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/lit/ - Literature

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10717883 No.10717883 [Reply] [Original]

I'm searching for some literature by French and about France. I want to know more about French history or the development of its modern culture. Any recommendations?

>> No.10717911

>>10717883
Michael de Montaigne

>> No.10717912

Blacked.com is a fantastic source for what you're looking for.

>> No.10717914

Les mis is dope

>> No.10717940

>>10717911
>Michael de Montaigne
not so much interested in philosophy, more historical

>>10717914
and I thought about this, I may check it out as a starting point

>> No.10717967

>>10717940
Check out the section about Waterloo. It has nothing to do with the rest of the novel so there are no spoilers and it is comfy as fuck.

>> No.10717980

>>10717940
Montaigne influenced how the French think. You will get a lot about their culture if you read him.

>> No.10718011

Bainville.

>> No.10718026

>>10717980
any particular works that you recommend?

>> No.10718370

>>10718026
Try the only thing he ever wrote, then you can move on to his other stuff

>> No.10718387

>>10717883
Jules michelet wrote a lot about france history.
More generally a lot of french author of the 19th century are very political

>> No.10718448

>>10717883
Marc Levy or Guillaume Musso

>> No.10718518

>>10717911
Michel plz. The Thoughts are great work but it's basically an old man in a tower writing about his life and readings.

Michelet and Bainville are historians, the first socialist, the second royalist, I'm not historian but they are a bit outdated...

Do you want history or litterature with historical context?

>> No.10718835

Victor Hugo. He would dedicate whole chapters to the historical importance of the real life locations his stories took place in. In les mis he goes on great detail about the battle of waterloo, the revolution, even spends two chapters talking about the sewer system of paris

>> No.10718838
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10718838

>>10718518
Yes, Michel. Phoneposting here.

It might be a dude writing in his tower, but his influence can't be ignored. I mean, what are French postmodernists if not random dudes sitting in their ivory towers writing about their lives and readings? ;}

>> No.10718956

>>10718370
good call

>>10718518
probably literature with a historical perspective would be preferred. I'm thinking Les Miserables

>> No.10719337

>>10717883
Emile Zola and other realists are a go to if you want to read about 19th century France. He wrote his novels like documentaries.

For something more recent read "L'Histoire Mondiale de la France" by Patrick Boucheron. It's a good book for beginners that covers the entirety of french history. But I think it's not translated.

>> No.10719346

>>10718835
You forgot about the entire chapter on Argot, the French convent system, the very concept of revolution, and the street rats.

>> No.10719350

>>10717883
Here's a Yale course on modern France, it's basic and I found it a good series on understanding France today. It's something easy to digest while you look for historical books, I downloaded it as a podcast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vK73R51rwU&list=PLE653BF062C136B62

The professor is a lefty but he shares some personal stories that help the subjects being less dry and monotone.

>> No.10719414

>>10719346
>tfw you will never be a 19th century Parisian gamin

>> No.10719968

>>10718387
For what was asked for, this.

>> No.10720330

>>10717883
For 18th century France read Le Parfum

>> No.10720492

>>10719346
I liked when he went on about the spaniards being over zealous fanatics

>> No.10720853

>>10717883
Jacques Bainville

don't think he's been translated into english though, best history of France