I read Count of Monte Cristo this year. I never read Dumas, and I thought I'd give it 50 pages and probably not much more. I couldn't stop reading it. Utterly fantastic. Three Musketeers is now awaiting me on my to-read shelf.
Hello from France, this is an excellent introduction to french classics. I'm sure you will love les liaisons dangereuses, it's undoubtedly one of the best epistolary novels you can read. I love all of these books. I admit that Flaubert Madame Bovary and Maupassant's short novels are very good to start with french classics. Like you I love Victor Hugo, I have read all his books and my two favorites are les Misérables et L'homme qui rit.
Hi ! French here. If you like the Arthurian myths, I highly recommend you Le Conte du Graal by Chrétien de Troyes. It tells the story of Perceval and is believed to be the first Holy Grail story :)
My first French author that I read was Corneille, Le Cid, which my father gave me as a gift. At the moment, I finished reading Andromanca by Racine and I'm going to read Britannica by the same author. Greetings from a subscriber from Brazil ❤
I just finished Les Misèrables and although I struggled at times with the digressions, I cried so much at the end. I plan to read Zola next. Would be nice if you do a video of Notre-Dame. Thanks for your recommendations❤
Honore de Balzac's novel "PERE GORIOT" is a delight to read once Balzac departs from the narrative voice and allows the characters to speak for themselves.
Thank you for this list of recommendations! I love French literature and I also love beautiful and flowery writings. Looking forward to checking out these books.
I am so glad I found this channel. I love French literature. Guy de Maupassant, Camus, Balzac, Montaigne - some of my all time favourites. I have pledged that every other book I read in 2025 must be a French classic. My French is very basic, so I am reading in English and Norwegian. Just finished Candide by Voltaire and absolutely loved it! If any fellow Norwegians are reading this, I highly recommend "Nytten og gleden - fransk litteratur gjennom tusen år" by Aukrust, Uvsløkk and Kolderup, as well as Racines "Fedra" translated by Halldis Moren Vesaas.
The french literature and poetry are amazing : Victor hugo, Dumas, Balzac, Zola, Flaubert, Rabelais, Maupassant, Chateaubriant, Proust, Stendhal, Jules vernes, Camus, Céline, Molière, Racine, Jean de la fontaine, Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Verlaine etc. 😮
Thank you for this Emmelie! Your enthusiasm and knowledge are very encouraging. I've read a few of the books you have on your list and you've inspired me to try a few more! Also you are very fortunate to be able to read these books in French, it must be such an advantage. This has been a really good video, thanks so much! As always - Happy reading! 🙂📖
Thank you, that so kind! I'm glad I could inspire you to pick up some more novels. My first language is Dutch (Flemish), my second is French, yet my English is way better than my French. I can speak and understand French on a professional level, but reading Hugo or Balzac is way more difficult (old French). It's my goal to be able to read all of these novels in their original. I do read French authors in their original, but it takes me much longer to get through. When I pick up the English translation, I often re-read the chapters in their original French. :)
Very meaningful, interesting and useful video for me, thank you very much! I also want to say that you have a very nice sense of style and beauty. Therefore, I received both intellectual and aesthetic pleasure from your video. As I wrote to you before I feel that you are a very harmonious person. And you share your harmony with us. Therefore, I repeat, your videos are very pleasant to watch, they bring, at least for a few minutes, a pleasant harmony to life. This is exactly what I need, because now, just like yesterday, the day before yesterday and all the previous days, the air anxiety continues and it puts anxiety right in the soul. Your videos help to immerse for a few minutes in the interesting world of books. Thanks again and greetings from Ukraine!
I started with Old Goriot, after having noticed it in one of your videos I then chanced upon an old copy in a used bookstore. Excellent!! Felt at home in the story with all of the characters.
Thank you for this video. I took so many screenshots to look for these books. I would love to watch your videos going in depth on the Hunchback from Notre Dame. I can’t wait. 😊
Hello Emmelie! I hope you are doing well. What a great video! I really enjoyed it. I too love French authors and have read several of those mentioned and have so many other works of these authors on my TBR list. Someday I will get to them. I look forward to your next video! Have a great day!
I love so much your video, thank you for this panorama of French litterature! I’m French and you have read so much more iconic french classics than me… It encourages me to read more classics! My project for 2025 is to read Le Comte de Monte Cristo and Notre-Dame de Paris which are in my library for so many years... Among my favourite french classics I could advise you to read, there is Alfred de Musset (19th century) with his play On ne badine pas avec l’amour, for example, or his novel Confessions d’un enfant du siècle. I think its flourish writing could please you. And I could advise you also Marivaux (18e century) with, for example, his play La Surprise de l’amour (it’s an ennemies to lovers’ plot and I love the character of La Comtesse), this is not his most famous play but I love it! Finally, to give you a female French author I love, I could advise you Les Contes de fées of Madame d’Aulnoy (18th century). I was amazed by this reading and surprised by the modernity of certain tales. It’s so unfair that she is not as known as Charles Perrault.
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I appreciate your suggestions and will add them to my list! French literature is my favourite - you should be so proud of the authors of your country that are still so popular today! I'm glad you will be reading more of them and wish you a lot of fun :)
@@ProseAndPetticoats It is pretty funny. It is from back when the French were still having a good time. The Revolution spawned all the miserable authors she speaks of.
Fell in love with Balzac through père goriot but a lot of love and admiration for sarrasine - recently read the new NYRB translation of le lys dans la vallée and it was soooo pretty and lush no wonder every French author post Balzac (I see you Proust) was obsessed with him
My first French novel was Les Miserables, but not the full version because the full Arabic translation is hard to find but it is available. Instead, there is an abridged version of about 300 pages and I loved the novel very much, and I am excited to read the full novel.🔥
Hello, Very interesting video, and your French pronunciation is close to perfect. I understand for the Red and the Black, but I really enjoy La Chartreuse de Parme and was very disappointed to discover there is no certosa in Parma, Stendhal's travel journal in Italy is also brilliant. The title is Rome, Naple et Florence. Strangely enough he seems to have preferred Milan. You don't like to much poetry but Lamartine is first a great poet, and I would add also my favorite of the nineteenth century, Gérard de Nerval, in verse or in prose, he is a master. You can start with Les chimères and les Filles du Feu. I would not recommend Rimbault since I have never understood him but I like Mallarmé,. I did not understand either but I felt. I also wanted to add that Le Père Goriot is absolutely central in Balzac's Human Comedy, you will see essential characters like Vautrin and Rastignac,if you can pass the 20, or is it 40 pages of description of Paris. But since you've read Les Misérables, it shouldn't be a problem. Absolutely last, in your list of playwright, you should consider Marivaux and again Victor Hugo, and I almost forgot Albert de Musset On ne badine pas avec l'amour or Lorenzacio or in novel Les confessions d'un enfant du siecle. I am waiting for your next video.
These are very good suggestions indeed! I'm surprises to hear about the Black Tulip. It's one of my favourite Dumas books but it's not very well known. Here are some extra suggestions. For beginner Flaubert, I would recommend Salambôo. It's a very immersive historical novel set during the Punic wars. For Zola, I would start with Au Bonheur des Dames. It's absolutely delightful. If you want to give Jules Vernes a chance but are not into science fiction, try Michel Strogoff. It has no strange machines and no scientific jargon in it but a lot of action and also some romance.
I should try to finish Le Rouge et le Noir because it is a slow burn but the end is so worth it. I read it in high school and still remember it. Thank you for your others suggestions
Hi Emmelie! I will be coming back to this video to make sure I don't miss out on possibly interesting books, so thank you a lot! May I give some advice? Sometimes, when showing the book cover and pronouncing the title of the book and of the author, it is hard to understand what they are, since I have almost zero familiarity with French. So it would be best to have some kind of text pop up or something like that. In any case, thank you for this video! Take care and see you next week!
@@ProseAndPetticoats That would be much better, Emmelie 🙏. If you include “subtitles” you can’t see the book cover properly. When I don’t get something I simply amplify the image on the screen, so the clearer the better. Your French pronunciation is exquisite, btw ❤
I’ve read a classic french novel here and there but I have recently got obsessed with Émile Zola. Highly recommend The Assommor in the Oxford classic edition.
@@ProseAndPetticoats I did! I'm one of those crazy fans of the Les Mis musical. People don't like going with me because I'm singing pretty much the whole thing under my breath with the cast. I knew the book would be different. I did want to rip out my hair with all his sidetracks about the history of this street and that thing and on and on and on. But I knew ahead of time that's how he is, so I was expecting it. I'm not saying it was easy. But I'm glad I pushed through and I do want to read it again sometime.
loved this video! i am american and 19th century english lit is probably my favorite prose. i have read some of the french lit you highlight in this video (i’m currently about 3500 pages into in search of lost time). my question for you is how you would characterize french literature in comparison to english literature (of comparable time periods) in a brief/concise manner if possible. i’m not talking about the historical content associated with a particular country. i’m more interested in the “general” themes/styles. would love to know your opinion!
That's a difficult question. The thing I appreciate most about French lit is the lyrical prose, and the themes of passion, beauty, and tragedy. Good luck with Proust. I'm not a fan of the stream of consciousness writing style, but I hope you are enjoying it. :)
@@ProseAndPetticoats thank you for your reply. the proust is difficult for me but i am enjoying it! i am hoping to read les misarables next with your inspiration :)
I have no idea how good the translation is, but Musset's Lorenzaccio is one of my favourite plays ever (and also one of my favourite books). I think it has similar vibes to Hamlet in many ways. Corneille's Cinna is a lot less famous than Le Cid, but I personally like it a lot better. Plays are great for people who don't often read classics I think, because they're so short and something's always happening. Poetry is harder to read (and a lot more is lost in translations) but Marceline Desbordes-Valmore and Anna de Noailles have some really great poems.
The Count of Monte Cristo is now one of my top 10 favorite books! It’s amazing and never boring. Madame Bovary is one that I hated! I only read it once and need to reread.
Emmelie, i love French Literature! I started with Jules Verne, it's cool, but i consider Eugénie Grandet, by Balzac, my first French reading. My favorite French author is Marcel Proust.
Been reading Verne since I was a small child, I plan on branching out, any gothic supernatural french lit you'd recommend the tragedy of Faust is my favorite play if that helps understand my taste in stories
If you can read in French and if you like fantasy, i highly recommand Jean-Philippe Jaworsky's Gagner la guerre (no english translation available) : great book with rich vocabulary, for me Jaworski is the best French author in this genre ; he's a french literature teacher.
Sentimental Education by Flaubert is a masterpiece, to my mind a greater achievement than the more well known Madam Bovary. A panorama of the whole of Parisian society of his generation, beginning with a wonderful impressionist scene on a ferry boat, ending with .. I must not give it away, suffice to say, it was all a dream, a bubble in time that finally burst ...
I have always meant to read Zola but have yet to do so. I think 2025 will be the year. I have not read de Maupassant in years but I remember reading him and school and loving his short stories. There is just something he does in his stories that intrigues me. These are all great recommendations and I look forward to reading more of these books. The Count of Monte Cristo remains on top of the list for my book of the year. I have read Les Liaisons Dangereuses a couple of times and it has characters you love to hate. Such a fun and devious book! This was a great reference video and I have saved it for repeated viewing. Thank you!
I'm glad to hear you will be reading Zola in 2025! It makes me happy to hear you loved Les Liaisons so much - that makes me even more excited to dive into it! :)
I have read several authors in French (Hugo, Stendhal, and others) and I am not there yet. I find classic literature, especially Hugo, extremely difficult at my level of French (B2-C1), but it's my goal to be able to read as many of them in the original. I read the shorter works in French, but a 1000-page novel would be too difficult! :)
Have you read Flaubert's "Salammbô?" I would have a hard time picking a favorite among his big three, but, I often wonder why it is comparatively neglected. For readers who enjoy a sense of moment and adventure it would be a very good choice, and, I have to say, it would make a stunning film.
@@ProseAndPetticoats Not to go on too long, but, "Novembre," Flaubert's first attempt at a novel is worth the read. I don't know if it's been translated or how commonly available it is. He didn't intend for it to be published. I bought a copy at the house/infirmary where he grew up. Anyway, just a thought.
I also enjoy reading Julien Green, Francois Mauriac, and Georges Bernanos. Their novels may be more appealing to people of faith, but their depictions of the human condition are quite penetrating...
Great list but you are missing three major writers: Rabelais, Jean Genet, and Colette. Rabelais wrote the first great French novel - GARGANTUA AND PANTAGRUEL - and he was one of the major humanist figures of the Renaissance in France. Jean Genet was a brilliant underground avant garde novelist and playwright noted for his experiments with the Theatre of Cruelty and Theatre of the Absurd as well as his books dealing with underground transgressive experiences relating to sexuality and politics. OUR LADY OF THE FLOWERS, QUERELLE OF BREST, THE THIEF'S JOURNAL, PRISONER OF LOVE, and his plays THE MAIDS, THE BALCONY, and THE SCREENS are his best works. Colette was one of the greatest women writers in France during the early 20th century and she explored themes pertaining to married life and sexuality. Her CLAUDINE series is great as is her novel CHERI and the classic GIGI (later adapted into a legendary musical in the 50s by Alfred Jay Learner, which was in turn adapted into a brilliant musical film in 1958 by Vincente Minnelli).
@@chathanvemuri2625 Hello! Indeed, I haven't mentioned all French authors out there, but I'm glad to say that these three are on my list. :) I can't wait to read them.
There is a really good film version of a man who laughs! It came out in 1928. Same actor was also in the best film version of a Hunchback of Notre Dame in 1932.
@@ProseAndPetticoats Old film and old literature go hand in hand! Acting is certainly different in the silent era but the quality is probably unsurpassable.
I've never explored French literature (except Jules Verne back in my science fiction adventure phase), so this was extremely helpful and a great starting point for a beginner like me. I think I will start with Phantom. I eventually want to work up to The Count of MC. Did you read these in the original French?
@@roadrollerdio565 I have read parts in French of both novels. I would recommend the Penguin classics translations for sure! I'm glad this was helpful to you, and I wish you a lot of fun on this journey! You picked great ones to start with.
i would recommend the lais of marie de france which are rly great and very interesting, and also would be another woman to add to your list! i hope you can find some more in other ppls recs too, bc unless i counted incorrectly its a shame there's only two women.
Bonsoir, je suis grecque et j’adore la France, les française, la langue française, la musique et BIEN SÛR, la littérature française! Le count de Monte - Cristo et mon livre plus préféré dans le monde! J'ai un tatouage de Edmond Dantes - son épée avec des mots : "attendre et espérer". S'il te plaît, pardonne mes erreurs de langue. Merci beaucoup pour ce video magnifique. Subscribed 😊
Jesus, I just ran my comment throught chat gpt correction, to see how I did. It's horrible, so many mistakes, but I haven't exercised my French since 2009, when I passed DELF B2. Time to start some lessons I guess 😱
Hello! I do really enjoy watching your videos! I am new here, but I will probably stay for longer :D How many languages do you speak and at what level? You are Belgian, right? Your English is perfect, I guess your French the same? Thanks for your anwers in advance! :)
Welcome! I'm so happy to have you here and am looking forward to see you around. My first language is Flemish (Belgium), my second is French, but my English is better! :)
I just found your channel through les miserables and it's amazing! I'm wondering if you read any of them in french rather than english? How was it like for you if so? :)
I have read several authors in French (Hugo, Stendhal, and others) and I am not there yet. I find classic literature, especially Hugo, extremely difficult at my level of French (B2-C1), but it's my goal to be able to read as many of them in the original. I read the shorter works in French, but a 1000-page novel will be too difficult! :)
@@ProseAndPetticoats I see, that's still wonderful! You have totally made me get Notre-Dame de paris on my tbr, btw :) I always found it so cool that people could read the book in the original language, and you surely seem familiar enough with your languages to do so, hence my question.
*screams* I hope you will enjoy Notre-Dame. It's high time I make a video about that wonderful novel. Warning: it takes a long time for the story to get started ;)
Excellent revue, chapeau ! Merci. Est-ce que lire ce livres en francais ou anglais ? je suis lire et parle francais a DELF A2/B1 quelle est mon niveau. Anglais est mon premiere langue. Je essaye lire Les Miserables en francais et c'est trop longue a lire. Peut-etre, je devrais réessayer ? Merci pour votre les critiques - C'est si bon ! Peut-etre je devrais achete anglais et francaise de langue versions ensemble ?
Mon avis: commencez par des livres courts et des auteurs qui ne sont pas trop difficile (Hugo est difficile). Dans la première partie de ma vidéo, je parle d'auteurs assez faciles à lire. (Jules Verne, par example.) Bonne chance!
That's a difficult questions, especially because I don't know your reading experience. I don't think it can be measured in hours. What is it you wish to achieve? If you are a beginner in classic literature, I recommend checking out my beginner videos ;)
As a Portuguese American, I love French lit. Sorry, but English novels bore me, except the fantastic genre like Arthur Machen, Conan Doyle, Rider Haggard, H.G. Wells. By the way, Jules Verne rocks!🎸
You just helped me understand something. I love English novels, but get bored with drama, despair, injustice and misery. I think it truly is an ethnic/cultural difference, sort of like the telenovela style of Spanish TV vs the very dry, psychological British detective show. Vive la différence!
@@ProseAndPetticoats Yes! I LOVE Dostoevsky. Tolstoy not as much. I've read about half of Doestoevsky's books. My impression is that they still contain hope, no matter how much the characters fall short, unlike French literature.
In the middle of your video: I'm so confused! You didn't introduce yourself or where you are from. I'm American but I learned French years ago in France. It seems you can understand French, so why are you reading most of these books in an English translation? Maybe French is your native tongue; I can't place your accent as I am much more familiar with the Parisian accent. I have copies of The Three Musketeers, and The Count of Monte Cristo in French so it's clearly not a question of finding the originals; even public libraries have them in their original language. Also, where are you doing these videos from? From which country? Anyway, I love your haircolour but am puzzled; will watch to the end though.
Hello! I think subscibers would grow tired of such introductions haha. I get your confusion! Let me explain. I live in Belgium. My first language is Dutch (Flemish), my second is French, yet my English is way better than my French. I can speak and understand French on a professional level, but reading Hugo or Balzac is way more difficult (old French). It's my goal to be able to read all of these novels in their original. I do read French authors in their original, but it takes me much longer to get through. When I pick up the English translation, I often re-read the chapters in their original French. :)
@@ProseAndPetticoats Thank you many times over. That makes sense. I considered you might be Belgian but forgot about Flemish as possibly being someone's first language which is why I couldn't place your accent. I I neglected to say that I do have the Flaubert and Proust novels you mentioned at home (and a couple of Balzac ones) so I very much enjoyed your video; I've actually seen the smaller Dumas novel and you give good advice about maybe starting there ahead of his thicker work. At the moment, I am reading Camus' The Myth of Sisyphus but in French, (having already read The Stranger in French in France at university) and also reading French economist Pikkety and French philosopher Badiou in English (could not find these in English). I read a frightening amount of books at one time . I'm a man living in New York. I also am multilingual but am just in a French phase for now. You didn't;t say :where are you now? After I watched your video, I did see your page and found you talking about a Harvard Literature program. Is that where you are now? I am impressed with how you color tabbed your books but I don't know exactly what's it for or about?
Hi - maybe it wasn’t your intention, but that sounded a little harsh, don’t you think? Emmelie doesn’t have to justify herself… Would you like to be expected to explain why you do the things that you do in the way that you do? 😅
@@evalondon6845 I just wish you would mind your business as my note wasn't addressed to you. As you yourself stated, the woman making the video doesn't have to justify herself and neither do I; did you forget that? So bugger off.
I wish that there were no such long intro before EVERY book😢😢😢not possible to watch. Nobody cares what you wanted to, wish for, how you swallow your saliva 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️
This is a channel about books. I talk about them. I don't see the point of holding up books without explaining anything. It's always easy to spread negativity, but I believe we all gain more by lifting each other up.
@@ProseAndPetticoats Your channel is amazing. I discovered it recently, and I' m looking forward to watch as many videos as possible! Warm greetings from Greece!
I read Count of Monte Cristo this year. I never read Dumas, and I thought I'd give it 50 pages and probably not much more. I couldn't stop reading it. Utterly fantastic. Three Musketeers is now awaiting me on my to-read shelf.
Hello from France, this is an excellent introduction to french classics. I'm sure you will love les liaisons dangereuses, it's undoubtedly one of the best epistolary novels you can read.
I love all of these books. I admit that Flaubert Madame Bovary and Maupassant's short novels are very good to start with french classics.
Like you I love Victor Hugo, I have read all his books and my two favorites are les Misérables et L'homme qui rit.
That's amazing! I'm glad you love my recommendations :) Always lovely to have another Hugo lover in my comment section haha.
Hi ! French here. If you like the Arthurian myths, I highly recommend you Le Conte du Graal by Chrétien de Troyes. It tells the story of Perceval and is believed to be the first Holy Grail story :)
Thank you for the recommendation! Will be adding it to my list :)
I just started The Count of Monte Cristo
@@jaikrishnan870 A great novel! I hope you'll enjoy it 🥰
I just finished this and I miss it! Could have done another 1000 pages. Well worth the read.
Also Isn't Graziella also by Lamartine
THAT one i’ve read! woohoo! have fun
Good luck on your journey! One of the best books I've ever read.
Thanks for ushering us to french literature. Im hooked on french writers
Me too! You're welcome ;)
My first French author that I read was Corneille, Le Cid, which my father gave me as a gift. At the moment, I finished reading Andromanca by Racine and I'm going to read Britannica by the same author. Greetings from a subscriber from Brazil ❤
A book is extra special when someone has gifted it to you. Happy reading! I'm glad to have you here!
I just finished Les Misèrables and although I struggled at times with the digressions, I cried so much at the end. I plan to read Zola next. Would be nice if you do a video of Notre-Dame. Thanks for your recommendations❤
Aww I'm glad you enjoyed it so much! It always has me in tears.
I cried through the last 50 pages. It is nice to read that I wasn’t alone.
That wallpaper 😍
Super français...
I'm also a fan of French literature. Dangerous Liaisons is my favourite novel.
I can't wait to read it!
Honore de Balzac's novel "PERE GORIOT" is a delight to read once Balzac departs from the narrative voice and allows the characters to speak for themselves.
Thank you for this list of recommendations! I love French literature and I also love beautiful and flowery writings. Looking forward to checking out these books.
Wonderful!
Maupassant's short stories is a great starting point.
@@bhangrafan4480 Absolutely!
Thank you for making this. I feel like this is a topic I haven’t seen yet and have always wanted!
I'm so glad it was useful! :)
I am so glad I found this channel. I love French literature. Guy de Maupassant, Camus, Balzac, Montaigne - some of my all time favourites. I have pledged that every other book I read in 2025 must be a French classic. My French is very basic, so I am reading in English and Norwegian. Just finished Candide by Voltaire and absolutely loved it!
If any fellow Norwegians are reading this, I highly recommend "Nytten og gleden - fransk litteratur gjennom tusen år" by Aukrust, Uvsløkk and Kolderup, as well as Racines "Fedra" translated by Halldis Moren Vesaas.
What a beautiful goal. I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed Candide! Great one.
Thank you for your channel 💖
The french literature and poetry are amazing : Victor hugo, Dumas, Balzac, Zola, Flaubert, Rabelais, Maupassant, Chateaubriant, Proust, Stendhal, Jules vernes, Camus, Céline, Molière, Racine, Jean de la fontaine, Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Verlaine etc. 😮
Appreciate the effort you must have taken to produce the video.
Thank you for this Emmelie! Your enthusiasm and knowledge are very encouraging. I've read a few of the books you have on your list and you've inspired me to try a few more! Also you are very fortunate to be able to read these books in French, it must be such an advantage. This has been a really good video, thanks so much! As always - Happy reading! 🙂📖
Pretty sure she reads most of them in English.
Thank you, that so kind! I'm glad I could inspire you to pick up some more novels.
My first language is Dutch (Flemish), my second is French, yet my English is way better than my French. I can speak and understand French on a professional level, but reading Hugo or Balzac is way more difficult (old French). It's my goal to be able to read all of these novels in their original. I do read French authors in their original, but it takes me much longer to get through. When I pick up the English translation, I often re-read the chapters in their original French. :)
I'm glad you said that about Black Tulip. I tried it last year, but was really turned off by the first chapter. I will do research and try again.
@@noteworthyfiction I have a video on my channel that I think will be helpful! It'll spare you the work 😘
@ProseAndPetticoats perfect
Very meaningful, interesting and useful video for me, thank you very much!
I also want to say that you have a very nice sense of style and beauty.
Therefore, I received both intellectual and aesthetic pleasure from your video.
As I wrote to you before I feel that you are a very harmonious person. And you share your harmony with us.
Therefore, I repeat, your videos are very pleasant to watch, they bring, at least for a few minutes, a pleasant harmony to life.
This is exactly what I need, because now, just like yesterday, the day before yesterday and all the previous days, the air anxiety continues and it puts anxiety right in the soul.
Your videos help to immerse for a few minutes in the interesting world of books.
Thanks again and greetings from Ukraine!
Thank you so much. I'm glad my videos can bring you comfort and pleasure. Stay safe. 🤎
I started with Old Goriot, after having noticed it in one of your videos I then chanced upon an old copy in a used bookstore. Excellent!! Felt at home in the story with all of the characters.
Now I'm even more excited! ;)
I needed this, thank you!
Thank you for this video. I took so many screenshots to look for these books.
I would love to watch your videos going in depth on the Hunchback from Notre Dame. I can’t wait. 😊
Great to hear! Thank you so much for watching 🥰
Thank you so much for this video! I took notes, as I want to read more french literature next year 💡👏🏻🌷
Aww that's great! Thanks for watching 🥰
Hello Emmelie! I hope you are doing well. What a great video! I really enjoyed it. I too love French authors and have read several of those mentioned and have so many other works of these authors on my TBR list. Someday I will get to them. I look forward to your next video! Have a great day!
Thank you David 😍
I definitely recommend another XiXth Century classic: Le Bossu by Paul Feval. It will make you cry, it is sooo beautiful.
Thank you, I've added it to my list!
Glad this popped in my feed, I have read few to none of French lit; I bought in search of lost time and hope to read some other stuff first, thanks!
I love so much your video, thank you for this panorama of French litterature! I’m French and you have read so much more iconic french classics than me… It encourages me to read more classics! My project for 2025 is to read Le Comte de Monte Cristo and Notre-Dame de Paris which are in my library for so many years... Among my favourite french classics I could advise you to read, there is Alfred de Musset (19th century) with his play On ne badine pas avec l’amour, for example, or his novel Confessions d’un enfant du siècle. I think its flourish writing could please you. And I could advise you also Marivaux (18e century) with, for example, his play La Surprise de l’amour (it’s an ennemies to lovers’ plot and I love the character of La Comtesse), this is not his most famous play but I love it! Finally, to give you a female French author I love, I could advise you Les Contes de fées of Madame d’Aulnoy (18th century). I was amazed by this reading and surprised by the modernity of certain tales. It’s so unfair that she is not as known as Charles Perrault.
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I appreciate your suggestions and will add them to my list!
French literature is my favourite - you should be so proud of the authors of your country that are still so popular today! I'm glad you will be reading more of them and wish you a lot of fun :)
Stunning recommendations, gorgeous wallpaper and impeccable woman 🤓
Very timely upload, I just started Molière’s Tartuffe. Can’t wait to see what your recommendations are.
@@allesvergaengliche That's amazing! Have fun 🥰
@@ProseAndPetticoats It is pretty funny. It is from back when the French were still having a good time. The Revolution spawned all the miserable authors she speaks of.
Lafargue - Le droit à la paresse :)
One of my favourite texts of history
Thank you very much, Emmelie :)
Fell in love with Balzac through père goriot but a lot of love and admiration for sarrasine - recently read the new NYRB translation of le lys dans la vallée and it was soooo pretty and lush no wonder every French author post Balzac (I see you Proust) was obsessed with him
@@Derezzination That's amazing. Balzac is 👌🥰
@ 👌😮💨
My first French novel was Les Miserables, but not the full version because the full Arabic translation is hard to find but it is available. Instead, there is an abridged version of about 300 pages and I loved the novel very much, and I am excited to read the full novel.🔥
Hello,
Very interesting video, and your French pronunciation is close to perfect.
I understand for the Red and the Black, but I really enjoy La Chartreuse de Parme and was very disappointed to discover there is no certosa in Parma, Stendhal's travel journal in Italy is also brilliant. The title is Rome, Naple et Florence. Strangely enough he seems to have preferred Milan.
You don't like to much poetry but Lamartine is first a great poet, and I would add also my favorite of the nineteenth century, Gérard de Nerval, in verse or in prose, he is a master. You can start with Les chimères and les Filles du Feu.
I would not recommend Rimbault since I have never understood him but I like Mallarmé,. I did not understand either but I felt.
I also wanted to add that Le Père Goriot is absolutely central in Balzac's Human Comedy, you will see essential characters like Vautrin and Rastignac,if you can pass the 20, or is it 40 pages of description of Paris. But since you've read Les Misérables, it shouldn't be a problem.
Absolutely last, in your list of playwright, you should consider Marivaux and again Victor Hugo, and I almost forgot Albert de Musset On ne badine pas avec l'amour or Lorenzacio or in novel Les confessions d'un enfant du siecle.
I am waiting for your next video.
Thank you for your recommendations! I will be adding those who weren't on it to my personal reading list.
These are very good suggestions indeed! I'm surprises to hear about the Black Tulip. It's one of my favourite Dumas books but it's not very well known. Here are some extra suggestions. For beginner Flaubert, I would recommend Salambôo. It's a very immersive historical novel set during the Punic wars. For Zola, I would start with Au Bonheur des Dames. It's absolutely delightful. If you want to give Jules Vernes a chance but are not into science fiction, try Michel Strogoff. It has no strange machines and no scientific jargon in it but a lot of action and also some romance.
I should try to finish Le Rouge et le Noir because it is a slow burn but the end is so worth it. I read it in high school and still remember it.
Thank you for your others suggestions
Slow indeed 🤭 You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
Agreed on Balzac. The greatest of all!
Hi Emmelie!
I will be coming back to this video to make sure I don't miss out on possibly interesting books, so thank you a lot! May I give some advice? Sometimes, when showing the book cover and pronouncing the title of the book and of the author, it is hard to understand what they are, since I have almost zero familiarity with French. So it would be best to have some kind of text pop up or something like that. In any case, thank you for this video! Take care and see you next week!
That is great advice! That makes me remember that I was planning on listing all of the books in my comment section... I will be on it ;)
@ProseAndPetticoats Thank you so much!!
@@ProseAndPetticoats That would be much better, Emmelie 🙏. If you include “subtitles” you can’t see the book cover properly. When I don’t get something I simply amplify the image on the screen, so the clearer the better. Your French pronunciation is exquisite, btw ❤
Merci beaucoup 💖
Avec plaisir 😊
I’ve read a classic french novel here and there but I have recently got obsessed with Émile Zola.
Highly recommend The Assommor in the Oxford classic edition.
I can't wait to read it! Zola is amazing :)
I have read Les Misérables and really want to tackle Hunchback. I do want to learn about Notre Dame
Did you like Les Misérables? ;)
@@ProseAndPetticoats I did! I'm one of those crazy fans of the Les Mis musical. People don't like going with me because I'm singing pretty much the whole thing under my breath with the cast. I knew the book would be different. I did want to rip out my hair with all his sidetracks about the history of this street and that thing and on and on and on. But I knew ahead of time that's how he is, so I was expecting it. I'm not saying it was easy. But I'm glad I pushed through and I do want to read it again sometime.
loved this video! i am american and 19th century english lit is probably my favorite prose. i have read some of the french lit you highlight in this video (i’m currently about 3500 pages into in search of lost time). my question for you is how you would characterize french literature in comparison to english literature (of comparable time periods) in a brief/concise manner if possible. i’m not talking about the historical content associated with a particular country. i’m more interested in the “general” themes/styles. would love to know your opinion!
That's a difficult question. The thing I appreciate most about French lit is the lyrical prose, and the themes of passion, beauty, and tragedy.
Good luck with Proust. I'm not a fan of the stream of consciousness writing style, but I hope you are enjoying it. :)
@@ProseAndPetticoats thank you for your reply. the proust is difficult for me but i am enjoying it! i am hoping to read les misarables next with your inspiration :)
@josodoc1891 Oooh how exciting! Enjoy! We will be reading Les Mis with the book club next year 🥹
I have no idea how good the translation is, but Musset's Lorenzaccio is one of my favourite plays ever (and also one of my favourite books). I think it has similar vibes to Hamlet in many ways.
Corneille's Cinna is a lot less famous than Le Cid, but I personally like it a lot better.
Plays are great for people who don't often read classics I think, because they're so short and something's always happening.
Poetry is harder to read (and a lot more is lost in translations) but Marceline Desbordes-Valmore and Anna de Noailles have some really great poems.
Oh yes, I really struggle with poetry. However, I recently discovered Baudelaire's Poems in Prose, and I absolutely loved it. I must find more ;)
The Count of Monte Cristo is now one of my top 10 favorite books! It’s amazing and never boring. Madame Bovary is one that I hated! I only read it once and need to reread.
I can't wait to read Monte Cristo again - it's amazing. I'm sorry you hated Mme Bovary ;)
Emmelie, i love French Literature! I started with Jules Verne, it's cool, but i consider Eugénie Grandet, by Balzac, my first French reading. My favorite French author is Marcel Proust.
Hi Denise! Was Eugénie Grandet a good one to start with?
@ProseAndPetticoats Hi Emmelie! Yes, it was.
Good video👍🏼🤓 📚
Been reading Verne since I was a small child, I plan on branching out, any gothic supernatural french lit you'd recommend the tragedy of Faust is my favorite play if that helps understand my taste in stories
I'm afraid I can't help you with recommending gothic supernatural French stories like this. Perhaps you can find some advice online!
If you can read in French and if you like fantasy, i highly recommand Jean-Philippe Jaworsky's Gagner la guerre (no english translation available) : great book with rich vocabulary, for me Jaworski is the best French author in this genre ; he's a french literature teacher.
Thank you for the recommendation!
Sentimental Education by Flaubert is a masterpiece, to my mind a greater achievement than the more well known Madam Bovary. A panorama of the whole of Parisian society of his generation, beginning with a wonderful impressionist scene on a ferry boat, ending with .. I must not give it away, suffice to say, it was all a dream, a bubble in time that finally burst ...
I have always meant to read Zola but have yet to do so. I think 2025 will be the year. I have not read de Maupassant in years but I remember reading him and school and loving his short stories. There is just something he does in his stories that intrigues me. These are all great recommendations and I look forward to reading more of these books. The Count of Monte Cristo remains on top of the list for my book of the year. I have read Les Liaisons Dangereuses a couple of times and it has characters you love to hate. Such a fun and devious book! This was a great reference video and I have saved it for repeated viewing. Thank you!
I'm glad to hear you will be reading Zola in 2025! It makes me happy to hear you loved Les Liaisons so much - that makes me even more excited to dive into it! :)
Cyrano de Bergerac play should be on this list !
I'm so glad you mention him. I will add him to my TBR-list.
i just started "bonjour tristesse" by sagan! the title got me🤭
I see it was his first novel, published when he was only 18 years old. Happy reading!
@@ProseAndPetticoats It was written by Françoise Sagan; a woman.
@@Vyborne Ooh okay! In any case, I added it to my list :)
Eugenie Grandet is an easy read! Amazing book
I can't wait to read it!
Thank you for the great video :D Seeing how much you love French literature, I was wondering if you would read some of these books in French?
I have read several authors in French (Hugo, Stendhal, and others) and I am not there yet. I find classic literature, especially Hugo, extremely difficult at my level of French (B2-C1), but it's my goal to be able to read as many of them in the original. I read the shorter works in French, but a 1000-page novel would be too difficult! :)
Have you read Flaubert's "Salammbô?" I would have a hard time picking a favorite among his big three, but, I often wonder why it is comparatively neglected. For readers who enjoy a sense of moment and adventure it would be a very good choice, and, I have to say, it would make a stunning film.
Not yet, but I will get to it!
@@ProseAndPetticoats Not to go on too long, but, "Novembre," Flaubert's first attempt at a novel is worth the read. I don't know if it's been translated or how commonly available it is. He didn't intend for it to be published. I bought a copy at the house/infirmary where he grew up.
Anyway, just a thought.
I also enjoy reading Julien Green, Francois Mauriac, and Georges Bernanos. Their novels may be more appealing to people of faith, but their depictions of the human condition are quite penetrating...
Great list but you are missing three major writers: Rabelais, Jean Genet, and Colette.
Rabelais wrote the first great French novel - GARGANTUA AND PANTAGRUEL - and he was one of the major humanist figures of the Renaissance in France.
Jean Genet was a brilliant underground avant garde novelist and playwright noted for his experiments with the Theatre of Cruelty and Theatre of the Absurd as well as his books dealing with underground transgressive experiences relating to sexuality and politics. OUR LADY OF THE FLOWERS, QUERELLE OF BREST, THE THIEF'S JOURNAL, PRISONER OF LOVE, and his plays THE MAIDS, THE BALCONY, and THE SCREENS are his best works.
Colette was one of the greatest women writers in France during the early 20th century and she explored themes pertaining to married life and sexuality. Her CLAUDINE series is great as is her novel CHERI and the classic GIGI (later adapted into a legendary musical in the 50s by Alfred Jay Learner, which was in turn adapted into a brilliant musical film in 1958 by Vincente Minnelli).
@@chathanvemuri2625 Hello! Indeed, I haven't mentioned all French authors out there, but I'm glad to say that these three are on my list. :) I can't wait to read them.
Comprehensive ❤
Happy reading!
There is a really good film version of a man who laughs! It came out in 1928. Same actor was also in the best film version of a Hunchback of Notre Dame in 1932.
Indeed, there are old adaptations of those movies. I'd love to see some new ones - the acting then and now is so different (and the quality, too!)
@@ProseAndPetticoats Old film and old literature go hand in hand! Acting is certainly different in the silent era but the quality is probably unsurpassable.
I've never explored French literature (except Jules Verne back in my science fiction adventure phase), so this was extremely helpful and a great starting point for a beginner like me. I think I will start with Phantom. I eventually want to work up to The Count of MC. Did you read these in the original French?
@@roadrollerdio565 I have read parts in French of both novels. I would recommend the Penguin classics translations for sure!
I'm glad this was helpful to you, and I wish you a lot of fun on this journey! You picked great ones to start with.
Interesting never thought about reading a Classical french literature. i will prolly read Napoleon
i would recommend the lais of marie de france which are rly great and very interesting, and also would be another woman to add to your list! i hope you can find some more in other ppls recs too, bc unless i counted incorrectly its a shame there's only two women.
@@actual-spinster This is great! I've never heard of her, so thank you for letting me know 😍
Hello! What is your annotating system like?
I have a video on my channel (something called "how I annotate my books). Hope it helps!
Bonsoir, je suis grecque et j’adore la France, les française, la langue française, la musique et BIEN SÛR, la littérature française! Le count de Monte - Cristo et mon livre plus préféré dans le monde! J'ai un tatouage de Edmond Dantes - son épée avec des mots : "attendre et espérer".
S'il te plaît, pardonne mes erreurs de langue.
Merci beaucoup pour ce video magnifique. Subscribed 😊
Jesus, I just ran my comment throught chat gpt correction, to see how I did. It's horrible, so many mistakes, but I haven't exercised my French since 2009, when I passed DELF B2. Time to start some lessons I guess 😱
Aaah merci beaucoup! ça fait plaisir :) Monte-Cristo est magnifique...
Hello! I do really enjoy watching your videos! I am new here, but I will probably stay for longer :D How many languages do you speak and at what level? You are Belgian, right? Your English is perfect, I guess your French the same? Thanks for your anwers in advance! :)
Welcome! I'm so happy to have you here and am looking forward to see you around.
My first language is Flemish (Belgium), my second is French, but my English is better! :)
I just found your channel through les miserables and it's amazing! I'm wondering if you read any of them in french rather than english? How was it like for you if so? :)
I have read several authors in French (Hugo, Stendhal, and others) and I am not there yet. I find classic literature, especially Hugo, extremely difficult at my level of French (B2-C1), but it's my goal to be able to read as many of them in the original. I read the shorter works in French, but a 1000-page novel will be too difficult! :)
@@ProseAndPetticoats I see, that's still wonderful! You have totally made me get Notre-Dame de paris on my tbr, btw :) I always found it so cool that people could read the book in the original language, and you surely seem familiar enough with your languages to do so, hence my question.
*screams* I hope you will enjoy Notre-Dame. It's high time I make a video about that wonderful novel. Warning: it takes a long time for the story to get started ;)
Have you read, The Monk by Matthew Lewis ?
Not yet, but it's on my list!
No Colette?
By which author is this work written? I'd like to look it up :)
Excellent revue, chapeau ! Merci. Est-ce que lire ce livres en francais ou anglais ? je suis lire et parle francais a DELF A2/B1 quelle est mon niveau. Anglais est mon premiere langue. Je essaye lire Les Miserables en francais et c'est trop longue a lire. Peut-etre, je devrais réessayer ? Merci pour votre les critiques - C'est si bon ! Peut-etre je devrais achete anglais et francaise de langue versions ensemble ?
Mon avis: commencez par des livres courts et des auteurs qui ne sont pas trop difficile (Hugo est difficile). Dans la première partie de ma vidéo, je parle d'auteurs assez faciles à lire. (Jules Verne, par example.) Bonne chance!
Can I ask how many hours it takes to become a beginner? After what experiences should I start reading the first ones?
That's a difficult questions, especially because I don't know your reading experience. I don't think it can be measured in hours. What is it you wish to achieve? If you are a beginner in classic literature, I recommend checking out my beginner videos ;)
The problem with Le Rouge Et Le Noir is the translations, i'd recommend reading it in French to get the full Stendhal experience.
@@tawbalee I've actually read that one in French 🤭
❤❤❤
As a person who wants to get into french literature, is “la reine margot” by alexandre dumas(pere) a good pick?
Unfortunately, I haven't read that one yet. If it's the first novel in a series, I think you're good!
@ its the first of the valois trilogy, which spans through the french wars of religion
I love French literature very much. More than English language literature. Just like you.
@@nephytania Lovely to "meet" you! 😚
@@ProseAndPetticoats Lovely to meet you too.
i suggest to start with Candide as the gateway to french literature 😹 iykyk
@@maggyfrog Amazing work 🤎
As a Portuguese American, I love French lit. Sorry, but English novels bore me, except the fantastic genre like Arthur Machen, Conan Doyle, Rider Haggard, H.G. Wells. By the way, Jules Verne rocks!🎸
You just helped me understand something. I love English novels, but get bored with drama, despair, injustice and misery. I think it truly is an ethnic/cultural difference, sort of like the telenovela style of Spanish TV vs the very dry, psychological British detective show. Vive la différence!
Très bon accent ^^
Merci, ça me fait plaisir! 🥰
Jules Verne! LOL Around the world in eighty gentlemanly good humours. Lol...
Wow, in five words, passion, drama, loss, tragedy and a touch of horror. Something clearly went horribly wrong in France in the 18th century.
@@simonestreeter1518 Have you read Russian literature? 😭😂 Ah well, what is a book without drama and passion!
@@ProseAndPetticoats Yes! I LOVE Dostoevsky. Tolstoy not as much. I've read about half of Doestoevsky's books. My impression is that they still contain hope, no matter how much the characters fall short, unlike French literature.
@simonestreeter1518 I think French lit has so much hope in it. Just one example is Les Misérables 🥲
@@ProseAndPetticoats Ah bon. Je dois avouer de ne l'ai pas encore lu.
In the middle of your video: I'm so confused! You didn't introduce yourself or where you are from. I'm American but I learned French years ago in France. It seems you can understand French, so why are you reading most of these books in an English translation? Maybe French is your native tongue; I can't place your accent as I am much more familiar with the Parisian accent. I have copies of The Three Musketeers, and The Count of Monte Cristo in French so it's clearly not a question of finding the originals; even public libraries have them in their original language. Also, where are you doing these videos from? From which country? Anyway, I love your haircolour but am puzzled; will watch to the end though.
Hello! I think subscibers would grow tired of such introductions haha. I get your confusion! Let me explain.
I live in Belgium. My first language is Dutch (Flemish), my second is French, yet my English is way better than my French. I can speak and understand French on a professional level, but reading Hugo or Balzac is way more difficult (old French). It's my goal to be able to read all of these novels in their original. I do read French authors in their original, but it takes me much longer to get through. When I pick up the English translation, I often re-read the chapters in their original French. :)
@@ProseAndPetticoats Thank you many times over. That makes sense. I considered you might be Belgian but forgot about Flemish as possibly being someone's first language which is why I couldn't place your accent.
I
I neglected to say that I do have the Flaubert and Proust novels you mentioned at home (and a couple of Balzac ones) so I very much enjoyed your video; I've actually seen the smaller Dumas novel and you give good advice about maybe starting there ahead of his thicker work.
At the moment, I am reading Camus' The Myth of Sisyphus but in French, (having already read The Stranger in French in France at university) and also reading French economist Pikkety and French philosopher Badiou in English (could not find these in English). I read a frightening amount of books at one time
. I'm a man living in New York. I also am multilingual but am just in a French phase for now. You didn't;t say :where are you now? After I watched your video, I did see your page and found you talking about a Harvard Literature program. Is that where you are now? I am impressed with how you color tabbed your books but I don't know exactly what's it for or about?
Hi - maybe it wasn’t your intention, but that sounded a little harsh, don’t you think? Emmelie doesn’t have to justify herself… Would you like to be expected to explain why you do the things that you do in the way that you do? 😅
@@evalondon6845 I just wish you would mind your business as my note wasn't addressed to you. As you yourself stated, the woman making the video doesn't have to justify herself and neither do I; did you forget that? So bugger off.
@@evalondon6845 Oh back off and mind your own business.
Let me guess, we’ll see the hunchback of notre dame in this vid will we not? 😂
Of course! :D And many other novels haha.
I wish that there were no such long intro before EVERY book😢😢😢not possible to watch. Nobody cares what you wanted to, wish for, how you swallow your saliva 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️
This is a channel about books. I talk about them. I don't see the point of holding up books without explaining anything.
It's always easy to spread negativity, but I believe we all gain more by lifting each other up.
How rude.
Some of us actually do watch for the additional information and our favourite booktubers’ thoughts and opinions and that’s why we are here
@@ProseAndPetticoats Your channel is amazing. I discovered it recently, and I' m looking forward to watch as many videos as possible! Warm greetings from Greece!
@gms4635 Aww thank you so much 🥹
Bye 😂👋🏻