French and Italian literature recommendations

[pooh bear]

I'm looking for some French and Italian books for my ds, 13 to read.

 

He’s read The Three Musketeers, finished The Count of Monte Cristo last week and his now reading Les Miserables. He wants to read more classic French novels, but apart from the ones he has already read I know nothing about French literature.

 

Some of the other books he has read this year are, Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, The Moonstone, The Pickwick Papers and Silas Marner. There are others, but that gives you an idea of what he likes to read.

 

He has also read some Jules Verne in past years, but these were not favorites of his.

 

He has not asked about Italian literature, but I thought I would ask about those whilst I was here.

 

So, what French and Italian novels would you recommend?

 

 

 

[regentrude]

Just to clarify: are you asking about literature for him to read in French, or French lit in an English translation?

[pooh bear]

French lit in English translation. 

[regentrude]

When I was a young teen, about your son's age, I loved historical novels, especially French. Some of my favorites were:

Victor Hugo: Notre Dame, Ninetythree

anything by Alexandre Dumas (Chevalier de Maison Rouge, Black Tulip)- not quite the caliber of Monte Christo, but adventurous too; your son might like these

Stendhal: The Charterhouse of Parma, The Red and the Black

 

From Balzac, I found La Peau de Chagrin (the magic leather) to be the easiest to read and good as a starter; it adds a fantastic element to the societal observations. I read some others, but could never really get into them.

 

I also liked anything by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, not just the Little Prince, but also Wind, Sand and Stars , Night Flight

 

 

 

 

[Jane in NC]

Perhaps he should consider Italo Calvino's short stories in collections like Cosmicomics and t zero.

[pooh bear]

When I was a young teen, about your son's age, I loved historical novels, especially French. Some of my favorites were:

Victor Hugo: Notre Dame, Ninetythree

anything by Alexandre Dumas (Chevalier de Maison Rouge, Black Tulip)- not quite the caliber of Monte Christo, but adventurous too; your son might like these

Stendhal: The Charterhouse of Parma, The Red and the Black

 

From Balzac, I found La Peau de Chagrin (the magic leather) to be the easiest to read and good as a starter; it adds a fantastic element to the societal observations. I read some others, but could never really get into them.

 

I also liked anything by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, not just the Little Prince, but also Wind, Sand and Stars , Night Flight

 

Thank you for the list.

 

I knew about Hugo's Notre Dame, but not Ninety-three.

 

After much searching I found La Peau de Chagrin. It's English title is The Wild Ass's Skin. I'll add that to his list.

 

And all the others will be added to the list, if I can find them in English translation.

[pooh bear]

Perhaps he should consider Italo Calvino's short stories in collections like Cosmicomics and t zero.

 

That is an author that I've not heard of before. I read a synopsis of those books on Amazon and they do seem like something my ds would be interested in.

 

Would Italo Calvino's other works be OK to read, or should we stick with the two collections you mentioned?

[Jane in NC]

That is an author that I've not heard of before. I read a synopsis of those books on Amazon and they do seem like something my ds would be interested in.

 

Would Italo Calvino's other works be OK to read, or should we stick with the two collections you mentioned?

 

I love Calvino's work!  My son read some of his Italian Folk Tales while in middle school.  Susan writes about If on a winter's night a traveler in The Well Educated Mind.  The Baron in the Trees is a great tale for adolescents--young man who rebels against his family by choosing to live in the treetops.

 

The stories mentioned previously are sci fi--again appealing to teens.

[Cleopatra]

Adding Emilé Zola to the 'must-read' list!  :001_smile:

[Joan in GE]

Here's a link to the works that the Swiss propose for high schoolers for the end of high school exam (Maturite - in French)

 

In case you don't know French, don't be alarmed - just scroll down the page and you'll see all the different

 

"Listes des oeuvres litteraire"

 

eg

for French

 

for Italian

 

they also have lists for German, Spanish, Russian

 

Vol de nuit - by St. Exupery is interesting - about mail carrying planes/pilots in the early days - ...(that's the author of The Little Prince)

 

ETA - since we're reading in French, I'm not sure of the English name in translation - perhaps "night flight"?

 

Joan

[pooh bear]

Adding Emilé Zola to the 'must-read' list!  :001_smile:

 

Do you have a particular one that you would recommend?

[pooh bear]

Here's a link to the works that the Swiss propose for high schoolers for the end of high school exam (Maturite - in French)

 

In case you don't know French, don't be alarmed - just scroll down the page and you'll see all the different

 

"Listes des oeuvres litteraire"

 

eg

for French

 

for Italian

 

they also have lists for German, Spanish, Russian

 

Vol de nuit - by St. Exupery is interesting - about mail carrying planes/pilots in the early days - ...(that's the author of The Little Prince)

 

ETA - since we're reading in French, I'm not sure of the English name in translation - perhaps "night flight"?

 

Joan

 

I've opened that page in Google Chrome and it translates the whole page. Lots of great books for me to look through and see if I can find English translations.

 

[Joan in GE]

I've opened that page in Google Chrome and it translates the whole page. Lots of great books for me to look through and see if I can find English translations.

 

 

I've thought of answering you many times when not online, so I'm sorry this has taken so long!....I would read the summaries on Wikipedia before buying them - some are very questionable...

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

Voltaire's Candide is usually appreciated by teens. Funny read, but at the same time, a harsh study of French society. 

 

Alexandre Dumas père:  Le comte de Monte Cristo (and many others)

Alexandre Dumas fils: La dame aux camélias

Paul Féval: Le bossu

Edmond Rostand: Cyrano de Bergerac

Stendhal: Le rouge et le noir