beautiful story even in french
930194
This french translation of the classic children's book "Charlotte's web" makes a nice, light reading in french. Great book for intermediate level students of french.
3616997
Wonderful story with truly beautiful language. The simplicity of style, yet with such vivid images and incredibly perfect words is really amazing.  I've recommended this book to many people and all have loved it
30030
I love a beautifully written book, and Rebecca Raisin has such a lovely way of intermingling beautiful writing with an enchanting storyline. The story itself is one that allows the main character to step out of her comfort zone in small town USA and into a challenging, often frustrating, yet enchanting life in Paris. Its wonderful to read a book that doesnt depend on violence or sex to sell it to the public. Again...loved it!
322407
I adore Becky's honest, charming and funny voice. Her adventures as an American living in France thoroughly entertain and "The Holy Eclair" gives a spiritual lens to her experience. Each chapter could read as a stand-alone devotional, or you can breeze through the whole book as a novel. No matter how you slice it, The Holy Eclair reminds the reader that God is in the details and people and nature and a presence to be enjoyed! Never preachy, always refreshingly real, full of gorgeous descriptions of la vie Francais, this book is a must-read for any Francophile, memoir fan or armchair traveler.  Her perspectives on saints will hang with me for a long time. A great sequel to "French by Heart!"
2023251
French was my major in high school and college and I am still a Francophile.  Reading this book brought back memories of the French novels of this period that I read during those years.  This story is about three sisters and their mother who live in the late 1800's and are very poor.  Their father has died and their mother is now an Absinthe addict.  She works long days and then drinks all evening until she falls into a drunken sleep.  The girls are left to fend on their own.  All of the sisters must work just to have enough food to eat and pay the rent.  There is a ballet theater nearby and the sisters all take free ballet lessons but the middle girl, Marie is driven to become a standout so she can earn money by dancing. She ends up modeling for Degas and meeting Zola which adds much interest to the book. This story gives a detailed description of the hopelessness that the poor people feel and what it is like just trying to live each day.  It reminds me of the books by Emile Zola that also show the other side of Paris and not the glamorous side  that most authors were writing about. The love among the sisters is strong and it gives them strength to endure.  A great historical novel.
1844626
Grard Depardieu and Gisle Casadesus portray their roles as Germain and Margueritte flawlessly.  This lovely French movie is based on the book "La Tte en friche" by Marie-Sabine Roger and first published in 2008, then released to English-reading audiences with the 2016 title "Soft in the Head."  The movie does not stray from the book.

The story is about Germain, an unwanted and unloved child borne from a one-night stand. He never learned to read and write properly, and his image as the village idiot wore on him so strongly that he never dared venture away from that.  He never knew his own potential until by chance he meets Margueritte in the town park, as she's reading a book while watching pigeons.  Pigeons are also a passion for Germain, who counts them and names them and can tell Margueritte each bird's personality.

Margueritte awakens in Germain a passion for learning.  Margueritte reads passages from Camus and encourages Germain to think about what he had read.  She treats him as her equal.  Both, afterall, are outcasts:  she for being too old, he for being a simpleton. A strong friendship develops.

The only difference between the book and this film is the younger portrayal of Germain's girlfriend Annette, portrayed by Sophie Guillemin.  She looks easily 30 years Germain's junior in this movie.

The movie, like the book, is shown in alternating flashbacks.  Germain's mother is not a very likeable women, but we don't understand why until the very end.  There's a nice twist here that is the real lesson of this movie, which I won't give away.  There is some cussing but no graphic sex scenes.

The entire movie is set in the French village of Pons in the Poitou-Charents regions of central-coastal France.
2375313
I read Tintin in french when I was a child. I am so surprised to see my kids enjoying it even translated in English.
4516643
"Le Grand Meaulnes" is, simply put, a beautiful novel. A friend recommended it to me recently, and after reading it once I know I will keep it to read over and over again. Alain-Fournier has written, with heartbreaking poignance, about a magical period between boyhood and manhood; a time that once gone can never be recaptured. The book's title has shifted over the years from "The Grand Meaulnes," to "The Wanderer," and then "The Lost Domain." Alain-Fournier writes about a boy who is called "Le Grand Meaulnes" by his friends and fellow schoolmates. What does "Grand" mean? The novel's translator writes: "No English adjective will convey all the shades of meaning that can be read into the simple word 'grand' which takes on overtones as the story progresses. 'Le Grand Meaulnes' can be 'the tall,' 'the big,' 'the almost-grown-up,' even 'the great Meaulnes' - or with schoolboys, even 'good old Meaulnes.' But when the book has been put down, that phrase evokes in retrospect the image of someone not only tall or big, but also daring, noble, tragic, fabulous." And Augustin Meaulnes is all those things - as he is also a wanderer, searching for a lost domain.
The tale is set in France in the late 1800s. Our narrator is Francois Seurel, the somewhat sheltered, adolescent son of Sainte-Agathe's secondary schoolmaster. A new border comes to the school, Augustin Meaulnes, bringing adventure and a breath of fresh air into Francois' peaceful, rather sedate life. The charismatic young man easily becomes the leader of the schoolboys and much admired by all.  He is definitely not flamboyant nor a show-off, but a rather quiet, serious and sometimes introspective young man. Yet he has tremendous imagination and leads the boys on childish exploits, "bold and dangerous." One day Meaulnes disappears on what the others believe is a seemingly harmless prank - an adventure. When he returns, 3 days later, he is forever changed. He becomes reclusive and obsessively works on a map he is making. He loses interest in everything and everyone, except for Francois, who has become his only confident.
The day Meaulnes disappeared from the schoolhouse, he became lost and disoriented. After an anxious overnight stop, in the middle of nowhere, he found himself in the midst of a grand and fantastic celebration in a forest clearing. The festival was held to celebrate the wedding of young Frantz de Galais and his beloved bride. At this feast, Augustin Meaulnes met the beautiful, gentle, mysterious Yvonne, Frantz' sister. Tragically, the wedding never took place, the party was disbanded, and Meaulnes, forced to take leave immediately, lost sight of Yvonne - his fairy-princess, his love dream of adolescence.
He returned to Sainte-Agathe but remained haunted by memories of the magic place, its trappings and most of all, Yvonne. Meaulnes' time was now almost exclusively spent trying to find his way back, but since he didn't know how he arrived at the domain, he didn't know how to return. Disconsolate, he wrote down everything he remembered about his trip and began his mapmaking. He promised Francois that he could accompany him when he finally makes his way back to the lost domain. Together the two friends attempt to retrace Meaulnes' footsteps. They journey together into the world of adulthood, trying to close the circle between what had been and what was yet to be.
Alain-Fournier's descriptive prose is exquisite. His narrative frequently reads like pure poetry, filled with magical imagery. I must say a few words here about Frank Davison's superb and faithful translation. Without Mr. Davison's work, I would not have been able to appreciate Fournier's prose. This story of friendship and love, of vows broken and vows kept, is one of the most original and unique books I have ever read. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
What makes this novel even more poignant is that the author was killed, at age 27, in the first actions of WWI. I was overwhelmed by sadness when I learned of this terrible loss. Alain-Fournier will always be remembered through his wonderful work.
JANA
4427985
Roger Roth's beautiful illustrations in The Giraffe That Walked to Paris are fantastic. He has caught the essence of Nancy Milton's very entertaining tale which is based on a true story. In a nutshell, the story is about the pasha of Egypt who, as a sign of friendship, gives the king of France a giraffe. The people of France had never seen a giraffe, and it's the cause for much excitement among the people, especially the king. My two young children, 8 and 10, love to hear me read it to them over and over again, and constantly point out some of the many details in the pictures that had been previously overlooked. A well written, entertaining story, and expertly illustrated!
785674
The book is so unique, the story is so touching and genuine. I love Little Prince as a character and I wish more people in U.S. would be introduce to this amazing story written by genius French writer/air pilot Antoine Exupery.
2309357
Kristin Espinasse's books are a great combination of storytelling and French learning. If you love France, are visiting France or learning French, these books are fun additions to your library. They are now my go-to gifts for anyone who is learning or visiting France. I also recommend her other two titles, but this one is my favorite to date. It is full of beautiful pictures and adorable graphics along with the French phrases. And there is a bonus French story at the end that I can't wait to use with my French students!
1537099
This story was somehow uplifting even though it is built around sadness.  The writing is both fierce and delicate, and the story, as told by the young son gives a view on the world that you would not see otherwise. Quite lovely.  And the movie adaptation was very well done, yet the words are more hauntingly lovely and hold you more.
2728928
Immediately went back to Amazon for more Pierre Lemaitre after finishing this book. Disappointed to find that apparently this is the only work available in English right now. The story is excellent--fascinating protagonist is a tiny little lawman with a complex approach to life and work. I skipped a couple of the more graphic sections, which were sadistic and gratuitous. But overall the characters and plot are engrossing. BTW, I was impressed with the quality of the translation. So well done you'd think the original was in English, but without losing the very French point of view.
849398
I'm such a huge Les Miz fan that I don't know how I would have felt about just the novel.  Reading the translator's intro notes is critical - the sections he chose to omit were not missed!  His use of language is beautiful.
4716283
I had purchased this for my nephew, as my son has a copy and loves it.
Brilliant story and beautiful execution.  The only problem was my nephew was sent the version in French.
I thought I ordered the version in English.  Since he had already opened it and looked through the pages, they did not return it.
I guess when I get around to it, I will need to send him another copy, this time the translated version in English of this classic book since he does not speak French, yet.
But someday he will . . . .
3312066
I read this book in French also and it was wonderful.  It is like a historical novel.
Rich characters,  good story line,  interesting, inspiring, and well researched.
281485
While not for everyone (I think you'd have to love the French way of life and have an appreciation for magic realism to really appreciate it), I am in love with this book. The language is luxurious and alluring, the characters are people I'd like to know, the journey through France (especially with the characters!) is a trip I'd love to take, and if there were a program to train me to become a literary apothecary, I'd apply at once! I rarely feel like I'd like to reread a book but this is one I would definitely read again and would hope to be transformed by, just as M. Perdu becomes found.