Tamara is hosting Paris in July again this year and has suggested we write up our intentions here. It is such fun to look over everyone’s plans, to mark off possibilities on my own personal list and add a few more from others’.
I have a new perfume to write about, an unexpected present from my husband who gave it to me under the term “end of year present” when it’s really because he’s such an excellent man. A hint? The designer from whose house it came was around when Dior began and just passed away this June.
Also, I have longed to read Stendhal’s The Scarlet and The Black since I was twelve years old and saw it in the stack of novels my mother brought on our trip to France. I tried it then, as I delved into most of her literature, but it didn’t quite suit me. Now I am three quarters of the way through and marking every other page. You’d be surprised how much a French novel set in the nineteenth century applies to today.
And on a much lighter note, I’m toying with reading the true story contained in Almost French by Sarah Turnbull.
There may be more novels pertaining to Paris in July, in fact I hope that there are. Some of my favorite books of the summer have come from this particular event, including Bonjour Tristesse, A Moveable Feast, Therese Raquin, and Eugenie Grandet.
Will you be reading anything French in July?
Dolce Bellezza 
Mais oui! … especially since I know I’ll be reading with mes amies. I don’t really have a list laid out, but I have The Red Hat and The Little Paris Bookshop, which everyone seems to be reading, from the library.
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The Red Notebook, I mean (he wrote another book about a hat…)
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I believe it was The President’s Hat? And probably not Abraham Lincoln’s, of which many children’s books have been written. 😉
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I read the sample of The Little Paris Bookshop, and was a little bit intrigued, but not enough to buy it. I think you are smart to go the library route, although I doubt ours will even have it.
I see that several people are reading The Red Hat for this challenge. Antoine Laurain is a new author for me; I hope you like it. I tend to stick to the classics, which of course, seems to cut me off from the current publications.
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Just one as was sent a french novel The exchange of princesses by Chantal Thomas an historic novel about the exchange of princesses in the 1720s France
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I love how you receive novels from all over the world. The Exchange of Princesses…how interesting! It doesn’t sound like you, exactly, but possibly you will love it!
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as you know, I read French all year long, have you considered joining my French Bingo?: http://wordsandpeace.com/2014/12/01/french-bingo-2015-reading-challenge/
but I will also join this. Just finishing a superb nonfiction on the German Occupation of France during WWII: The Cost of Courage.
And I love Stendhal, this one and several of his other books as well
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I’m working on Le Petit Prince for my French studies!
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It is so lovely to read Le Petit Prince en francais! I did so several times, the first in my high school French class. I hope you have a wonderful time with it.
Also, I have tried to see if you have a blog so that I can return your faithful comments but WordPress tells me it was taken down. Please let me know if there’s a place I can leave comments for you.
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Hi, I do have a blog! It is http://www.cure8ation.wordpress.com. Thank you for replying to my comment, and did you do any writing activities with Le Petit Prince? I’m self studying French this summer so I’m trying to immerse myself in French.
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I read, and wrote about, Le Petit Prince in my high school French class. Our teacher was outstanding, and I was able to end in French V becuase I learned so much. However, I am no longer any help to you because that was in 1979. A blogger who may help your French is Emma from Words and Peace. She IS French, and I’m sure she’d like to discuss Le Petit Prince with you among other things French.
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Thank you for directing me to her. I’ll check her out.
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I actually follow her already I’ve realized, haha.
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You have already read about my intentions, in fact I couldn’t put down The Shadow Thief by Marc Levy and finished it last night, it is such a great book. Also, I will be watching Les Profs, a movie about the worst teachers sent to teach at a school where students don’t pass their final exams…. P.S. I loved The Red and the black back in high school 🙂 Looking forward to your posts 🙂
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I don’t know about The Shadow Theif, but I will look for it at your recommendation. That movie sounds so interesting! I hope there’s some kind of twist where the students come out on top. 😉 I am finishing The Red and The Black…what a long, and interesting, novel! I can see it as a Masterpiece Theater production, a story so worth telling again.
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Looking forward to your review of the Stendhal, Bellezza. I’ve yet to read any of his novels, but I’ve a feeling I would like them. I’m not sure if I can fit anything suitable into my July reading but will take a look. 🙂
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This novel is my first Stendhal, too, and it hasn’t been quick. But, it is worthy! I hope to have a review up soon; I keep stopping to mark important passages or copy down meaningful quotes. You’ll see what I’ve highlighted when I put up a post in a day or so, and then you may feel like reading it yourself.
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Now I want to add Eugenie Grandet to my list, too! Most of the books I’ve chosen this year are fairly short… fingers crossed I can get to them all.
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Eugenie Grandet was so good (as I recall)! It is short, too, so it won’t take a huge time commitment on your part…when there are so many books we want to read!
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I can also recommend Eugenie Grandet as I read it last year. I hope to add more Balzac to my TBR pile one day (when the move is done & dusted!!)
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Oh, moves are challenging things! I just redid my son’s bedroom into a “library” for me, and that alone took a whole week. I’m sending happy thoughts to your efforts, and we’ll read more Balzac when we can.
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This sounds like such a fun blogging event.
I also have wanted to read the Scarlet and the Black but I have not done so. I look forward to reading your thoughts on it.
I do find that there is a lot of literature that did not work for me when I was younger, that i now enjoy and get a lot out of.
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One of the things that is so fun about Paris in July is that it encompasses just about everything, from literature to film, art to music, even fashion and fragrance. Well, the later is my penchant, so not everyone posts on that! It is a great opportunity to read French novels, though, from the classics to the current best sellers. Feel free to partake in the joy if you have time this July.
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Paris in July is always such a highlight of the year, particularly if you are far from Paris. Memories, anticipation, books, perfume, movies, meals. I read Almost French many years ago, and saw the author Sarah Turnbull at Mudgee Readers Festival a few years ago. I started a reread back then but never got to finish it, and I never got to reading her second memoir. Almost French really kicked off the worldwide Paris memoir from which we all have benefitted.
http://astrongbeliefinwicker.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/sarah-turnbull-at-mudgee-readers.html
I’m looking forward to your thoughts on both books, and your perfume- I can’t guess.
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Enjoy Paris in July. It would, d be a fun challen g e to do but just having returned from Paris which I did not enjoy as much as Vienna, Barcelona or Madrid I would need to be organised to read a French book that is outside of Paris. I am just not or f anise. I do, however look forward to reading the posts that other people doing this challenge will put up.
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Well, having just returned from Paris I would say that you complete Paris in July better than anyone! I loved the photographs that you shared on facebook; they made me feel that I was there.
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Wow! What a wonderfully broad collection of recommendations, and an awesome reflection on the participation in Paris in July. I’ll be keen to read many of these reviews – not to mention the perfume reviews! I love July for the same reason Bellezza!
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You know how much I love to blog about perfume, and this gives me the perfect venue! Thanks, Tamara.
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Let’s see…the perfumer must be….Carven? and the perfume, hopefully, is Ma Griffe? It’s one of my favourites!
As for the French novels, I just read Irene by Pierre Lemaitre, the first installment in the Camille Verhoeven trilogy.The second are Alex and the third the recently released Camille.A bit rough for some, but they are the authors tribute to his love of crime novels. Mostly American, I noticed.
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