pleasant souvenir of the reading of this book (I will have to read it again, I think).

He just published another book this year in France about the life of Louis Pasteur. I just finished reading it, and it is really interesting! So, keep your eyes open for the translation. ;)

Jean Teulé (1953 -)Jean Teulé mainly writes historical fiction, but in his way, no place for academic accounts. He states the fact in a crude and contemporary language.

A true story of the mob killing of a man. Really violent. On Goodreads, it seems that some people criticized the translation…

The Suicide Shop is one of his few fiction. It is quite an optimistic book in spite of what the title may suggest…

Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt (1960 -)A prolific contemporary author. Here are some books I recommend:

The cover is actually from the movie Odette Toulemonde, which was shot before the writing of the novella… Interesting, isn’t it? Here are other books I recommend:

Bernard Werber (1961 -)For this writer, I’ll make an exception. I have read only one of his books, but it has unfortunately never been translated into English. The book I’ve read is Les Thanatonautes. A group of scientists decides to face death to see what comes after. The title pretty much means the “explorers of death.” Bernard Werber is a really interesting writer, since he’s been developing in France what is known as “philosophical science-fiction.” I invite you to read Empire of the Ants, since it seems to be his only work available in English.

Philippe Claudel (1962 -)

Leaving his country is not easy, especially when you are an old man. Philippe Claudel wrote a really touching story. It is a kind of story that stays with you a long time.

Delphine de Vigan (1966 -)

Here is what happens when a really clever young girl questions around about homelessness.

Joann Sfar (1971-)

I have read this graphic novel in French, and I will gladly read the other ones. A talking cat asking questions (sometimes awkward) about the Jewish religion, what a pleasant moment!

Shan Sa (1972 -)The Girl Who Played Go is the only book I’ve read by this author, but what a book! It is a love story with the war as a background.

BELGIUMAmélie Nothomb (1967 -)This is probably the best-known contemporary Belgium writer. I have read many of her books, and I still have a lot to read. She is a prolific writer. Her books have generally around 200 pages. Among the books I have read, I would say there are two types:

- The Autobiography Books:

These books are often really funny with awkward situations. Fear and Trembling is about working in a Japanese firm.The Character of Rain is about her early childhood.Tokyo Fiancée is a love story between her and a young Japanese man.

- The Fiction Books:

Antechrista is about a “friendship” gone wrong.Sulphuric Acid is a fiction about quite a disturbing new reality show with disturbing similarities with concentration camps.

CANADAGuy Delisle (1966 -) Guy Delisle is born in Quebec, and is married to a woman working for Médecins sans frontières (Doctors Without Borders).

Here is a travelogue by Guy Delisle. I know he wrote others, notably about North Korea, and I can’t wait to read other books by him. As you can see, it is a graphic novel, describing his own experience in Jerusalem. It is an interesting book, because Guy Delisle has no prejudice, he’s not taking sides. It would be fair to say that it is quite a good observation of the situation in Israel.

GERMANYHeinrich Böll (1917 – 1985)The Lost Honor of Katarina Blum is a must-read. Katarina becomes the target of the media, after her night spent with a criminal. It is for me one of the best books criticizing a certain type of media (which unfortunately seems to have become the norm).

Bernhard Schlink (1944 -)

The Reader is a contemporary story. An American movie based on the book has been made, but still I recommend the book.

HUNGARYAntal Szerb (1901 – 1945)

If you enjoyed Dracula, this book set in Great-Britain (Wales to be exact) is for you. Mysteries, a big castle, a weird atmosphere, what else to ask?

ITALY Luigi Pirandello (1867–1936)—Nobel Prize

A marvelous play! To read absolutely. Meaningful.

Elena Gianini Belotti (1929-)• Little Girls: Social Conditioning And Its Effects On The Stereotyped Role Of Women During Infancy Original title: Dalla parte delle bambinePage: around 200

Elena Gianini Belotti is Italian. This book has been written in the 70s and is quite an eye-opener. It reveals how education even at an early age can determine behavior. I would say it is a must read, which subject is still actual (unfortunately).

Umberto Eco (1932 -)How to do a part about Italy without evoking Umberto Eco. Unfortunately, I haven’t read his master works yet…

Some stories in this book did not seduce me much, but I must say that I really laughed at the one “How to Travel with a Salmon.”

If translation interests you, and that you are not afraid by technicality, this book is interesting:

Experiences in Translation

JAPANKobo Abe (1924 – 1993) I have read only one of his books which I recommend you to read.

This is a disturbing book about a man “prisoner” of a village invaded by sand. It is really well written, so well that sometimes I caught myself wanting to remove the imaginary sand from me…

MOROCCOTahar Ben Jelloun (1944 -)

A friendship story told by three different people. Really well-written.

RUSSIAN FEDERATIONChinghiz Aitmatov (1928 – 2008)

A beautiful love story, in a far unknown country, with a totally different culture. It is a short book, really well written. The French translation has been done by Louis Aragon, a really famous writer, I just hope the English translation will be as good. ;)

SWITZERLANDJoël Dicker (1985 -) He is a francophone writer from Switzerland. The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair is his first success. I really enjoyed reading this 600-page book. To sum up, we have a writer who has trouble writing his next book who stumbles upon a secret from his mentor. So there is a crime mystery to solve, but also a book to write. What seduced me the most in this book is its structure.

Just for information, another book, which is not really a sequel, but in which some characters are present, is probably going to be translated soon into English. It is said it is not as good as the other one, but well, I would like to read it anyway to make up my own opinion.