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Product Description
Product Description
Originally written to entertain, move or chill, the eight short stories in this collection accompanied by parallel English translations now also help students gain deeper insights into French literature and life.
Arranged in approximate order of difficulty, the range of stories is wide, from the stylized wit of Raymond Queneau to the beautifully written ambiguities of Philippe Sollers, from Pierre Gascar’s exploration of childhood as a background to a tale of infidelity to Henri Thomas’s gentle, ironic look at war. All make wonderful reads in either language.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
33 of 33 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I'm in my first year of A Level French and found this incredibly helpful. The first story, the Beach is simple to read but wonderfully written. I'd recommend to start with that, even if you are buying the book particularly for another short story as it eases you in well. Obviously, the translations can be neither literally accurate, nor as beautifully written but I found the balance good - if I did not understand a bit the English could give me the general idea from which I could pick apart the French to improve my vocabulary.
A must if you want to improve your French reading skills!
A must if you want to improve your French reading skills!
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Worth it for the short story, "The Seven League Boots" by Marcel Ayme which I have been saving up to read, in the English, to my kids for years now.
The rest are ok, with the exception of Robbe-Grillet's "The Beach" which is outstanding.
As a language learning tool it works well, but the selection is self consciously "arty". (I have an ancient Bantam "dual langauge" with old French classics and the stories are riveting even if the langauge is a bit archaic.)
The rest are ok, with the exception of Robbe-Grillet's "The Beach" which is outstanding.
As a language learning tool it works well, but the selection is self consciously "arty". (I have an ancient Bantam "dual langauge" with old French classics and the stories are riveting even if the langauge is a bit archaic.)
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
My level of French is roughly just post-GCSE I guess, and I found all the stories accessible to my level of language acquisition. i am surprised how much vocabulary can be acquired this way. The most important element for me, is that it is my first introduction in getting a feel for how good, literary French is written, rather than the emphasis on buying train tickets, booking a hotel room, and filling the car with petrol! (All vital and crucial I hasten to add). This collection provides that important element that is missing from beginners' courses. Now that there is no longer any requirement for literature studies at "A" level, there is a huge gap in learning I feel here , a point at which this collection of short stories starts to fill the gap.
The translations have been very well done, in that if a certain word or phrase is not understood, then the translation appears at almost the same place on the opposite page, so easy to locate. To achieve this is no mean feat, when difficulties in translation, involving syntax, use of colloquialisms etc, could make it difficult to search quickly for the relevant passage in translation.
One point of advice to be in approaching the texts is not to be too pedantic about trying to translate everything in the stories. It is surprising how much can be appreciated by letting the language just flow. Read a paragraph or two and look up the odd word which can make everything else seem to fit. it is important to find a reading style that fits you, so don't feel overwhelmed if much does not seem to be initially understood.
Overall an inexpensive and invaluable introduction to well-written French that has "clout"
The translations have been very well done, in that if a certain word or phrase is not understood, then the translation appears at almost the same place on the opposite page, so easy to locate. To achieve this is no mean feat, when difficulties in translation, involving syntax, use of colloquialisms etc, could make it difficult to search quickly for the relevant passage in translation.
One point of advice to be in approaching the texts is not to be too pedantic about trying to translate everything in the stories. It is surprising how much can be appreciated by letting the language just flow. Read a paragraph or two and look up the odd word which can make everything else seem to fit. it is important to find a reading style that fits you, so don't feel overwhelmed if much does not seem to be initially understood.
Overall an inexpensive and invaluable introduction to well-written French that has "clout"
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