“They had wanted happiness, and they had wanted things.” Chapter 1: The Illusion of Desire The novel opens with Jérôme and Sylvie, a young Parisian couple in their […]
French literature
W, or the Memory of Childhood
“I remember that my mother had beautiful hands. But I don’t remember my mother.” Part I: The Alternating Narratives The book alternates between two distinct narratives: one autobiographical, […]
French literature
Life: A User’s Manual
“To write: to try meticulously to retain something, to cause something to survive; to wrest a few precise scraps from the void as it grows, to leave somewhere […]
French literature
Exercises in Style
“The same story told in ninety-nine different ways—that is the principle of this book.” Exercises in Style by Raymond Queneau is a groundbreaking literary experiment that retells a […]
French literature
Zazie in the Metro
“Doukipudonktan?” — Raymond Queneau, Zazie in the Metro Chapter 1: Arrival in Paris Zazie, a precocious and foul-mouthed young girl, arrives in Paris to stay with her uncle […]
French literature
The Suicide Shop
“Life is a gift. But what if you don’t want it?” Chapter 1: The Suicide Shop Opens The Tuvache family runs a peculiar shop in a dystopian, rain-soaked […]
French literature
Irène
“The dead don’t speak, but they do tell stories.” Chapter 1: The First Crime Scene Commandant Camille Verhoeven is called to a gruesome murder scene in Paris. A […]
French literature
Camille
“Justice is a luxury reserved for those who can afford it.” Part One The novel opens with Anne Forestier, a successful art dealer, being brutally attacked in her […]
French literature
Fatale
“She had no illusions. She knew that she was nothing but a killer.” Chapter 1: The Arrival Aimée Joubert, a cold and calculating professional killer, arrives in the […]
French literature
The Prone Gunman
“He was a professional. He had no illusions. He knew that sooner or later they would get him.” Chapter 1: The Return Martin Terrier, a disillusioned hitman, returns […]