Classical French Writers

[Kircho]

Dear Zfriends from France, recently, with my self-introduction to the philosophy of Deleuze & Guattari, and past experinces with Victor Hugo, I have become increasingly interested in French Philosophy and in particular fictional literature. I would greatly appriciate if you could afford me the names of some of your favourite French writers - the classic ones - the ones perhaps that you found most influential as you were growing up.

I have found a few so far, just starting on Andre Gide, but I thought it would be better to have some recommendations from French readers.

Kircho

[Davlin]

Try René Barjavel, with his book " La Nuit des Temps ".

Great piece of scifi.

Bye !

[Frenchy Pilou]

my self-introduction to the philosophy of Deleuze & Guattari

Yeh! You have taken some non conformist guys
Add Jacques Derrida, Pierre Bourdieu, and you are full

For humanist philosophy try André Comte-Sponville
For global minding Michel Serres

For reseach of the text Georges Perec

A little historic true gem : Marguerite Yourcenar : Mémoires D'Hadrien

For the beauty of the language : Margueritte Duras

And of course the classic Marcel Proust : A la recherche du temps perdu
(10 000 pages the full saga : so take the first for beginning

Tell me if you want special style Century, modern, classic....

[Bonecradle]

You could also try Camus - he wrote both fiction and non-fiction. And for a real classic, Descartes.

If you are dabbling maybe look also at Michel Foucault and Guy Debord - they are a bit more modern, so maybe not classical and not fiction writers. Debord was the "self-proclaimed leader of the Situationists" - some of his work is online in French and English - Society of the Spectacle

Pilou - I always meant to read the memoirs of Hadrian. I have The Abyss by Marguerite Yourcenar and liked it very much.

[marcus_civis]

Emile Zola & Gustave Flaubert ? Thérèse Racquin and Madame Bovary are both brilliant but probably not for a day when you're feeling gloomy.

I confess I enjoy Alexandre Dumas [père] for his sheer exuberance and good fun.

[Kircho]

Thankyou most kindley all four for your answers to my request.

Bonecradle - there is not the fantest bit of 'dabbling' present in this endevour, on the contrary, this foray consists of a systematic effort to understand French and later-on German thinkers(Perhaps I will learn the laugauges in the process). By classical I am implying greatness rather then a style. Btw I forgot to mention that I am also, already, a fan of René Descartes, even though we are in disgreeance on quite a few points

Frenchy Pilou - I was hopeing you would reply. By your suggestions it seems that you know me almost too well! I'm very exited by all the names you have suggested!
This is the case even though I am ,at first, primarily interested with works of pure fiction - I find that I can understand philosophical thinkers and there predecessor to a greater degree when faced with their ideas, digested, in a work of art. Also as I clarrified for Bonecradle I am not interested in any particular era or 'style', but merely in literature you consider most important(entertaining) and influencial(the writer-philosophers are usually the most interesting).

Yeh! You have taken some non conformist guys

It runs in my blood as it did in there's - and perhaps yours I wonder?
( For all your great advice Frenchy I still remain cautious, as per your friendship with the evil Kant! )

Thanks to all, once again,
Kircho

[Frenchy Pilou]

already, a fan of René Descartes

So try also Michel de Montaigne and Blaise Pascal and Montesquieu and you will have the quadrilogy

One of the big thinker of today is Edgar Morin
Jean Baudrillard and Roland Barthes too as decoders curious life

Levis Straus as anthropolog structuralist

André Malraux the more flamboyant art philosopher

so...all that is very serious

If you want more funny way tell me
Good reading

Pilou
Ps

I still remain cautious

it's always a good wisdom judgment in any domain
As said St Thomas "I only believe that I See"

[rtwolfenstein@hotmail.com]

Well as i am still in school in france studying french for the baccalaureat at the end of the year i can give you quite a few authors (i don't really like any of them i prefer modern stuff like Bernard Werber who writes really great books if you like sci fi and cool ideas):
-Montaigne Essais
-Rousseau Confessions
-Yourcenar souvenir pieux
-Delbée Une femme
-Claudel Ma soeur camille
-Pierre Loti Fantome d'orient
-Jacques Laurent Moments particuliers
-Albert Camus Le Premier Homme + L'etranger
-Boileau L'art poétique
-Lafontaine
-Bossuet
-La Bruyere
-Corneille Horace
-Molière Don Juan
-Rimbaud
-Baudelaire Fleurs du mal
-Victor Hugo
-Pascal Pensées
(...)

[Bonecradle]

If you find you need a break from the intense stuff, then try Francois Rabelais (though I don't know how much of an insight into the French mind he is ).

I have found the modern translations best, though he can be a little naughty - the older (English) translations are very stuffy.