Literature
What the French are Reading this Summer
Summer is the perfect time to pick up a new book. Be it a prize-winning novel or a beach read, this curated list of current popular titles is sure to include something for everyone. Most of these books are available on Amazon.com. Lireka provides an up-to-date list of French titles across multiple genres.
Prize Winners
Popular Fiction
La Maison vide by Laurent Mauvignier This multi-generational saga explores the themes of trauma, oppression, and family secrets. Winner of the Prix Goncourt.
Mon vrai nom est Elisabeth by Adèle Yon In this memoir/investigative story, Adèle Yon recounts the history of her great-grandmother who was institutionalized and lobotomized for schizophrenia in post-war France. Combining personal narrative, medical records, archival research, and family interviews, Yon explores ow mental illness impacts a family. Winner of the Grand Prix des Lectrices, Elle, non-fiction; Prix Essai France Télévisions; and Prix Littéraire de Novel Obs.
Toutes les vies by Rebeka Warrior This gripping autobiographical novel by French musician and author Rebeka Warrior examines love and grief. Winner of the Prix de Flore.
Je voulais vivre by Adélaïde de Clermont-Tonnerre Adélaïde de Clermont-Tonnerre’s novel turns the story of the Three Musketeers on its head by focusing on the character of Milady de Winter. De Clermont-Tonnerre introduces a feminist perspective to a well-known period in French history. Winner of the Prix Renaudot.
Kolkhoze by Emmanuel Carrère Emmanuel Carrère recounts the complex relationship he had with his mother, Hélène Carrère d’Encausse, an imminent historian. In the novel, Carrère explores the line between truth and fiction as he traces his family history from Russian aristocracy and to exile under the Soviet regime. Winner of the Prix Médicis.
D’autres printemps by Virginie Grimaldi This inter-generational novel tells the story of a grandmother and her grandmother who head to Italy to learn about the secrets from the past.
L’autre moi by Franck Thilliez Sibylle suffers from post-traumatic amnesia and is subject to nightmares after an accident that killed her son. She travels to secret military facility to be treated by a doctor who tries to help her and those she loves.
Un jour sans femme by Laetitia Colombani Inspired by the Icelandic women’s strike in 1975, this book imagines a world-wide strike against violence and inequality.
Tant mieux by Amélie Nothomb This novel takes place during World War II and examines the relationship between a mother and her daughter.
Le visage de la nuit by Cécile Coulon A modern interpretation of Beauty and the Beast, Coulon’s novel explores the relationship between a monster and an angel