Once you start reading in French, it’s best to start easy. But what’s next? 

It’s likely that many intermediate to advanced French learners neglect to become fluent simply because of the insufficient materials. They may look at a website of Proust and think, “No, I’m not good enough, maybe later…” but see no clear way to fill in their time between now and the moment they achieve fluency. 

What if the path to fluency was paved with books you may read for pleasure?

Probably the most important rules in picking books would be to pick ones that aren’t too much away from your current level. This will likely be a challenging experience but enjoyable.

Marry Allen, a career advisor and Franch language lover, said: "When you are getting totally hooked on a book, you’ll end up being addicted to French as well, and after that, it’s only a matter of time before you decide to read Proust without difficulty!"

“La Cousine Bette” by Honoré de Balzac

“La Cousine Bette” has the same sorts of language points the numerous other classic French novels, and { s a good study of formal, conversational French. Because of its “racy” nature, however, the novel also features far more familiar terms of address, that are used throughout.

An in-depth study of human nature, the novel showcases the complexness of French, along with the various ways it may be manipulated so that you can be fooled others into a false feeling of security.

“Contes de la Bécasse” by Guy de Maupassant

Maupassant became famous near the end of the 19th century like a realist novelist which has a style bordering on the naturalism that Zola was becoming famous for as well. His “Contes de la Bécasse”, or “Tales of the Woodcock”, is a collection of several stories. The first is a preamble that explains the idea: the baron of Ravots has organized an evening meal where the guest given the privilege to eat all of the woodcock heads is asked to tell a story to another group; the stories that follow are meant to be there.

The realism and shorter length of the stories make it easy to read, and regardless of anything else, your hunting vocabulary will extremely improve.

“L’Amant” by Marguerite Duras

This is the classic that is part of any basic education in French literature. Placed in French colonial Vietnam, it tells the story of the young lady from a French family who becomes romantically involved with an adult Chinese man. The plot is narrated from the detached perspective of a woman who is now older and reflecting on the events related. The writing is hypnotic as well as simple to read. As in the case of Gailly’s “Un soir au club,” Duras often repeats words and events, which will work for poetic effect and perfect for learning.