Prise de la Bastille by Jean-Pierre Houël
Source:Wikipedia
Today is a holiday here in France, marking the celebration of la fête nationale or as we know it in English Bastille Day, commemorating 14 July 1789 when the population fearing an attack by the royal military stormed the Bastille prison and released the many political prisoners in what became a symbol of the end to the rule of the monarchy and the beginning of independence.
There will be a military parade in the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris and here in Aix-en-Provence and most towns in France there will be organised displays of fireworks to commemorate.
To celebrate the National Holiday, I am following the initiative of Marina Sofia at Finding Time To Write to highlight some recently read and upcoming French reads, now available in English, here is my salmagundi of French Literature!
Click on the title to read the review and read to the end to find the definition of that tasty word for the day Salmagundi:
Two French Books I am looking forward to reading:
The Poisoning Angel by John Teule
translated by Melanie Florence
This book is actually to be published today 14 July 2014 and the author is a well-known name in French contemporary literature. In fact I have one of his books in French on the shelf already.
This one is based on a true but gruesome story of one of the most notorious serial poisoners that France has ever known and was described by the Sunday Telegraph as:
“a bawdy romp one minute, a gruesome tragedy the next. The writing is beautiful, witty, grisly and moving, and reeks of authenticity.”
Let’s hope all that comes off in translation.
The Vatican Cellars by André Gide
translated by Julian Evans
This book will be published in August 2014 to mark the centenary of the book’s first publication. It is set in the 1890’s around a group of ingenious fraudsters who claim that the Pope has been imprisoned and a false Pope enthroned in his place.
I haven’t read anything by this author, but he sounds like he caused quite a sensation with this novel and others, as he took it upon himself to explore morality in his work and was a major influence on the writing of Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1947 and one year after he died (in 1951) his works were placed on the Vatican’s list of banned books.
Three French Books I Read This Year:
Nagasaki by Eric Faye
translated by Emily Boyce
A short novella, based on a true story of an event that happened in Japan, that will make you check your fridge contents and ensure you lock the door at night.
The Foundling Boy by Michel Deon
translated by Julian Evans
Coming of age story of a young boy left as a baby on a doorstep, who grows up and has an insatiable need to travel and experience the world. The sequel soon to be translated into English as well.
The People In the Photo by Hélène Gestern
translated by Emily Boyce,Ros Schwartz
A wonderful epistolary novel about a young woman searching for answers about events in her mother’s life before she was born, a photo provides a clue to those she knew.
Two Great Books Set in France:
All the Light We Cannot See
by Anthony Doerr
Paris and Saint-Malo pre and during WWII following the lives of two children and their growth into adolescence, Marie-Laure who lost her sight at six and Werner who lost his parents and is raised in an orphanage. An excellent story that leads to the crossing of paths of these two characters and wonderfully evocative of place.
I Always Loved You
by Robin Oliveira
An insightful historical novel about the American painter Mary Cassatt, her life in late 1800’s Paris as she struggles to establish her name in the art world, enduring a life-long though fractious relationship with the impressionist painter and sculptor Edgar Degas.
Salmagundi:
- a mixed dish consisting usually of cubed poultry or fish, chopped meat, anchovies, eggs, onions, oil, etc., often served as a salad.
- any mixture or miscellany.
Bonne Fête!
Word by Word 
Great group of books, Claire. I read Gide’s The Immoralist when I was at university, but nothing else by him – though I’ve had his autobiographical book If It Die on my shelf for a while.
The novel about Mary Cassatt sounds particularly interesting.
I’ve noted some titles down to be read.
Enjoy the holiday!
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Interesting to hear you mention Gide Eric, I wasn’t aware of his work, but am intrigued. Did you enjoy The Immoralist?
Robin Oliveira writes excellent historical fiction, pity about the weak title, but a great book and insight into the artists lives and the influence of the salon on what was acceptable art at the time, the impressionists really were a pack of rebels!
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Enjoy the fireworks !!! 🇫🇷🇫🇷🎉
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Thank you, I will, have a perfect elevated but safe view from which to toast them!
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Some very tasty titles, here, Claire, and a cunning ploy to make us read to the end! Loved The People in the Photo and I think I already have I Always Loved You on my list thanks to your review. A very happy holiday to you!
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I am glad you enjoyed my word of the day and appropriately it originates from French 🙂 It was a last minute thought to add the definition, not a bad one either! I love the word, it reminds me a little of cornucopia 🙂
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I love novels about the art world so I shall definitely be adding the Oliveria to the list. Have a wonderful day.
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So do I Alex and this is a good one, and especially given it is about a woman artist, for whom it was that much more difficult to be recognised. I didn’t know much about Mary Cassatt before I read the book and really enjoyed it.
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A very enticing selection of books, Claire. I’ve had The People in the Photo on my list of possible purchases for a while now, and you’ve caught my attention with your description of The Vatican Cellars – I’m very keen to hear more about that one! I very much enjoyed Nagasaki; an unsettling read in more ways than one.
Enjoy the fireworks!
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Yes, the author of Vatican Cellars is an intriguing find and I am looking forward to reading the book, the perfect summer read!
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Thanks for the mention and for your excellent suggestions! And can I just say that I love the word ‘Salmagundi’ – we don’t hear it at all anymore…
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Wow, I love that you already knew the word, I have to admit I’d not heard of it, but I totally love it!
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OK, now I’m going to look like a total geek, but it was the name of a literary/satirical magazine founded by Washington Irving at the start of the 19th century – that’s where I knew it from. And the reason I know Washington Irving at all – he’s been largely forgotten outside the US – is because I was mesmerised by his Tales of the Alhambra after visiting Granada as a child.
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Lots of enticing books here, Claire.
I did not know July 14 was a National Holiday in France. Very interesting.
Thank you.
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Yes, a kind of French Independence Day or Bastille Day as we call it in English and an evening of fireworks here to commemorate.
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I’m interested in several of these! Thanks for sharing them with us.
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Thanks Jennie, French books don’t get too much publicity, and are a joy to discover, as are books that evoke certain places there. I hope you find a few to read 🙂
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Well — the last two books on your list are probably the top two for me (not that you were prioritizing). I’ve read short stories by Anthony Doerr, and there’s no escaping the attention being given to his latest novel. Robin Oliveira’s book is also in my TBR — I love the work of Mary Cassatt and Edgar Degas, not to mention the other artists that figure in what seems like a rich historical novel.
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Ah, they are the two that are written originally in English – so not actually French literature :), perhaps they evoke more of a sense of place and the authors know the things that English language readers like to read about in France – artists and writers living in Paris for example. You will love the Robin Oliveira book, she’s a wonderful writer and chooses really interesting subjects and characters..
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My pick would be Vatican Caves. André Gide, Nobel Prize 1947, established writer. Waiting for your review….
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Have you read any of his work? Sounds intriguing.
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I found a book by André Gide in my own little library! I must have bought it in a second-hand book store ( 3 euro’s) in 2012 when I started my reading challenge. Book is dated 1902, “L’Immoralliste”. I have no idea what to expect but the back cover reveals “une paire ciseaux …un coup engouffrer dans son burnous”. Pair of scissors plunged into a hooded cloak worn especially by Arabs. Now I’ll have to see what this is all about and let you know!
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Ooh, how interesting! That’s the book that Eric said he read during his studies, I do hope you read it, I am sure it will an interesting one to analyse.
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It’s on my ‘French to read list’. Time to discover yet another writer!
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I haven’t come across any of these but in keeping with Bastille Day, I did read a little bit from A Tale of Two Cities and thoroughly enjoyed the mountain climb on the Tour…I love those epic days where the peloton splits all over the place.
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Ooh, thanks for another new word – another that also derives from the French 🙂
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The coverage of the Tour de France teaches me valuable life skills, if I needed to be in a group of riders in France that is.
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I am sure they could be a metaphor for other things in life.
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Love the way you set this post up–French books you want to read and ones you read this year, and books set in France. I haven’t read any of these yet, but am adding a few to my TBR list, especially the ones by Gide and Faye. Nagasaki sounds so compelling. Bonne fête un peu en retard!
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Thanks Chris, I am glad you found a couple of titles that interest you, I am intrigued to read the André Gide book too, Nagasaki is an excellent thought-provoking novella. Thanks for commenting 🙂
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More intriguing reads for the tottering TBR tower! Friends of ours in Italy served a “Salmagundi Salad” as their luncheon specialty.
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Oh, I love that you are familiar with this word Patricia and have even indulged in a salmagundi. Bravo!
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Thanks including the titles from France for us to peruse (so glad you left out The Harry Quebert Affair which I loathed!). I have Nagasaki which I’m so anxious to read; when I bought it I thought it was going to fit my Japanese Literature Challenge, it may by theme, not author. I also have I Have Always Loved You. But, I must by All The Light You Cannot See which keeps popping up all over the place with great praise.
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