Dear all,

Can you think of a better time to enjoy a book than summertime? Here is our selection of unforgettable and eclectic readings, both on French-related subjects and in English translated from the French.

If you’re in New York this summer, don’t miss the Louise Bourgeois exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum, which was first hosted in Paris at the Centre Pompidou. To make the most out of this exhibition, you might want to consider reading the book by Frances Morris and Marie-Laure Bernadacsimply entitled Louise Bourgeois (Rizzoli). This French-American painter, sculptor and illustrator has been nothing less than a myth since her debut more than sixty years ago.

Should you prefer myths from more distant times, you would certainly enjoy Writers in Paris : Literary Lives in the City of Light, in which David Burke takes the reader on a tour in the city that inspired several generations of writers, both from France and from abroad. The author follows the steps of some of the most famous literary icons, such as Marcel Proust or Ernest Hemingway, and recounts their Parisian routines.

In a completely different vein, the dark 50 Drawings to Murder Magic by Antonin Artaud will immerse you in the world of a tortured writer, Antonin Artaud, who spent many years in mental asylums. Two months before his death in 1948, he wrote in an exercise book this remarkable, incantatory text in which he tried to exorcize his physical and psychological struggle.

In his Notebooks: 1951-1959, Albert Camuscreates a feeling of intimacy with his readers. These notebooks from his early years are full of raw material for future writings, thoughts on excerpts from other writers, philosophical ideas and outlines for novels and plays. During the later years, the notebooks are filled with diaries and self-revealing thoughts about the Algerian war and his family.

What happens when a well-known playwright becomes a privileged observer of the future French president’s campaign? Find out by reading Dawn, Dusk or Night-A Year with Nicolas Sarkozy, by Yasmina Reza, which is far from being a gossipy and pointless exercise: their relationship built throughout flights, meetings and strategy sessions is like no other. Beyond sensationalism, the book portrays a man’s quest for ultimate power, without any judgment or pressure and with a rare intellectual honesty.

Last but not least, as far as non-fiction is concerned, we can only recommend French Theory : How Foucault, Derrida, Deleuze, & Co. Transformed the Intellectual Life of the United States, by François Cusset, which deals with the impact of several radical French thinkers in the U.S., during the late 1970s and 1980s. The author explains why America was such a fertile ground for French theory and why such demanding writings were so influential. This book also provides a lot of gossipy anecdotes about the many provocative critical practices inspired by French theory.

You might never get the chance to read the 1,376 pages of Victor Hugo’s masterpiece Les Misérables during the rest of the year, so now may be the perfect time to tackle this classic, especially since this new translation by Julie Rose, in an unabridged version, brings astonishing vivacity and depth to the unforgettable characters. A must-read !

Among contemporary authors, we were seduced by Agnès Desarthe and her book Chez Moi. This novel tells the story of Myriam, a Parisian restaurateur who decides to change her unsatisfying life and opens a tiny eatery. Full of delectable descriptions of cuisine and pertinent observations on life, this book will provide you with an enjoyable reading experience.

The stories gathered in Hotel Crystal, by Olivier Rolin, all take place in hotel rooms throughout the world. This book is like a puzzle in which the missing narrator gives clues about himself as he meets several protagonists. A brand-new old-fashioned detective novel.

If you are feeling adventurous, try Guy Delisle’s Albert and the Others, an original graphic novel which can be quite disturbing because of its attitude toward women’s bodies and the way it captures the sinister blankness of the working-man.

We cannot put an end to this newsletter without telling you about Small Lives, by Pierre Michon, which has been very successful in France and whose translation was most expected. The author depicts eight ordinary individuals from his small village in Creuse, France, and the distortion between the banality of the events told and the rich and shiny prose is absolutely striking. A masterpiece!

Bonne lecture !

Fabrice Gabriel, Mathilde Billaud, Anne-Sophie Hermil, Alice Barthalon and Marie Simon