“The future is already here—it’s just not evenly distributed.” Part One: Daniel’s Story The novel begins with Daniel1, a successful but disillusioned comedian in his forties, living in […]
French literature
The Elegance of the Hedgehog
“We think we are passing time, but time is passing us.” Part One: The Elegance of the Hedgehog The novel alternates between the perspectives of two protagonists: Renée […]
French literature
Belle du Seigneur
“Love is a sickness full of woes, All remedies refusing.” Part One: The Diplomatic World The novel opens in Geneva during the 1930s, introducing Ariane, the beautiful and […]
French literature
The Book of My Mother
“I loved her, I loved her, I loved her, and now she is no more.” The Book of My Mother by Albert Cohen is a deeply personal and […]
French literature
Coup de Grâce
“The heart is a dark forest.” Chapter 1: The Setting and Introduction The novel opens in the aftermath of World War I, in the Baltic region where civil […]
French literature
Memoirs of Hadrian
“I have reached the age when life, for every man, is a defeat accepted.” Memoirs of Hadrian is a fictional autobiography of the Roman Emperor Hadrian, written as […]
French literature
A Certain Smile
“There are certain smiles that are worth more than all the happiness in the world.” Part One Dominique, a young Parisian law student, is in a comfortable but […]
French literature
Bonjour Tristesse
“This strange new feeling of mine, obsessing me by its sweet languor, is such that I am reluctant to name it. Could it be sadness?” Chapter 1 Cécile, […]
French literature
Hiroshima Mon Amour
“You saw nothing in Hiroshima. Nothing.” Hiroshima Mon Amour is a haunting exploration of memory, love, and trauma, structured as a dialogue between a French actress and a […]
French literature
Moderato Cantabile
“She was there, in the café, waiting for him, as she had been every day for the past week.” Chapter 1 The novel opens with Anne Desbaresdes, a […]