Spanning a multitude of periods, genres and forms, the history of French literature provides a wealth of

unequalled works which have sparked literary movements, created new conventions, and entertained
millions. Here we list twelve pre-World War II classics you have to read.

Beauty and the Beast,

Madame de Villeneuve (1740)
This classic fairy tale is unusual for its length and
complexity. In this version, the Beast is a visually terrifying
yet gentle creature who treats Beauty with great care and
kindness. Every night, the Beast asks Beauty to marry
him, and every night she rejects him until finally she
agrees, only to find when she wakes the handsome
prince of whom she has been dreaming of nightly.
Villeneuves tale features many subplots and fantastical
devices, making it not only a retelling of a beloved classic,
but also narratively compelling.
The Book of the City of Ladies, Christine de
Pizan (1405)
Written by the prolific medievalist Christine de Pizan, The
Book of the City of Ladies is an extraordinary work, both for
its content and for the fact that it was written by a woman
during the Middle Ages. In her work, de Pizan creates an
allegorical city of famous women, from the Virgin Mary to
the Queen of Sheba, in order to argue for the value of
women in society, and to therefore refute contemporary
portrayals of women as sinful and unworthy.

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The Tales of Mother Goose, Charles
Perrault (1696)
Charles Perrault is arguably only rivaled by the Brothers
Grimm when it comes to the European-fairy tale tradition,
many of theirs were indeed adapted from Perraults own
fairy-tale collections. Although the act of retelling fairy
tales was becoming established in the 17th century,
particularly by women in the salons, Perrault is often
credited as concretizing the genre, adapting well-known
folktales and rewriting them in a definitive version. Many
of the famous fairy tales of today,
including Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Sleeping
Beauty, are derived from Perraults collections.
Dangerous Liaisons, Pierre Choderlos de
Laclos (1782)
Dangerous Liaisons is emblematic of the libertine novel, a
genre which swept through 18th century France, causing
outrage and controversy in social circles for its
unabashed depictions of seduction, sexual desire and
flagrant disregard for social norms. As an epistolary
novel, Dangerous Liaisons is composed entirely of letters
written between the various characters, a device which
permits the reader to understand and contemplate the
different masks each character wears, as well as to
appreciate Laclos depiction of the value of carefully
constructed language in the art of manipulation and
seduction.
 Design by Alvin Lustig, courtesy of New Directions

The Flowers of Evil, Charles Baudelaire

(1857)
Charles Baudelaires poetry collections The Flowers of
Evil (1857) is a passionate rejection of the values and
style of Realism which was sweeping throughout
European literature. Inspired by writers such as Edgar
Allan Poe, Baudelaire chose instead to hone in on the
dark, sinister aspect of the human imagination. He
devoted himself to creating poems which explored
themes of excess, decadence and eroticism, filled with
striking contrasts between sensual pleasures, exoticism
and extravagance on the one hand, and ideas of decay,
monstrosity and death on the other.
Gargantua and Pantagruel, Franois
Rabelais, (16th Century)
One of the most outrageous books on this list is also one
of the oldest: Franois Rabelais Gargantua and
Pantagrueldates back to the 16th century, and comprises
five separate volumes, each of which centers on the
adventures and mishaps of the giant Gargantua and his
son Pantagruel. While an entirely unique work, the series
reflects certain aspects of the French Renaissances
experimental nature, both in form and content: the novels
are characterized by their satirical, bawdy humor and
unapologetic instances of crudity and violence leading
to great controversy when they were first published.
 Courtesy of the Modern Library

In Search of Lost Time, Marcel Proust

(1913-1927)
Written over a period of almost 20 years, Marcel
Prousts In Search of Lost Time (1913-1927) is a
masterpiece of unprecedented style and significance.
Defying novelistic definitions of plot, character, and
form, In Search of Lost Time focuses instead on depicting
the formation of experience and memory through a
multiplicity of evolving and interweaving perspectives.
Thus, rather than being portrayed as a linear, cohesive
narrative, life becomes a quiet, contemplative act which is
constantly tied up with the past through the evocative
power of memory, an idea beautifully rendered
in Prousts thoughtful, expressive prose
ndiana, George Sand (1831)
Written by George Sand, the pseudonym of female writer
Amantine Aurore Dupin, Indiana (1831) acts out many of
the 19th centurys novelistic conventions, including its
themes of love and adultery, yet through the framework of
a female perspective. The protagonist Indiana is
frustrated and unsatisfied in her loveless marriage, and
longs for romantic fulfillment; her struggles between her
desires and the strict social rules which govern her life
form the basis of the drama. Through her protagonist,
Sand critiques womens unequal social position and their
dependence on male support at the price of personal
happiness.
 Courtesy of Viking

Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert (1856)

The eponymous character of Gustave Flauberts Madame
Bovary (1856) is one of modern literatures most complex
and tragic female protagonists. Beautiful and charming,
Emma Bovary sees the world through a veil of romantic
novels and fanciful sensibilities, which is constantly at
odds with her dull, provincial life and her marriage to the
gauche yet well-meaning Charles Bovary. Emmas
constant search for beauty and luxury leads her into debt,
adultery, and ruin, and her struggles to separate her
romanticised ideals with the reality of country life are
masterfully depicted in detailed, sympathetic prose
Journey to the Center of the Earth, Jules
Verne (1864)
As the science-fiction and fantasy market becomes
increasingly dominated by English-language works, it is
perhaps easy to forget its distinctly European roots. A true
classic, Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864) tells the
story of German professor Otto Lidenbrock who finds a
strange code in a manuscript telling of volcanic tunnels
which lead down to the centre of the Earth. Setting off in
exploration, Lidenbrock encounters strange prehistoric
beasts and natural hazards in his search for the Earths
core. Thrilling and brave even to this day, Vernes
extraordinary novel is testament to the power of the
imagination and the periods fascination with scientific
progress.
 Courtesy of Oxford World Classics

The Masterpiece, mile Zola (1886)

As the art world flourished in 19th century France, so did
literary works surrounding the lives of artists and their
muses. The author of The Masterpiece (1886), mile Zola,
was close friends with many of the great artists of the
time, including douard Manet and Paul Czanne;
inspired by both their lives and works, Zola depicts in The
Masterpiecean accurate depiction of the life of the artist in
19th century France, and the tension between artist and
society, as art became more and more part of the public
sphere and open to judgement and commodification
Les Misrables, Victor Hugo (1862)
Fondly referred to as The Brick and Les Mis by its
fans, Les Misrables (1862) remains one of the longest
literary works ever written. Although a daunting
undertaking, Les Misrables is essential reading for its
richness of style, its wealth of complex characters, and its
epic plot intersecting with some of 19th century Frances
most important historical moments. Focusing on les
misrables the poor, the desperate and the abandoned
Hugo nevertheless depicts through his masterpiece the
power of redemption and human kindness, creating an
extraordinary work of empathy.