I am a person living in France who is fascinated by the cultural prosperity of this nation. No area reflects this more than literature. The glorious history of French literature is bound to draw the admiration of anyone acquainted with the subject. Thankfully, there is no stoppage to the flow of great French literature in recent years.
Why This Blog
Writers of the upcoming generations are dealing with the problems and issues facing the republic of today. These include multiculturalism, religious extremism, immigration and race relations. As a lover of French literature, I am blessed to be here at the ground zero of all the activity that is animating the minds of French authors.
Being an English-speaker, I have to rely on translations of prominent of French titles. But having picked up a good smattering of the language, I am getting to understand that the title itself can go a long way in explaining the soul of the novel.
And there are other areas where the language barrier can create problems. For instance, in Albert Camus’ masterpiece, the very first sentence is one which cannot be fully translated and without understanding it fully through the original language, you won’t be able to get the correct start needed for exploring the novel further.
Focus Of The Blog
The reason I am writing about contemporary French literature is because I think the great tradition of French Literature is continuing and shows no sign of abating. What’s more, newer topics and newer themes are coming into play and expanding the horizon of literature much wider. I am not great expert at literature around the world and but I think it would be hard to find any other country which gives as much importance to litterateurs as France or keeps dynamism alive in this field like France does.
While I may not be proficient in French and could not read French as easily as a native, my knowledge of French is sufficient enough to do a bit of research in my spare time and read a few articles about the latest books and trends. Then, I write down my ideas which I hope to share with you and draw your admiration for.
As a young student of literature in this country, there is perpetual excitement. Because of the largeness of the Francophone world, French literature is buoyed by not just French authors but also writers from North African countries like Morocco and Algeria.
Present Context
The themes of identity are becoming more evident in French literature. This is happening at a time when the whole western world is dealing with the question of multiculturalism. France may be emerging as the main battlefield where those for and against it would be duking it out in the literary space.
So, to put it in a nutshell, France is the place to be if you are a literature fanatic and can’t do without it. I feel extremely lucky to be based in this country and want to share my experiences and knowledge of literature with all those who I can reach through this site.