Which classic French book should you read ?

The Dangerous Liaisons is an epistolary novel about la Marquise de Merteuil and le Vicomte de Valmont, and their devilish plans to ruin the life of the innocent Cécile Volanges by teaching her the sin of the flesh before her upcoming wedding with a notable man. It's considered as one of the greatest French novels, and you probably know the story thanks to the movie with John Malkovich and Glenn Close. If you have a thing for mean characters, this novel is for you. If you have a thing for innocent characters, this novel is for you. If you love relations based on physical attraction, this novel is for you. If you love relations based on love, this novel is for you. If you love a little bit of humor and some drama mixed in the same story, this novel is TOTALLY for you.

Even though it's considered as one of the greatest novels EVER, and Voltaire is seen as one of the most talented writers in France's history, Zadig is actually quite easy to read. It's, in fact, a criticism of Voltaire's society disguised in a children book. Zadig tells the story of a very wise man who has to use his intelligence to get himself out of many hard situations. If you like this book, then you can also read its "twin", also written by the great Voltaire : Candide, or All for the Best.

If you really are a book worm and want to read one of the greatest novels ever written in History, then take a look at Proust's masterpiece : In Search of Lost Time. It's one of the longuest novels ever written, and it is also considered as one of the most beautiful stories. And if it wasn't enough, Marcel Proust is seen as one of the greatest novelists. A veritable master of litterature. However, his book can only be read by good readers for it's full of details and little things. But still.

You like romance, you like drama... Madame Bovary is the book for you ! French students can surely tell you a lot about this novel for it's one of the most studied books in French high schools. Written by the famous Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary tells the story of a woman who's obsessed with the love stories she reads all the time (You might relate to her on this point) and who wants to live a romance as beautiful as the ones she saw in her books, dispite living a boring and unoriginal life. A true masterpiece of litterature, Madame Bovary is moving, well written, and has un certain je-ne-sais-quoi.

Some people say it's worthless to read translation of poetry. Kinda true in a way, but you might totally LOVE Baudelaire's universe ! The author in himself just make the volume only more beautiful and moving. A true tortured artist, in The Flowers of Evil, Baudelaire talks about pain, broken hearts, death, time, and his infamous "Baudelerian spleen". The book had been highly criticized by some people upon its release, mainly because of the poems with a strong sexual connotation. But now, it's considered as one of the most beautiful volumes of poetry ever written... Worth the read, totally !