Read in French. Ilya Frank simple fairy tales in French. If you liked "Calligrammes" you should also enjoy

, Victor Hugo , Alexandre Dumas , Jules Verne , Molière , Emile Zola , Stendhal , Georges Sand , Voltaire . Read literature in the original.
To read, choose a book in French, where you will be unfamiliar with about 30% of the words. Then you can read it to the end and learn unfamiliar words. Don't be discouraged if it's a children's book first. Remember that "a jug of water fills up gradually." It is better to let your mind know that you understand French books and fix simple sentences and constructions in your memory than to stop reading a book after the first page, convincing yourself that it is difficult.

Reading books in French is a fascinating and useful activity. The more you read, the wider your vocabulary becomes. With traditional reading, you mentally pronounce what you read, and for the subconscious, this is tantamount to saying the text aloud. Reading “to yourself” trains the mental channel of speech. Reading aloud trains also sound. Let it be hard for you at first, but it will pay off later. Reading classical literature in French is generally not difficult, you just need to get used to it. Take one book, small at first, where only about 30% of the words will be unfamiliar to you. Read it through and through, highlighting and translating words you do not know. The first book (from 150 sheets) is the most difficult. You must overcome the internal contradictions in yourself and force yourself to read it. No matter how hard it was. Although at first you will not understand the full meaning of the text, it will be difficult to look up every word in the dictionary and reading this book will seem like an endless activity. Over time, this feeling of heaviness will pass, because the words are constantly repeated, the words will be remembered by you in context, and by the end of the book you will be proud of yourself. The next book in French will no longer be a titanic work for you. And each next read book in French will lead you to fluency in French. Use an electronic dictionary, this makes reading easier.

Also in our collection there are audio books in French, which can be read both in text format and listened to. This is a very convenient way to learn French. First you read and translate, then you listen. So you will learn to perceive French speech by ear.
Also in this section you will find books in French with parallel translation into Russian and books adapted by the method of Ilya Frank. Choose your way of reading books that best suits you now, based on your knowledge of the French language at the moment, and which you like best.

How to read this book

Dear readers!

Before you is NOT another textbook based on a distorted (abridged, simplified, etc.) author's text.

Before you, first of all, is an INTERESTING BOOK IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE, moreover, in a real, "living" language, in the original, author's version.

You are not required to "sit down at the table and start studying." This book can be read anywhere, for example, in the subway or lying on the couch, relaxing after work. Because the uniqueness of the method lies precisely in the fact that the memorization of foreign words and expressions occurs implicitly, DUE TO THEIR REPETITION, WITHOUT SPECIAL LEARNING AND THE NEED TO USE A DICTIONARY.

There are many prejudices about learning foreign languages. That they can only be taught by people with a certain mindset (especially a second, third language, etc.), that this should be done almost from the cradle, and, most importantly, that in general this is a difficult and rather tedious task.

But it's not like that! And the successful application of Ilya Frank's Reading Method for many years proves: EVERYONE CAN START READING INTERESTING BOOKS IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE!

Today, our Method of Teaching Reading is almost three hundred books in fifty languages ​​of the world. And more than a million readers who believed in themselves!

So, "how does it work"?

Please open any page of this book. You can see that the text is divided into sections. First comes an adapted passage - a text interspersed with a literal Russian translation and a small lexical and grammatical commentary. Then the same text follows, but already unadapted, without prompts.

To figure out how to pronounce a particular French word, you will be helped by an audio application that is divided into tracks with a number corresponding to the number of the text fragment.

First, a flood of unknown words and forms will rush at you. Do not be afraid: no one is examining you on them! As you read (let it happen at least in the middle or even at the end of the book), everything will “settle down”, and you will probably wonder: “Well, why is the translation given again, why is the original form of the word given again, everything is clear anyway!” When the moment comes, “when it’s clear”, you can do the opposite: read the unadapted part first,and then look into the adapted. The same way of reading can be recommended to those who master the language not from scratch.

Language, by its nature, is a means, not an end, so it is best learned not when it is specially taught, but when it is naturally used - either in live communication or immersed in entertaining reading. Then he learns by himself, implicitly.

For memorization, we need not sleepy, mechanical cramming or the development of some skills, but the novelty of impressions. Rather than repeating a word several times, it is better to meet it in different combinations and in different semantic contexts. The bulk of common vocabulary in the reading that you are offered is remembered without cramming, of course - due to the repetition of words. Therefore, after reading the text, you do not need to try to memorize the words from it. “Until I learn, I will not move on” - this principle does not apply here. The more intensively you read, the faster you run forward, the better for you. In this case, oddly enough, the more superficial, the more relaxed, the better. And then the volume of the material will do its job, the quantity will turn into quality. Thus, all that is required of you is just to read, thinking not about a foreign language that you have to learn for some reason, but about the content of the book!

The main trouble of all those who have been studying one language for many years is that they do it little by little, and do not plunge headlong. Language is not mathematics, you don't have to learn it, you have to get used to it. This is not a matter of logic or memory, but in skill. It is rather similar in this sense to a sport that needs to be practiced in a certain mode, because otherwise there will be no result. If you read a lot at once, then free reading in French is a matter of three to four months (starting from scratch). And if you learn little by little, then it’s only torturing yourself and slipping on the spot. In this sense, the language is like an ice slide - you need to quickly run up it! Until you run up, you will slide down. If you have reached the point where you can read fluently, then you will not lose this skill and will not forget the vocabulary, even if you resume reading in this language only after a few years. And if you haven’t finished your studies, then everything will disappear.

And what about grammar? Actually, to understand the text provided with such tips, knowledge of grammar is no longer necessary - and so everything will be clear. And then there is getting used to certain forms - and the grammar is also acquired latently. After all, the people who master the language are those who have never learned its grammar, but simply got into the appropriate language environment. This is not to say that you should stay away from grammar (grammar is a very interesting thing, do it too), but that you can start reading this book without knowledge of grammar.

This book will help you overcome an important barrier: you will gain vocabulary and get used to the logic of the language, saving you a lot of time and effort. But after reading it, you don't need to stop, keep reading in a foreign language (now it's really just looking in the dictionary)!

Please send feedback and comments to the email address [email protected]

Le chat botte
(Puss in Boots)

Un meunier avait laisse pour tout heritage(one miller left the entire inheritance: "for = as of the entire inheritance). a ses trois fils(to his three sons) , un moulin(mill) , un ane(donkey) and chat(cat) . L'aîné eut le moulin(the first one got the mill: “the first one had = got mill") , le second l'ane(second - donkey) et le plus jeune le chat(and the youngest - a cat) . Ce dernier(this last one) ne pouvait se consoler(could not be consoled; ch. pouvoir - to be able, to be able)d'avoir un si pauvre lot(having received: “to have” such a miserable share / inheritance /):

- Une fois que j'aurai mange mon chat(as soon as I eat my cat; fois, f - times; une fois - as soon as)et que je me serai fait un gilet de sa peau(and make myself a vest out of his skin) que me restera-t-il(what's left for me)?

Un meunier avait laissé pour tout héritage à ses trois fils, un moulin, un âne et un chat. L'aîné eut le moulin, le second l'âne et le plus jeune le chat. Ce dernier ne pouvait se consoler d'avoir un si pauvre lot:

– Une fois que j’aurai mangé mon chat et que je me serai fait un gilet de sa peau, que me restera-t-il?

Le chat, comprenant le risque(cat, understanding the risk; comprendre)qu'il courait d'être mange(to be eaten: "to which he was subjected to be eaten"; curir - to run; courir le risque - to be at risk), en trouva la parole(gained: “found” speech from this; en - from this; trouver - to find)et dità son maître(and said to his master):

– Ne t'inquiete pas(Do not worry; s'inquieter - to worry, worry)! Va me chercher un sac(bring me a bag / go get a bag for me: “go look for a bag for me”; aller - to go)une paire de bottes(a pair of boots; bottom, f)et des habits elegants(and elegant clothes; habits, m, pl - robes, clothes), je m'occuperai du reste(I'll take care of the rest = take care of the rest; s'occuper - to engage).

Le chat, comprenant le risque qu'il courait d'être mangé, en trouva la parole et dit à son maître:

- Ne t'inquiete pas! Va me chercher un sac, une paire de bottes et des habits élégants, je m'occuperai du reste.

Le garcon foot tellement stupefait(the guy was so amazed) de l'entendre parler(hearing speech: "hearing him speak = as he speaks") qu'il n'hesita pas(that did not hesitate = did not hesitate; hésiter - to hesitate; hesitate). Il courut au marche(he ran to the market) , acheta un sac(bought a bag; acheter)une paire de bottes(a pair of boots) , une cape(raincoat) et un grand chapeau à plumes(and a big hat with feathers; plume, f).

Le garçon fut tellement stupéfait de l'entendre parler qu'il n'hésita pas. Il courut au marché, acheta un sac, une paire de bottes, une cape et un grand chapeau à plumes.

Lorsque le chat fut botte et habille(when the cat was shod and dressed) , il prit le sac avec ses deux pattes de devant(he took the bag with two front paws; prendre - to take; patte, f - paw; devant - front, front)et partit dans la foret(and went to the forest; partir)où il avait vu des lapins(where he saw rabbits; voir - to see; lapin, m). Il plaça des carottes dans le sac entrouvert(he put the carrots in an open bag; placer - place; carotte, f; ouvert - open; entrouvert - ajar; ouvrir - to open; entrouvrir - to slightly open)fit le mort(and pretended to be dead: "made dead") . A peine fut-il couché(as soon as he lay down: "he was lying") qu'un jeune lapin entra dans le sac(like a young rabbit got in: "entered" the bag) . Le chat botte tira aussitôt les cordons(Puss in Boots: "The pissed-off cat" immediately tightened the laces; tirer - pull; cordon, m - rope, lace)pour le faire prisoner(to seize a prisoner: "make him a prisoner"; prison, f - prison).

Lorsque le chat fut botté et habillé, il prit le sac avec ses deux pattes de devant et partit dans la forêt où il avait vu des lapins. Il plaça des carottes dans le sac entrouvert et fit le mort. A peine fut-il couché qu'un jeune lapin entra dans le sac. Le chat botté tira aussitôt les cordons pour le faire prisonnier.

Puis(then) il s'en alla chez le roi(he went to the king; s'en aller - to leave)et demanda à lui parler(and asked /permission/ to talk to him).

- Sire, voilà un lapin de la part de mon maître(sir, here is a rabbit from my master; part, f - part; side)le marquis de Carabas(Marquis de Carabas).

C'est ainsi qu'il avait décidé d'appeler le jeune fils du meunier(so: "this is so" he decided to name the miller's youngest son; jeune - young; younger).

– Disà ton maître(tell your master; dire), repondit le roi(the king answered; repondre)que je le remercie de son attention(which I thank him for his attention).

Puis il s'en alla chez le roi et demanda à lui parler:

- Sire, voilà un lapin de la part de mon maître, le marquis de Carabas.

C'est ainsi qu'il avait décidé d'appeler le jeune fils du meunier.

- Dis à ton maître, repondit le roi, que je le remercie de son attention.

Une autre fois(next time) , le chat alla se cacher dans le ble(the cat went to hide = went and hid among the ears; blé, m - grain bread; corn) et la(and there) , toujours avec son sac(always = still with your bag: "with your bag") , il attrapa deux perdrix(he caught two partridges; attraper; perdrix, f). Il partit ensuite les offrir au roi(he went then to offer them to the king) comme il l'avait fait avec le lapin(as he did with the rabbit) . Il continua ainsi pendant deux ou trois mois(he continued in the same spirit: "the same way" for two or three months; mois, m)A porter régulièrement au roi du gibier de la part de son maître, le marquis de Carabas(to regularly bring game to the king on behalf of his master, the Marquis de Carabas).

Une autre fois, le chat alla se cacher dans le blé et là, toujours avec son sac, il attrapa deux perdrix. Il partit ensuite les offrir au roi comme il l'avait fait avec le lapin. Il continua ainsi pendant deux ou trois mois à porter régulièrement au roi du gibier de la part de son maître, le marquis de Carabas.

apprentice(having learned; apprendre), un jour(once) , que le roi avait l'intention de se promener au bord de la rivière avec sa fille(that the king is going to: "had the intention" to walk along the river bank with his daughter; intention, f - intention; se promener - to walk, walk)la plus belle princesse du monde(the most beautiful princess in the world: "the most beautiful princess in the world") , le chat botté dit à son maître(puss in boots said to his master):

– Si tu veux suivre mon conseil(if you want to follow my advice; vouloir - to want), ta fortune est fate(your happiness is assured: "your luck is done") . Tu n'as qu'à te baigner dans la rivière(you should only: “do not have how / only /” to swim in the river; se baigner - to swim)et ensuite me laisser faire(and leave the rest to me: "and then let me do it"; laisser - leave; let; let; laisser faire - allow, allow; don't interfere).

Apprenant, un jour, que le roi avait l'intention de se promener au bord de la rivière avec sa fille, la plus belle princesse du monde, le chat botté dit à son maître:

- Si tu veux suivre mon conseil, ta fortune est faite. Tu n'as qu'à te baigner dans la rivière et ensuite me laisser faire.

Le marquis de Carabas fit(Marquis of Carabas made) ce que son chat lui conseillait(what his cat advised him) . Et(and so/) , alors qu'il se baignait(while he was bathing) , le carrosse du roi vint a passer(the king's carriage passed by: "arrived to pass"; venir - to come, arrive):

– Au secours(for help) , au secours! Voilà Monsieur le Marquis de Carabas qui se noie(Monsieur the Marquis de Carabas is drowning; voilà - here; se noyer - to sink)! cria le chat(shouted the cat; crier - to scream).

Le marquis de Carabas fit ce que son chat lui conseillait. Et, alors qu'il se baignait, le carrosse du roi vint à passer:

- Au secours, au secours! Voilà Monsieur le Marquis de Carabas qui se noie! cria le chat.

A ce cri(to this cry) , le roi tourna la tete et(the king turns his head; tourner), reconnaissant le chat(/and/ found out: "recognizing" the cat; reconnaître - to recognize, to recognize)qui lui avait tant de fois apporte du gibier(who brought him game so many times; apporter), il ordonna a ses gardes d'aller au secours du marquis(he ordered his guards to go to the aid of the marquis) . Pendant qu'on le sortait de l'eau(while being pulled out of the water; sortir - take out, extract, pull out; eau, f), le chat s'approcha du carrosse(the cat went up to the carriage; s'approcher - approach, approach; proche - close)et raconta au roi(and told the king) que des voleurs avaient emporté les habits de son maître(that the thieves took away his master's clothes; voler - to steal)(en realite(in fact; realité, f - reality, reality)il les avait caches sous une grosse pierre(he hid them under a large stone; gros - thick; big, large)).

– Courez au palais(run to the palace; curir), ordonna le roi a ses serviteurs(ordered the king to his servants; ordonner)et rapportez un de mes plus beaux habits pour Monsieur le Marquis de Carabas(and bring one of my most beautiful garments for M. Marquis de Carabas; rapporter - bring /back, with you/; apporter - to bring).

A ce cri, le roi tourna la tête et, reconnaissant le chat qui lui avait tant de fois apporté du gibier, il ordonna à ses gardes d'aller au secours du marquis. Pendant qu'on le sortait de l'eau, le chat s'approcha du carrosse et raconta au roi que des voleurs avaient emporté les habits de son maître (en réalité, il les avait cachés sous une grosse pierre.)

— Courez au palais, ordonna le roi à ses serviteurs, et rapportez un de mes plus beaux habits pour Monsieur le Marquis de Carabas.

Avec l'habit du roi(in royal attire: "with the clothes of a king") le fils du meunier avait vraiment fière allure(the miller's son had really noble manners: "proud habit"; allure, f - gait; view; manner; bearing). La princesse le trouva fort beau et se sentit tres troublée(found him very handsome and felt very excited; fort - strong; very, very; se sentir - to feel; troubler - stir up, make muddy; disturb, confuse, disturb, disturb; confuse).

Avec l'habit du roi, le fils du meunier avait vraiment fière allure. La princesse le trouva fort beau et se sentit très troublée.

Le roi lui proposa de monter dans son carrosse(the king invited him to sit down: "climb" into his carriage) et de continuer la promenade avec eux(and continue walking with them) . Le jeune homme osait à peine croire à ce qui lui arrivait(the young man hardly dared to believe what was happening: “what happened to him”; oser - dare, à peine - barely, croire - believe, arriver - come; take place), mais il monta dans le carrosse(but he sat down: “got up” into the carriage) sans se faire prier(without forcing yourself to ask: “without forcing yourself to ask”).

Le roi lui proposa de monter dans son carrosse et de continuer la promenade avec eux. Le jeune homme osait à peine croire à ce qui lui arrivait, mais il monta dans le carrosse sans se faire prier.

Le chat botte marchait devant(puss in boots walked ahead; marcher). Voyant des paysans(seeing the peasants; voir)qui labouraient un champ immense(who cultivated a huge field; laborer - plow, cultivate /land/; immense - immeasurable; huge), il alla les trouver(he immediately went to them: “went to find them”; trouver - to find) et leur dit avec fermete(and said to them resolutely: "with firmness"; la fermeté, f - hardness; ferme - hard):

- Si quelqu'un vous demande(if anyone asks you) A qui appartient ce champ(who owns this field; appartenir), dites que c'est au marquis de Carabas(say that it /belongs/ to the Marquis de Carabas) . Mais attention(but beware; attention, f - attention; caution), si vous desobeissez(if you disobey; désobéir - disobey, disobey; obéir - to obey), vous aurez de mes nouvelles(you still remember me: "you will have my news = news from me").

Le chat botte marchait devant. Voyant des paysans qui labouraient un champ immense, il alla les trouver et leur dit avec fermeté:

- Si quelqu'un vous demande à qui appartient ce champ, dites que c'est au marquis de Carabas. Mais attention, si vous desobéissez, vous aurez de mes nouvelles.

Les pauvres gens furent effrayes(poor people were scared; effrayer - to frighten, to frighten)par ce chat qui portait des bottes et un chapeau(by this cat who wore boots and a hat = who wore boots and a hat; porter), parlait(/who/ said; parler)donnait des ordres(and gave orders; donner - to give; ordre, m - order). Ils n'osèrent pas lui desobeir(they dared not disobey/disobey him).

Les pauvres gens furent effrayés par ce chat qui portait des bottes et un chapeau, parlait et donnait des ordres. Ils n'osèrent pas lui désobéir.

Ainsi(thus) , lorsque le roi passa et voulut savoir qui était le proprietaire du champ(when the king was passing by and wanted to know who was the owner of the field) , ils lui repondirent en chœur(they answered him in chorus):

– Le marquis de Carabas!

Partout(everywhere) , le roi s'entendit repondre la même chose(I heard how they answered the same thing; entendre - to hear; répondre - answer, la même chose - the same thing: "the same thing"). Il lui semblait vraiment(he really thought; sembler - to seem)que le jeune marquis avait d'immenses proprietes(that the young marquis had huge: "immeasurable" possessions; propriété, f - property, possession).

Ainsi, lorsque le roi passa et voulut savoir qui était le propriétaire du champ, ils lui répondirent en chœur:

– Le marquis de Carabas!

Partout, le roi s'entendit repondre la même chose. Il lui semblait vraiment que le jeune marquis avait d'immenses proprietes.

Le chat arriva enfin(the cat has finally arrived) dans un splendide chateau(to a luxurious castle; splendide - shining; brilliant, splendid, sumptuous, sumptuous)qui appartenait a un ogre(which belonged to the cannibal; appartenir). C'etait un ogre terrible(it was a terrible cannibal) qui pouvait se transformer en animal(who could turn into an animal = into different animals; animal, m).

– On m’a assure(I was assured = I was told; assurer - to assure; sûr - undoubted; confident)lui dit le chat(the cat told him) que vous pouviez vous changer en lion(that you could turn into a lion; changer - change; se changer en ... - turn into ...; lion, m).

Le chat arriva enfin dans un splendide château qui appartenait à un ogre. C'était un ogre terrible qui pouvait se transformer en animal.

- On m'a assuré, lui dit le chat, que vous pouviez vous changer en lion.

– C'est vrai(this is true) ! dit l'ogre qui se transforma en un lion rugissant(said the ogre who turned = and turned into a roaring lion; rugir - growl; roar).

– Cha, c'est facile(it's easy: "/well/ it's, it's easy") ! lui dit le chat quiétait malgré tout terrificé(the cat told him, who nevertheless: “in spite of everything” was terribly frightened: “he was completely frightened”; malgré - in spite of, tout - everything; terrifier - to terrify, to terrify). Mais il doit être(but should be) beaucoup plus difficile(much harder: "much harder") pour quelqu'un d'aussi grand que vous(to someone as big as you) de se transformer en un animal plus petit(turn into a smaller animal) , un rat, par example(/v/ a rat, for example).

- C'est vrai! dit l'ogre qui se transforma en un lion rugissant.

- Cha, c'est facile! lui dit le chat quiétait malgré tout terrificé. Mais il doit être beaucoup plus difficile pour quelqu'un d'aussi grand que vous de se transformer en un animal plus petit, un rat, par exempl.

L'ogre, touché dans sa fierte(a cannibal whose self-esteem was affected: "affected in his pride"; fierté - pride; fier - proud), voulut montrer qu'il en était aussi capable(I wanted to show that he is also capable of this) . Mais a peine était-il changé en rat(but as soon as he turned into a rat) que le chat se precipita sur lui(as the cat rushed at him; se précipiter - to fall down, rush down; rush, rush)et n'en fit qu'une bouchée(and ate it in an instant: “and made just one sip out of it”; bouchée, f - the amount of food taken at a time, a piece; d'une seule bouchée - in one sip; bouche, f - mouth).

L'ogre, touché dans sa fierté, voulut montrer qu'il en était aussi capable. Mais à peine était-il changé en rat que le chat se précipita sur lui et n'en fit qu'une bouchée.

Puis il courut jusqu'au pont-levis(then he ran to the drawbridge; courir, pont, m - bridge; lever - raise)pour accueillir le roi qui arrivait(to meet the arriving king: "the king who was arriving"; arranger).

Are you tired of the primitive and simplistic reading passages in the French textbook you are studying? Then switch to fiction in French!

True, one problem may arise here: you will be disappointed and lose your excitement when you see that you understand less than half of what you read ... and all because you, unfortunately, chose the wrong book.

Don't give up, using literature can be easy and enjoyable - but only if you know exactly what to read. If you're ready to be transported to the realm of French literature, memorize just five classic books. And stick to the originals, don't trade for abridged or adapted versions - these books aren't as hard as you might think.

• Best Book for Children: Le Petit Nicolas by René Goscinny (Little Nicolas by René Goscinny)

For a gradual immersion in French, a book for children is also suitable, even if you have long gone beyond childhood. Many advise without undue hesitation to immediately read "Le Petit Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, and not without good reason. Le Petit Prince is a great example of classic French literature, because, despite its "childish" presentation, it was never, in fact, intended exclusively for children. While the events in the book are based on a game of the imagination, many of the ideas and statements of the author and characters can be quite difficult to understand even for those who read it for the first time and have a reasonable command of French.

Postpone your meeting with the francophone Little Prince and start with Le Petit Nicolas by René Gossini (author of the Asterix and Obelix comics) and illustrated by cartoonist Jean-Jacques Sempé. The first book in the series was published in 1959 and conveys the author's nostalgic look at his childhood in 1950s France.

What awaits readers? Much of school everyday life and everyday life will be just as close and understandable to current generations. The games have changed a bit, of course, and the slang is far behind the times, and things like school uniforms or the separation of boys and girls in the French school system may seem like relics of the past. Conversely, the unfailing narrow-minded student - cancre, who can not answer a single question correctly, or the teacher's pet - chouchou, found in Gossini's classes, is no different from those that live in classic stories about childhood in Russian or American literature. Many different types of characters are part of Nicolas' circle of friends and, of course, share all his adventures with him. Due to the fact that the storylines are designed for children, they are easy to follow. Gossini's style is also not difficult, which means that you can understand the meaning of unfamiliar words from the context without even looking in the dictionary.

If you liked Le Petit Nicolas, be sure to read:

Sequels! In total, there are 5 books in the Nicolas series, each of which contains from ten to twenty stories. There is also a movie that is surprisingly close in content to the book, plus it's fun to watch.

• Best Contemporary Classic: "L'Étranger", Albert Camus ("Outsider" or "The Stranger" by Albert Camus)

You're probably wincing now and getting ready to scroll down the list, because this book has become a cliché over the years. We included the great and terrible "L'Étranger" in this selection not only because this book is so popular among intellectuals and hipsters.

Camus, a Frenchman of Algerian origin, wrote this novella using the voice of Meursault (the character has a surname similar to the name of a commune in France), sharing the same origin with the author and expressing outrageous indifference to his mother's funeral, as well as to his own serious run-in with the law, which will happen in the future.

Camus best summed up this story in 1955 when he said: "In our society, anyone who does not weep at his mother's funeral runs the risk of being sentenced to death." Meursault is a man who refuses to take on the role that society imposes on him and, as a result, turns into an aloof narrator, presenting the world from both an extremely subjective and extremely convincing point of view, and reality is both simplified and extremely complex. While Meursault's train of thought and motivation is difficult to understand, his words are not. Any reader learning French will have a great time reading this book, because the difficulty here is not in the language, but in the sense that the language conveys.

If you liked L'Étranger, try:

"La Chute", also written by Albert Camus. Another story about a French expatriate, this time from Amsterdam. The whole book is written in the form of a dialogue that is conducted on the one hand, forcing the reader to be a silent interlocutor. The style may seem more complex than the manner in which L'Étranger is written, but it's still a great book, not all that linguistically confusing.

• Best Poetry: "Calligrammes", Apollinarie ("Calligrams" by Guillaume Apollinaire)

It is not easy to choose one specific period in French poetry to focus on, let alone one single poet. But in the poems of Appolinaire there is an invaluable feature that cannot be found in the works of other poets: the meaning of the poem is embodied in its very structure, more precisely, its external printed incarnation. Apollinaire's collection draws attention to the use of spaces, paragraphs and text alignment: the poem is always written in the form of what it is about (the text is printed in the form of a picture). The poems "Horse" or "Eiffel Tower" are written in the form of what they are about.

The poems are written in the spirit of early French surrealism - it is traditionally believed that it was Appolinaire who coined the term “surrealism” itself, which is why his works, under external schematicity, hide considerable complexity and intricacy, but, nevertheless, they are worth the effort spent on comprehending them.

If you liked "Calligrammes", you should also like:

"Les Fleurs du Mal" by Charles Baudelaire. The predecessor of Appolinaire, Baudelaire rethought the very genre of poetic creativity, opening the abyss of meanings in his poems in prose. It is believed that Baudelaire, with his desire to refract and reflect modernity in his texts, served as an inspiration for Appolinaire.

• Best Classical Novel: Le Père Goriot, Honoré de Balzac (Father Goriot by Honoré de Balzac)

French literature is schematically divided into periods, each spanning approximately one century. The 16th century was the century of poems and sonnets, the 17th century was devoted to the play, the 18th century was the philosophical essay, and the 19th century was the century of the great novel. Honoré de Balzac was perhaps the most brilliant writer in this genre, who tried to capture all the vices and virtues of mankind in his "Human Comedy". This noble aspiration is embodied in the 93 novels, plays and short stories that make up La comédie humaine. The characters of the novels move from one plot to another, the main characters of one novel become secondary in another. Thus Balzac created his own world, his own human comedy.

Many of the novels that are part of Balzac's creative legacy are widely known, but "Le Père Goriot" is one of the most popular. In Balzac's time, his style was criticized as too simple, but that's exactly what language learners need. Balzac is excellent at telling stories. There are several unexpected plot twists, and most of the "surprises" are hidden not even from the reader, but from the acting characters.

Balzac's attention to detail makes it possible to follow the story step by step, which means that the novel, which describes the lives of three men living in a boarding house in 19th century Paris, is easy to understand, even though words such as redingote and vermicellier are used, the usefulness of which quite debatable in modern conversation.

If you liked Le Père Goriot, read:

"Ferragus", also written by Honore de Balzac. This story sheds light on the secret lives and hidden deeds of the characters you've already met in Le Père Goriot.

• Best Collection of Short Stories: "Contes de la Bécasse", Guy de Maupassant ("Woodcock Tales" by Guy de Maupassant)

Maupassant rose to prominence towards the end of the 19th century as a realist novelist that bordered on naturalism - Zola gained popularity among readers precisely because of the same boldness in the undisguised depiction of everyday life. His "Contes de la Bécasse" is a collection of several short stories. The first is considered a preamble, explaining what will be discussed next, and for what reason the stories were written: Baron de Ravo calls a dinner at which one of the guests receives the privilege of eating all the woodcock heads, but in return for the honor, you need to tell everyone else a story; these stories make up all subsequent stories.

The realism and short text make the stories easy to read and, among other things, your hunting knowledge and hunting vocabulary will be greatly enriched.

If you liked Contes de la Bécasse, try reading:

"Pierre et Jean", a short story by Maupassant that tells the story of two brothers. The work, written according to all the canons of psychological realism, is one of the shortest novels by Maupassant, after reading which you will feel how accurate his gift was to convey the deepest meaning in such a compressed literary form.

  Listen to the audio lesson with additional explanations

You can love yourself, or you can children.

The goal is not to understand, but feel the sound of the language.

Well, repeat the rules of reading, of course :)

Le Petit Chaperon rouge. Red Riding Hood

Ilétait une fois une petite fille. Sa mere a fait pour elle un beau chaperon rouge.

Elle le portait toujours et on a commencé à l "appeler Le Petit Chaperon rouge.

Sa grand-mere vivait dans un autre village. Et un jour, Le Petit Chaperon rouge est allée la voir. Elle devait traverser la foret. Dans la foret elle a rencontré un loup. Le loup a decide de ruser.

Il a demandé: "Où vas-tu, ma petite?"

La petite fille ne savait pas qu "il est dangereux de parler avec des inconnus et elle a répondu: "Je vais chez ma grand-mère."

"Où habite-t-elle?"

"Tout pres du moulin, monsieur le Loup."

"Pourquoi donc as-tu pris ce chemin-ci? Il est si long!”

"Mais je prends toujours ce chemin-ci".

“Hé bien, - a dit le loup, - je vais par ce chemin-là, et toi par ce chemin-ci. Nous verrons qui viendra plus tôt chez ta grand-mère.”

Le loup s "est mis à courire de toute sa force par le chemin plus court, et la fille est allée par le chemin plus long.

Le loup, bien sûr, est arrivé le premier. Il a frappe à la porte.

Qui est la? – a demandé la grand-mère.”

"C" est votre petite - fille, - a repondu le loup adoussissant sa voix. "

Heureusement, juste à ce moment, les bûcherons ont aperçu l "animal cruel. Ils se sont jetés sur lui et l" ont battu.

"N" as-tu pas honte de ruser et d "attaquer les faibles? – lui ont-ils demandé. “Si tu dois chasser pour manger, chasse celui qui est aussi fort et rapide que toi!”

Le loup a quitte la foret. Et Le Petit Chaperon rouge, sa grand-mère et les bûcherons se sont mis à table:)

So we finished ten lessons phonetics!

And now, if you show the same diligence in studying french grammar, then after some time, you can reread the fairy tale. For what?

Hidden in it surprise:)

To learn how to read French, you need to know the rules of reading. There are a lot of them in French, so you don’t need to try to learn all the rules at once. It is enough in the process of learning and consolidating the material to glance periodically at the table. The main thing is to remember that there are reading rules, which means that having mastered them, you will be able to read any unfamiliar word. That is why the French language does not require transcription (exceptions are rare phonetic cases).

Where to begin?

Before you begin to get acquainted with the rules of reading, first of all you need to learn the French alphabet and remember 5 basic rules:

1. the stress ALWAYS falls on the last syllable of the word (examples: argent, festival, venir);
2. letters -s, -t, -d, -z, -x, -p, -g, e, c (and their combinations) are NOT READABLE in words if they are at the end (examples: mais, agent, fond, nez, epoux, morse, banc);
3. the ending of verbs in the present tense “-ent” (3l singular h) is never read (example: ils parlent);
4. the letter “l” is always softened, resembling the Russian [l];
5. double consonants are read in French as one sound, for example: pomme.

In addition to the letters of the alphabet, letters with icons (superscript and subscript) are used in the letter, presented in the table below.

Vowels and letter combinations in French

French vowels are pronounced according to clear pronunciation rules, but there are many exceptions related to both analogy and the influence of neighboring sounds.

Letter / Letter combination	Sound pronunciation	Example
"oi"	semivowel [wa]	trois
“ui”	[ʮi]	huit [ʮit]
“ou”*	[u]	cour
“eau”, “au”	[o]	beaucoup, auto
“eu”, “œu”, and also the letter e (in an open unstressed syllable)	[œ] / [ø] / [ǝ]	neuf, pneu, regarder
“è” and “ê”	[ɛ]	crème, tete
“é”	[e]	tele
"ai" and "ei"	[ɛ]	mais, beige
“y”* in position between vowels forms	2 "i"	royal (roi - ial = )
“an, am, en, em”	nasal [ɑ̃]	enfant [ɑ̃fɑ̃], ensemble [ɑ̃sɑ̃bl]
"on, om"	nasal [ɔ̃]	bon, nom
“in, im, ein, aim, ain, yn, ym”	nasal [ɛ̃]	jardin [Ʒardɛ̃], important [ɛ̃portɑ̃], symphonie, copain
“un, um”	nasal [œ̃]	brown, perfume
“oin”	[wɛ̃]	coins
“ien”	[jɛ̃]	bien
"i" before a vowel and combined with "il" after a vowel at the end of a word	[j]	miel, ail.
“ill”*	[j] - after a vowel - after a consonant	family

*If the letter combination “ou” is followed by a pronounced vowel, then the sound is read as [w]. For example, in the word jouer [Ʒwe].

* Being between consonants, the letter “y” is read as [i]. For example, in the word stylo.

* In the flow of speech, a fluent sound [ǝ] may be barely heard or even fall out of pronunciation. But there are also cases when a sound, on the contrary, can appear where it is not pronounced in an isolated word. Examples: acheter, les cheveux.

*Exceptions are the words tranquille, ville, mille, Lille, as well as their derivatives.

Correct pronunciation of consonants and letter combinations

Letter / Letter combination	Sound pronunciation	Example
“t”*	[ s ] before “i” + vowel [t] if “t” is preceded by “s”	national question
"s"	between vowels [z] [ s ] - in other cases	rose
"ss"	Always [s]	class
"x"	at the beginning of a word between vowels [ks] otherwise; [s] in cardinal numbers; [z] in ordinal numbers	exotic [ɛgzotik] Six, dix Sixieme, dixieme
“c”*	[ s ] before vowels “i, e, y” [ k ] - in other cases	cirque
“ç”	always [s]	garcon
"g"	[Ʒ] before vowels “i, e, y” [ g ] - in other cases	cage
“gu”	as 1 sound [g] before vowels	Guerre
“gn”	[ɲ] (sounds like Russian [нн])	ligne
"ch"	[ʃ] (sounds like Russian [sh])	chat [ʃa]
"ph"	[f]	photo
"qu"	1 sound [k]	qui
“r”*	not readable after "e" at the end of a word	parler
“h”*	never pronounced, but divided into mute h and aspirated h	homme
"th"	[t]	Marthe

* Exception words: amitié, pitié.

*The letter is not pronounced at the end of a word after nasal vowels. For example: banc . And also in words like (porc, tabac, estomac [ɛstoma]).

*Exceptions are some nouns and adjectives: hiver, fer, cher [ʃɛ:r], ver, mer, hier.

*In French, the letter “h” plays a role in pronunciation:

1. when h is in the middle of a word between vowels, they are read separately, for example: Sahara, cahier, trahir;
2. with a mute h at the beginning of a word, a link is made, and a vowel is dropped, for example: l‘hectare, ilshabitent;
3. no binding is made before the aspirated h and the vowel is not dropped, for example: la harpe, le hamac, les hamacs, les harpes.

In dictionaries, words with aspirated h are denoted by an asterisk, for example: *haut.

Coupling, linking and other features of French phonetics

Voiced consonants should always be pronounced clearly, without deafening them at the end of a word. Unstressed vowels should also be pronounced clearly, without reducing them.

Before such consonants as [r], [z], [Ʒ], [v], stressed vowels become long or acquire longitude, which is indicated by a colon in transcription. Example: base.

French words tend to lose their stress in the speech stream, as they are combined into groups that have a common semantic meaning and a common stress that falls on the last vowel. Thus, rhythmic groups are formed.

When reading a rhythmic group, it is imperative to follow two important rules: chaining (fr. enchainement) and binding (fr. liaison). Without knowledge of these two phenomena, it will be extremely difficult to learn to hear, distinguish and understand words in the flow of French speech.

Clutch is the phenomenon when a pronounced consonant at the end of one word forms one syllable with a vowel at the beginning of the next word. Examples: elle aime, j'habite, la salle est claire.

Linking is when the final silent consonant is pronounced by linking with the vowel at the beginning of the next word. Examples: c'est elle or à neuf heures.

check yourself

Having carefully read all the rules and exceptions, now try to read the words given in the exercises below without looking into the theoretical material.

Exercise 1

sale, date, vaste, père, mère, valse, sûr, crème, rate, tête, traverse, appeler, vite, pièce, fête, bête, crêpe, marcher, répéter, pomme, tu, armée, les, mes, pénétrer, le, je, me, ce, monopole, chat, photo, regarder, pianiste, ciel, miel, donner, minute, une, bicyclette, théâtre, paragraphe, thé, marche, physicien, espagnol.

Exercise 2

titane, attire, tissage, titi, type, tirade, active, bicyclette, gypse, myrte, cycliste, Egypte;

naïf, maïs, laïcité, naïve, haïr, laïque, abïme;

fière, bière, ciel, carrière, piège, miel, pièce, panier;

pareil, abeille, vermeil, veille, merveille;

ail, médaille, bail, travail, détail, émail, vaille, détailler;

fille, bille, grille, billet, quille, ville;

habiter, trahi, géhenne, habiller, malhabile, hériter, inhabile, Sahara;

l'herbe - les herbes, l'habit - les habits, l'haltère - les haltères;

la harpe - les harpes, la hache - les haches, la halte - les haltes, la haie - les haies.