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(read by 180 members)
Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantes is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and becomes determined not only to escape but to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men...
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(read by 19 members)
Jean-Baptiste Clamence is a soul in turmoil. Over several drunken nights he regales a chance acquaintance with his story. From this successful former lawyer and seemingly model citizen a compelling, self-loathing catalogue of guilt, hypocrisy and alienation pours forth. "The Fall" (1956) is a brilliant portrayal of...
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(read by 2 members)
Set towards the end of the reign of Henry II of France, The Princesse de Cleves (1678) tells of the unspoken, unrequited love between the fair, noble Mme de Cleves, who is married to a loyal and faithful man, and the Duc de Nemours, a handsome man most female courtiers find irresistible. Warned by her mother...
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(read by 1 members)
Au Bonheur des Dames is the glittering Paris department store run by Octave Mouret. He has used charm and drive to become director of this mighty emporium, unscrupulously exploiting his young female staff and seducing his lady customers with luxurious displays of shimmering silks, satins, velvets and lace. Then...
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(read by 1 members)
Set in France, this is a novel of life under the July Monarchy. The hero, Lucien Leuwen, is expelled from the Ecole Polytechnique when suspected of harbouring Republican sympathies. This unfinished work, is one of the most important 19th century French political novels.
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When Meaulnes first arrives at the local school in Sologne, everyone is captivated by his good looks, daring and charisma. But when Meaulnes disappears for several days, and returns with tales of a strange party at a mysterious house and a beautiful girl hidden within it, he has been changed forever. In his...
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Emile Durkheim's "On Suicide" (1897) was a groundbreaking book in the field of sociology. Traditionally, suicide was thought to be a matter of purely individual despair but Durkheim recognized that the phenomenon had a social dimension. He believed that if anything can explain how individuals relate to society,...
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The Baron des Canolles is a man torn apart by the civil war that dominates mid-seventeenth century France. For while the naive Gascon soldier cares little for the politics behind the battles, he is torn apart by a deep passion for two powerful women on opposing sides of the war: Nanon de Lartigues, a keen supporter...
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Set in the taverns of Paris, this is perhaps the first classical tragedy of working-class people living in the slums of a city. "The Drinking Den" (1877) is part of the "Rougon-Macquart" series, a naturalistic history of two branches of a family traced through several generations. Zola's work was influenced by...
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This book presents a graphic account of the First World War from the perspective of the French trenches. It powerfully evokes the mundane degradations of trench life as well as the drama and trauma of military action, showing how ordinary men responded to one of the greatest horrors mankind has inflicted upon itself.
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Whether you are travelling first class or on a limited budget, this "Eyewitness Top 10" guide will lead you straight to the very best the Yucatan has to offer. Dozens of Top 10 lists - from the Top 10 diving reefs to the Top 10 festivals, nightclubs and resorts - provide the insider knowledge every visitor needs....
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Set at the height of the "tulipomania" that gripped Holland in 17th century, this is the story of Cornelius van Baerle, a humble grower whose sole desire is to grow the perfect specimen of the tulip negra. When his godfather is murdered, Cornelius finds himself caught up in the deadly politics of the time,...
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"Modern Times" brings together an extraordinary collection of Sartrean gems, many of which have never been translated into English before. From writings on food and sex to a mini portrait of his great friend and rival, Albert Camus, the volume contains an amazing sweep of thematically organised writing. Amidst the...
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Paris 1945-46. The war has finished and life has settled back into a semblance of normality, not least in Monsieur Albert's dressmaker's shop. Life appears to go on as normal here, but the pressers and machinists are survivors of the camps and for them life can never again be "normal".
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One of Balzac's "Scenes de la Vie Privee" within the "Comedie Humaine" sequence, this book describes the irresistible rise and fall of a perfume merchant in the Rue St Honore.
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French life has been reflected in the country's films from the silents of the Lumiere to the 1990s. With reference to the classics of French cinema (and many less well-known examples) the author shows how these films relate to the mood and experiences of the time when they were made.
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This book is a combination of references of over 200 films, with reviews, technical and cast credits, and follows themes in Italian cinema, seeing how they cope with both the international film market and the desire of film-makers to give an authentic picture of Italian life. The author looks at the ways Italian...
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