Slog News & Arts

Line Out

Music & Nightlife

« Tim Burgess Asks: What Shouldn... | Man Candy »

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Voolay Voo Cooshay Avec Mwah?

posted by on June 5 at 14:00 PM

I’m not sure why, exactly—though my ancestors are from there, I don’t speak the language, and I’ve never had much desire to travel there—but sometimes I go on huge French novel-reading jags. French writers have a sort of sensibility that I really, really admire. It’s impossible for me to articulate exactly what that sensibility is, though. I enjoy Michel Houellebecq’s antagonizing just as much as Raymond Queneau’s playfulness, and though the two don’t seem at all similar, I think that there’s a thread that connects them. Could it be their Frenchness? Who can say?

But if you’ve never read French fiction before, the Seattle Public Library’s blog has a lovely post up right now describing some of the greats and why you should read them. I’ve read most of the authors and books listed, although I’m excited to learn about the existence of a French mystery series by an author who goes by Fred Vargas. The prospect of a French policeman hunting down a French serial killer in a novel seems right up my alley.

RSS icon Comments

1

Sometimes the French like to end their books with the killer winning, just fair warning.

Posted by Will in Seattle | June 5, 2008 2:07 PM
2

Nice is nice. And going to the top of the Eiffel Tower, or even being under it, is worth all the crap you get from Parisians.

Posted by elswinger | June 5, 2008 2:13 PM
3

Have you read the Jean-Louis St-Cyr and Hermann Kohler Investigation series? The author isn't French, but the stories take place in France during WWII.

Posted by PopTart | June 5, 2008 2:56 PM
4

omg, paul, why isn't your face currently under my snatch?

Posted by Totally Inappropriate | June 5, 2008 3:28 PM
5

i prefer metis and demis writers from around the world. but french literature is very under appreciated.

Posted by Jiberish | June 5, 2008 4:58 PM
6

These comments are the perfect example of all Slog comments. We have, from end to beginning:
6) The troll, who doesn't seem to understand grammar
5) The response that seems benign on the surface but is actually trying to prove that the author of the comment is somehow better than the author of the post
4) The sexual comment, often by Mr. Poe
3) The rare and elusive helpful and non-threatening comment that has some value and makes a point
2) The sort-of random comment, usually stemming from a minor point of the post
1) The worthless (and, in this case, possibly spoiling) Will in Seattle comment.

Posted by Conchis | June 5, 2008 7:53 PM
7

@7 if only if i was better..lol...metis and demis are sometimes considered to be part of the francophone world and have a relatioship with france that is interesting. what i meant is that from french literature i really like the metis/demis voice.

Posted by Jiberish | June 5, 2008 8:47 PM
8

And yet, @7, if you read much French fiction (1), wrote it (2), or watched French films (3) not usually shown in the US, you'd realize I'm more right than most US readers will ever know.

1, 2, 3 - yes, it's true, I'm guilty of all 3.

Posted by Will in Seattle | June 6, 2008 1:03 AM
9

If you haven't read Philippe Djian, he is one of my favorites. I am pretty sure he is translated.
Also, Amelie Nothombes and Alexandre Jardin are great fun !

Posted by Dorothy ( from France) | June 6, 2008 4:41 AM
10

I would definitely recommend Fred Vargas. Her books are clever, original and real pageturners. My favourite so far is pars vite et reviens tard, no clue what it's called in English.

Posted by mimi | June 6, 2008 6:45 AM

Comments Closed

Comments are closed on this post.