I finished reading Le Colonel Chabert
I think it was quite tough but not overwhelmingly so
Which novella should I read next? I found the book to be difficult enough that I have been intimidated too much to start reading a novel
As someone who started learning French because of an enthusiasm for Napoleon, I found the Napoleon stuff to be very moving to the point of tears
>Vous ne pouvez pas savoir jusqu’où va mon mépris pour cette vie extérieure à laquelle tiennent la plupart des hommes. J’ai subitement été pris d’une maladie, le dégoût de l’humanité. Quand je pense que Napoléon est à Sainte-Hélène, tout ici-bas m’est indifférent. Je ne puis plus être soldat, voilà tout mon malheur
I really enjoyed the shadow that Napoleon had cast over the society presented in the novella
Also one positive which is at the same time a difficulty for a beginner like me, is how detailed and lived in the world feels which really surprised me
For me it was a 9.5/10 novella
damn jason sudeikis really let himself go
Good job anon. Ever thought of reading Molière? His comedies are pretty fun (Le bourgeois gentilhomme, L'Avare) and not too hard if you have a bit of patience. Good short reads.
For a step back in difficulty, try L'extension du domaine de la lutte by Houellebecq. Short and very easy.
Yeah I'll try reading Le Bourgeois gentilhomme, thanks for the suggestion
I read Soumission and so was thinking of reading more Houellebecq but right now I don't want anything depressing that's relatable
I definitely honor the ballsack now, I'm surprised by how good he actually is
Honor the ballsack
Funny.
Illusions perdues
Goddamn I didn't know it was so long
Not what I'm looking for right now
One book I'm excited to read is Les Chouans
How about La Peau de chagrin or Eugénie Grandet?
Arranged from shortest to longest
>Le Chef-d'œuvre inconnu
>Sarrasine
>Le Curé de Tours
>Eugénie Grandet
>La Rabouilleuse
This is his best work, but it's kind of the middle point between one of the more interesting arcs of La Comédie humaine. You can definitely read it as a standalone work but I would strongly recommend everybody interested in 19th century literature to read three works in the following order
>Père Goriot
>Illusions perdues
>Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes
Just came to this board to make a thread on this fellow. I am reading a collection of his short stories right now. I have to say, if there's one author that black people wouldn't be able to understand, it's Balzac.
maupassant is said to be easy for beginners, and it's the same bourgeois stories over and over
This is all the Balzac they had at my local bookstore. Where do I begin?
Read the short stories before committing to a novel.
That's what I'm doing, they are all kino so far
The Unknown Masterpiece
Read Colonel Chabert
You should be able to read it in one day
That selected stories (I think it's New York Review of Books) one is really, really good, it's what got me into Balzac
This is also what I like about American Psycho
>I miss the old regime. People had to learn how to speak artfully in order to conceal their meaning lest they be thrown into a dungeon forevermore. Today people say what they mean directly, like a lowborn woman propositioning herself unto every passerby.
People fault him for having his narrator go on rants or philosophical musings before picking up the plot again but that is my favorite part.
Had to fix the typo or my 'tism wouldn't let me sleep.
Has anybody read his Droll Stories?