Off topic: Contemporary authors in French for my (heh) copious spare reading time? Thread poster: Anthony Baldwin
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Anthony Baldwin 
United States
Local time: 21:10
Portuguese to English
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Greetings.
Last week...or maybe the week before (I´ve been so loaded with work the last 3 weeks are a bit of a blur) I asked you, my illustrious colleagues, to recommend music in French, and your responses were overwhelming, and I am now enjoying quite a good number of both French and Canadian artists (my faves so far, are Benabar and Keren Ann). Thanks.
Now, on the few rare occassions when I actually have some spare time, I like to read books in my languages. Last ... See more Greetings.
Last week...or maybe the week before (I´ve been so loaded with work the last 3 weeks are a bit of a blur) I asked you, my illustrious colleagues, to recommend music in French, and your responses were overwhelming, and I am now enjoying quite a good number of both French and Canadian artists (my faves so far, are Benabar and Keren Ann). Thanks.
Now, on the few rare occassions when I actually have some spare time, I like to read books in my languages. Last year I read quite a few from Paul Coelho in Portuguese, lately I´ve been reading Gabriel García Marquez and a few other authors in Spanish...(Mostly Argentinean for some reason. Currently reading Hania Czajkowski, who, despite the Polish name, is from Argentina. The book: La Conspiración de los Alquimistas).
I like reading original authors in the particular language, rather than translations (not to disparage my colleagues who work in Literary translations, of course, but I enjoy taking a peak into the culture, too.)
Once again, I find my library lacking French authors. Now, I don´t want to read Sartre or Montaigne, or the other heavy, heavies that I read in my college courses...I mean contemporary authors.
So, for my literary tastes, I have enjoyed the above mentioned authors in Spanish and Portuguese.
In my own language, I enjoy Anne Rice, Robert Jordan, Dan Simmons, Tolkein, Dan Brown, Ashok Banker, Dean Koontz...Lotso Science Fiction and Fantasy, really, but I also enjoy crime thrillers, historical fiction, mysteries and conspiracy stuff (like Brown), and stories like those of Coelho and above mentioned Czajkowski about spiritual journeys,.
So, dear colleagues, can your recommend something for me to read in French?
(If you have other ideas for Brazilian or Portuguese authors, too. I have´t read anything from Portugal, yet. Or other authoris in Spanish from any country, even).
thanks in advance ▲ Collapse
| | | | | I am not French and he's not French | Jan 15, 2007 |
But I love reading his novels in French:-)
Yasmina Khadra
http://www.yasmina-khadra.com/
You might also enjoy Amélie Nothomb.
Cheers
Paola
| | | | Carlos Alvarez
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:10
Member (2005)
French to English
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| couple of suggestions | Jan 15, 2007 |
Jean-Christophe Grangé can be compared with Dan Brown when it comes to ridiculous plots and fast moving action. And Bernard Weber (I don't know if if have spelt his name correctly) is a best-selling science fiction writer.
Anthony Baldwin wrote:
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So, for my literary tastes, I have enjoyed the above mentioned authors in Spanish and Portuguese.
In my own language, I enjoy Anne Rice, Robert Jordan, Dan Simmons, Tolkein, Dan Brown, Ashok Banker, Dean Koontz...Lotso Science Fiction and Fantasy, really, but I also enjoy crime thrillers, historical fiction, mysteries and conspiracy stuff (like Brown), and stories like those of Coelho and above mentioned Czajkowski about spiritual journeys,.
So, dear colleagues, can your recommend something for me to read in French?
(If you have other ideas for Brazilian or Portuguese authors, too. I have´t read anything from Portugal, yet. Or other authoris in Spanish from any country, even).
thanks in advance
| | | | LuciaC
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:10
English to Italian
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| Tournier etc. | Jan 15, 2007 |
Dear Anthony,
I can suggest Michel Tournier (Vendredi ou les limbes du Pacifique) and Pierre Louys (Aphrodite) (hardly contemporary, I know, but worth reading).
Also worth mentioning are the novels of Arto Paasilinna in the French translation, and the novels of Milan Kundera, also in the French translation, revised by the author. Actually, if I remember correctly, his last was written directly in French.
And in case you had missed it, "The life of Pi" by Yann Martell is... See more Dear Anthony,
I can suggest Michel Tournier (Vendredi ou les limbes du Pacifique) and Pierre Louys (Aphrodite) (hardly contemporary, I know, but worth reading).
Also worth mentioning are the novels of Arto Paasilinna in the French translation, and the novels of Milan Kundera, also in the French translation, revised by the author. Actually, if I remember correctly, his last was written directly in French.
And in case you had missed it, "The life of Pi" by Yann Martell is an absolute gem.
Happy reading!
Giuliana ▲ Collapse
| | | | JulietteC
Local time: 03:10
English to French
| Amélie Nothomb | Jan 15, 2007 |
Amélie Nothomb, from Belgium. She is fantastic!
| | | | Arturo Mannino
Spain
Local time: 03:10
Member (2003)
English to Italian
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| Daniel Pennac | Jan 15, 2007 |
| | | | | slightly off topic, but have to concur with giuliana | Jan 16, 2007 |
Dr. Giuliana Criscuolo-Bruce wrote:
Dear Anthony,
I can suggest ... the novels of Milan Kundera, also in the French translation, revised by the author. Actually, if I remember correctly, his last was written directly in French.
And in case you had missed it, "The life of Pi" by Yann Martell is an absolute gem.
Happy reading!
Giuliana
Yes, I was looking at the English translation of Kundera's French offering, "Identity", at the library yesterday. He is a master.
I know it isn't French - but I can't recomend Life of Pi enough (or Yann Martel in general - see 'The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios'). I am in the middle of my second reading - it is truly a work of art.
I'll be good now and not talk about English literature-sorry
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Arturo Mannino wrote: Daniel Pennac
but in the right order, otherwise you won't understand anything:
1) Au bonheur des ogres
2) La fée carabine
3) La petite marchande de prose
4) Monsieur Malaussène.
Phantastic!
Also his books for children are nice!
| | | | JackieMcC
Local time: 03:10
French to English
| If you like Tolkein / fantasy | Jan 16, 2007 |
you might enjoy Jean-Louis Fetjaine. Particulary his Trilogie des Elfes:
La crépuscule des elfes
La nuit des elfes
L'heure des elfes
Bonne lecture !
Jackie
| | | | Isis34
France
Local time: 03:10
English to French
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Carlos Alvarez wrote:
...And Bernard Weber (I don't know if if have spelt his name correctly) is a best-selling science fiction writer.
The correct spelling is Bernard Werber.
My favourite one is "Les Thanatonautes".
But almost all of them are great.
Bonne lecture !
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