Reading French literature is a great way to improve your understanding of both the language and the culture. There are books for all levels--from beginner to the advanced French speaker. Here you will find some tips to help you read effectively as well as some of the best books for learning French for students at each level.
‍

Strategy for Reading in French

Reading in a new language presents challenges. The tendency is to want to read similarly to how you read in your native language, which means you have word for word understanding. The key is to change this mindset. You have to reprogram your sense of reading to be overall understanding, NOT trying to grasp the meaning of each individual word or do word-by-word translations.

The first mistake we all tend to make when trying to read in a new language is stopping to look up each word we don’t know. It can take 30 minutes to get through just one paragraph that way! And of course all meaning gets lost.I know it's hard to do, but just keep reading without stopping to find out the meaning of individual words. Read for context, for understanding, and to get the main idea.

Now there's nothing wrong with underlining the words you do not know and looking them up later. This will help build your vocabulary. It may also help you understand what you read on a deeper level when you find out the meaning of all of the words. But when reading the first pass, just read for overall meaning and context.
‍

Beginning Students - Learning French

As a beginner, you're reading to build vocabulary and work on comprehension. One of the best ways to make reading in French easier for you is starting with children’s books. Children’s books are typically written with easy words and have losts of repetition. This will help you memorize vocabulary and develop the skills needed to read for understanding. Some suggestion are:

• Am I small? Je suis petite, moi? by Philipp Winterberg. This is a bilingual book so you can read it in both French and English. This is a great way to learn French sentence structure!
• Un Deux Trois by Opal Dunn is a collection of nursery rhymes that will help you learn through rhyming and repetition.
• Le petit Nicolas created by René Goscinny and illustrated by Jean-Jacques Sempé is a French children’s book series.
  ‍

Another strategy is to read French translations of books you have already read in English. If you already know the plot and characters in a book, it will be easier to get a general understanding of what the French version is saying. You will learn new vocabulary and verb tenses. You can find anything from Dr. Seuss books to the Harry Potter series translated into French!

Finally, I would suggest reading something like Kaplan’s Candide by Voltaire. This version of Candide is specifically designed to build vocabulary. The text is all in French, but there are 700+ words that are in bold. The English translations can be found on the opposite page.

You can also explore poetry. Poetry can be tricky, but you can find many dual language poetry books for cheap. The Penguin Book of French Poetry 1820-1950 is a wonderful book to use, for example. I found my copy online for under $5. You could also try Introduction to French Poetry edited by Stanley Appelbaum.
‍

Intermediate Students - Getting to Know France

At the intermediate level you can really start to enjoy some wonderful literature. , you have a general understanding of the culture. You know that they like bread, cheese, and wine, and that they use the formal ‘vous’ more often than not while out in public. But after having read these works, you will have a much deeper understanding of l’esprit francais! Check out the following:

• Le Père Goriot by Honoré de Balzac. Balzac is one of France’s most prolific writers. He wrote over 100 books that became part of his Comédie humaine and this book explores the consequences of a father’s unconditional (and unrequited) love for his daughters.
• Les Fleurs du mal by Charles Baudelaire. Baudelaire is considered the king of French poetry. Les fleurs du mal is a collection of poetry that uses symbolism to deal with themes of decadence and the interdependence of opposites.
• La Gloire de mon père by Marcel Pagnol. Marcel Pagnol is a 20th century French author, filmmaker, and playwright. This autobiographical novel is set in Southern France.
• Globalia by Jean-Christophe Rufin. This sci-fi novel shows a French view of a dystopian future. I can’t say much more without spoilers.
• Soumission by Michel Houellebecq. Another sci-fi novel about a dystopian future France, this book deals with France’s politics.

If you want to learn about French culture, but you want to read in English, consider an English translation of a French classic. There is nothing wrong with wanting to read Les Misérables in English. Just make sure you are reading for the deeper cultural meanings in the book.
‍

Advanced Students - Moving into La francophonie

Arguably one of the coolest things about modern day French is the recognition and inclusion of French-speaking cultures other than just France. As an advanced French student, you become acutely aware of French culture. This is a good time to move into the wider French speaking world.

A great place to start is the continent of Africa. French is spoken in over half of the countries of Africa and this has produced a new wave of French literature. You will not only learn new words from other French dialects, but also learn the culture in the various countries of Africa. Here are some books to get you started:

• Une si longue lettre by Mariama Bâ. Miriama Bâ is a Senegalese writer. Une si longue lettre deals with the condition of women in Western Africa.
• Une vie de boy by F. Oyono. Ferdinand Oyono is a Cameroonian author, diplomat, and politician. This book follows the life of a houseboy who leaves his family to work for a Frenchman.
• L’Enfant de sable by Tahar Ben Jelloun. This Moroccan author tells the tales of a father living in a patriarchal society who only has daughters.
• La Jeune fille au balcon by Leïla Sebbar. Sebbar is from Algeria. This novel is about the terrorism paralyzing Algerians, as seen through the eyes of a young girl.
• L'Aventure ambiguë by Cheikh Hamidou Kane. Another Senegalese writer, Kane delves into the interactions between western and African cultures. It was published in 1961, only one year after Senegal gained its independence from France.
  ‍

Above all, remember that no matter what your level, the goal is to simply enjoy the process of reading in French. This will help pull you deeper into the language and culture, and ultimately help you on the path to fluency. You might also really benefit from and enjoy conversations about these books with a French tutor or with fellow students. Happy reading!