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Dec 7, 2022

5 French books to read at least once in your life.






What are the major French literary books?



There are albums to listen to at least once in your life, movies to see absolutely, castles to visit imperatively in the four corners of the world... and the books that you absolutely must have read.

These are classics, must-reads, masterpieces. Books that could change your life, or give you a taste for reading.

They speak of love or friendship, of self-construction, of meeting others, they evoke society from a different perspective, they call for reflection, they entertain intelligently, but above all: these books are signed by strong and beautiful writers who leave their mark.


French literature and Quartier Libre are intimately linked. Each model is inspired by a major work of French literature highlighting a strong, sensitive, playful woman with a free spirit.



Discover the 5 major works that contributed to the development of the iconic models of Quartier Libre:



"Dangerous Liaisons" de Pierre Choderlos de Laclos

In the game of libertinage, the adorable Valmont and the delicious Madame de Merteuil engage in a friendly yet fierce competition: it is to the one who will have the most gallant success, and the least scruples. It doesn't matter what the feelings are, only the enjoyment counts. One conquest follows another, until Valmont meets the epitome of virtue: the President de Tourvel. She is beautiful, gentle, married and chaste: in a word, untouchable. Here is a choice prey for Valmont: will he be able to take up this challenge without falling into the traps of love? From letter to letter, the heroes reveal their adventures, exchange their impressions and take us into a whirlwind of pleasures that seems to have no end.


"Delicacy" de David Foenkinos

Nathalie and François are happy, they love each other and seem to have life ahead of them... But one day, the beautiful mechanism jams. François dies suddenly. A grieving widow, Nathalie's heart becomes a fortress where even the greatest seducers will collide.

Except for one: Markus, a dull and clumsy colleague, without apparent seduction. On a misunderstanding, he obtains from the beautiful one a stolen kiss. For this outsider of love, it is a sign of destiny: he launches out to conquer her... all in delicacy.


"Froth On The Daydream" de Boris Vian

Two love stories are intertwined: Colin is an elegant young man, who puts an end to his celibacy by marrying Chloé, whom he met at a party, while his friend Chick, a passionate fan of the star philosopher Jean-Sol Partre, has a relationship with Alise. All would be well if it weren't for the combined forces of illness and consumerism that are bearing down on the four friends. As Chloe's illness spreads, the lightness and innocence that opens the novel is gradually contaminated by drama.


"Nana" de Émile Zola

In the last years of the Second Empire, when Nana plays the role of Venus at the Théâtre des Variétés, her success is due less to her mediocre talent as an actress than to the seduction of her naked body, veiled in a simple gauze. On stage, she attracts all eyes as she attracts all men to her: a solar temptress who uses her charms to lead a life of lust and luxury, laziness and spending.


"Oceane" de Florence Arthaud

Written at the beginning of the 1990s, the manuscript of Oceane will never be published. Thirty years later, this poignant declaration of love to the sea is finally published by Arthaud. The woman who was nicknamed "the fiancée of the Atlantic" reveals the origin of her passion for sailing, but also the difficult moments, at sea, when accidents put her in danger or caused her to lose loved ones, and on land, where she had to face the challenge of being one of the only women in the world of ocean racing. In contrasts, in light, all the facets of Florence Arthaud's personality come to life again, thanks to this rediscovered text.




Enjoy your reading !










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