Spanish!!! Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Lorca, Octavio Paz! I speak fluent Spanish, but haven't read it in years. I'd have to think about whether I was up to leading such a discussion, but I certainly would participate.

Are there other Spanish language authors folks like?

Robby - Please be serious. I know you can read French, would you be willing to discuss a French book? I didn't read "Boule de Suif" what is it about? I don't think you would be interested in a novel, but I might be mistaken.

I am trying to come up with other suggestions Ginny. I don't think I have the time that being Discussion Leader requires, but be sure that I will participate. I will be away for 6 weeks starting May 12. I do hope you will be able to get this under way in the meantime.

I will keep watching this site.

Eloïse

Antoine de St. Exupery - the Little Prince?

Hairy - Exactly what was at the top of my new list. "Le Petit Prince" d'Anoine de St. Exupéry". "L'Étranger" d'Albert Camus, "Marius et Fanny" de Marcel Pagnol, "Les Fables" de Lafontaine. "Les mandarines" de Simone de Beauvoir.

Ginny, I tried to send you an email today, but it could not connect with your address. I was telling you that I will be starting studies shortly and I might not have time to post very much. I am also DL for French. There is not much action there, because, I think people are shy to write in French. I don't particularly like to post unless people participate. Right now most of the time, there are only two of us, so I might ask Marcie if she could find another DL for the French discussion. I like to discuss about books as you know. So your idea is a mighty good one as far as I am concerned.

Robby, You become 'worn out'? That will be the day. A French book discussion would not only be interesting in discussing the story, it would be interesting in knowing what the speakers of English think as they are discussing French authors. It is a cultural battery charge. Oh! you know what I mean.

Eloïse

LA PLUME DE MA TANTE.

Robby

P.S. Just practicing.

Not to worry, Eloise - I don't think we have a discussion leader selected yet for these books. I believe we'll use one of our existing Books discussion leaders, correct Miss Ginny? We have a whole long process for bringing in new DLs to the Books that involves mucky mucks far more important than any of us!!

Who does DL duty here will depend on which language we choose first. We have several existing Books DLs who speak French. Not sure about Spanish (I am fluent, but pretty pathetic using it in "academic" settings! I think this folder is just to assess interest.

SarahT - Why don't someone put in a banner to spur some interest. I know there are many people who know French, I wish I could email them, but.

Robby - I think you might be interested because "La plume de ma tante" is just an iota of the French you know, I believe from your posts in the French discussion some time ago.

September would be fine with me Ginny. The email address you have next to "contact - Ginny" up on top here, is lacking the .net. Is that the reason it didn't go through Ginny?

The book you are getting in French that is intriguing, which one is it? I am guessing it is "Huis Clos" de J.P. Sartre. I didn't read it but my daughter and SIL did. They said it was very good.

Eloïse

Eloise: Thanks for the notice of Ginny's email being incomplete... I have reapired it... I guess I ran out of paste when I copied and pasted it in the first time.

Ginny - OK we can discuss in English, that will be fun. You can THROW out your 73 yr old dictionary and get a more recent model. Even a 5 year-old one would be good if not perfect. I gave away and got a new "Petit Larousse Illustré 2002". Some words are born and some die just like we do. My daughter likes the Petit Robert better than the Larousse she says it is more modern, les pompous.

Sarah - Glad you set me straight. (Is that a good expression in Egnlish?) I put the strangest words in the funniest places sometimes. But I am learning more every day. Just tell me when you see something funny.

Eloïse

Ginny - Sartre was an French existentialist philosopher who refused in 1964 le 'Prix Nobel de la Littérature'. French writers certainly will show their different perspective which will come in opposition to English writers.

The review was definitely from an American point of view. That is what should make it interesting though in discussing French books by American readers. The two cultures certainly will clash. I am only suggesting a wide range of French authors from the all time classics to the more modern ones. I suggested to Fairwinds, Marguerite, Sharon Ede and others in the France discussion to come in and give us their input.

Eloïse

Ginny, Sartre has always left me cold (like La Nausée where the guy gets sick to his stomach when he sees a stone--I'm sure there's more to it than that, but that's all I remember) (I did get Sartre's autograph once at La Coupole, though.); as you know, I prefer the more humanistic Camus (though l'Etranger is not one of my favorites). But one book I have always wanted to revisit is Andre Gide's La Porte Etroite. I think there's lots to discuss in it, the French is not super-difficult, and it is short. It is available from Amazon for $10.

MmeW - "La Porte Étroite"? I have never read André Gide, but if it is chosen I would be happy to get the book for discussion. Do you have other suggestions? I was not too fond of L'Étranger either. My preference goes to "Graziella" by Lamartine. It is a romantic story but so well written, it literally sings.

Do you think we ought to get up a slate and submit it to the general Books people for a vote, say, in August? And then go by the top several? I would love to see us read more than one but am, at the moment, totally out of my league here?

ginny

Ginny - I am all in favor of asking other people to vote and to submit their preferences. I have read so many French books, but for the life of me I can't come up with the titles right now. If I went to the library and looked at the titles I would remember, but you know how it is.

This takes time, let's not hurry about it. Let the majority decide. I will go along with whatever is decided. I am not a big fan of Durant's Story of Civilization, but I still discuss his work I believe because the questions Robby asks are very thought provoking and everybody has an opinion about what an author writes, whether good or bad. The leadership is most important.

Why do you say that you are out of your league? I have a Student who never read an English book before until I made her read one and we discuss the book. She is 46 and has a good job but wanted to learn English. If I teach with the poor formal education I had as a child, many people have resources that they don't know they have.

August is a good month to submit a slate and vote on it.

Eloïse

Ginny - More French authors, one I just loved and read several books by her. She won a literary prize, and she is a renown Historian, JEANNE BOURIN, "Les pérégrines" a superb Medieval novel about the Crusades, excellent, "La chambre des Dames" "Très sage Héloïse" which I didn't read.

Les romans policier de GEROGES SIMENON.

PATRICK POIVRE D'ARVOR, "Les enfans de l'aube". Contemporary.

Eloïse

Maybe it would be less daunting to begin with a short story.

Linda

Ginny - From Hot Bot, my search engine:

"LA CHANSON DE ROLAND

Poème épique, "épopée," chanson de geste. En vers décasyllabiques; composée de 291 laisses (strophes). +/- 4000 vers Date probable: fin 11e siècle; un des premiers textes en "français." Auteur inconnu. On a suggéré un certain Turold dont le nom apparaît à la fin du manuscrit d'Oxford."

Medieval History during Charlemagne's time. I read some of the verses and it is in old French that, like Old English is very hard for me to understand. The book that you mentioned was probably adapted to be read by contemporaries and I didn't find it in Hot Bot, yet.

In my opinion, speakers of English would find it extremely hard to understand and comment on, but I might be wrong.

Linda - I will look for some short stories to add to the list. I don't usually read them. 'Graziella' is the smallest book on the list yet but I am sure there are several excellent ones.

Éloïse

For another time and NOT in Spanish, I wish we could read Gabriel Garcia Marquez.....Love in the Time of Cholera, wasn't it this one of his that won the Putitzer? I love his writing.

Good luck on your French choice!

I just saw a French movie adapted from a very famous book by Stendhal, "Le Rouge et le Noir". About a young peasant who is torn between the love of a married woman and becoming a priest. It is very much in the style of 'Anna Karenina' by Tolstoy. A tragic love story in an Aristocratic settings and decor where the 'decent' thing to do was primordial. That book is the essence of 18th century French literature.

Éloïse

Hi! Ginny, perhaps you are already gone on your trip to France, lucky you. If not, Bon Voyage.

More suggestions. "Les Trois Mousquetaires" d'Alexandre Dumas, "Les rois Maudits" de Maurice Druon.

Des romans de: Colette, Pierre Loti, Beaudelaire, Umberto Eco.

A bientôt.

Éloïse

Not yet, Eliose, I leave on May 27th and can't WAIT!!

Thank you for all those wonderful suggestions, Everyone, I hope thanks to Marjorie, and Pat W, that they are now displayed, all of them, carefully in the heading.

I must say I have received Les Peregrines, a used paperback version in the mail and the cover alone makes me want to carry it with me continually.

If we did read a book in French how fast would we have to take it? Would those of you who have more of a command of the language be willing to wait or go slow for the rest of us?

I would very much like to experience a book in its own language and I must scan in the cover ! I want to read this book the cover reminds me of Carpaccio's Venetian narrative paintings of St. Ursula,

I really want to read this thing but fear I would slow you all down. Maybe I could start on it early!

ginny

Ginny - I will be so patient you won't believe how patient I will be. If you have "Les Pérégrines" which I loved to distraction, I couldn't even put it down, we will have so much fun discussing it. It is exciting, it has suspense, deep feelings, its historical facts have a French slant but it does not dwell too much on wars but describes the progress of a French Crusader family meeting with all kinds of hardships as they are going from France right into Israel, the story occasionally breaks into a bit of romance. You will fall in love with it I am sure. Jeanne Bourin's writing is non stop pleasure for the reader.

I think we should go slower than for an English book because people will want to have time to absorb it before commenting.

Éloïse

Well done Ginny - Now I will have to get the book, because someone lent it to me when I first read it. Will someone post excerpts like it is done in other book discussions? so that if someone does not have the book can still follow it and comment?

I am all excited about this Ginny. I will be in Spain when you leave for France. Joan Grimes is leaving for France soon too I hope that she will participate in this forum.

You should advertize in SN it everywhere in case people don't know about this.

Éloïse

Lucy I read french and English having taught both languages.

Romain Gary wrote many books and each one of them is special. Have you heard about the writer named Collette? Did you hear about Francoise Sagan? Whenever I am abroad we end up in Paris for a day or two where I can buy myself books which I mail home so that I can have books in french for a few months. Next time I will send you lists of books which are more modern than the ones you cited.

Looks like we need some inspiration on the spanish side. I notice the name of Octavio Paz. I think he has a new book out, which may be essays. Might be possible. I'll try to remember to look it up on Amazon.

Emile Ajar is Romain Gary's pseudonyme

La vie devant soi was made into a movie where Simone Signoret played the principal role. If you are in Paris ask for the F.E.N.A.C. There are bookshops belonging to them where you can find books in English too and where you can find a very big choice.

Ginny, try these words.....flat tire is "crevaison"; front wheel is roue avant; deflated is degonflee. So......J'ai crevaison; J'ai roue avant degonflee. Resource: English to French, internet. Now, someone who really knows can come in to say, "Actually, ........"

Betty

Ginny: Actually.... you wouldn't have to tell anyone... They could see for themselves. ('Course it would only be flat on the bottom.)

Yo hablo espanol pero no tengo tiempo de hacer una platica sobre un libro en espanol hasta en Octubre. Que piensan Uds. que hablan espanol? Me gustaria hacer El Amor en los Tiempos del Colera.

Love in the Time of Cholera? Ah, a wonderful book, but would we have to do it in Spanish? Don't know spanish. The English translation was wonderful, Sarah.

Betty

This discussion is for Books in Other Languages, Betty, so it's sort of a merger between foreign language and books. I've read both versions of Love in the Time of Cholera, and it is an excellent translation, but there's something really special about the original.

The other possibility would be to do Love... somewhere else and find another book in Spanish that we could do in the original language.

Keene, where are you? We need your suggestions.

Oops. I forgot where I was. I was just crazy about that book....talk about being transported to another world. What an inspired first choice for reading a book in Spanish here!!

Betty

Quien mas seria interesado en una platica sobre el libro El Amor en los Tiempos del Colera en Octubre - en espanol?

For those who like to use the proper accent/punctuation marks... é or ¿ there is a chart above that may be helpful. There are a number of ways to do these accents, and several other methods are listed at the top of the chart.

I thought it was gosh, Robby, but if YOU don't know it's kinda frightening, just realize I meant well. hahaahhaa

Zut alors!

ginny

PDQ = rapido; inmediatamente; ahorita; ya

Ginny, muchas gracias por su sugestion que yo vengo aqui. Tengo que recuerdo mi espanol. Hace muchos anos que use este lengua. Yo vivio en Turkey y puedo usar la lengua de Turkey tambien, pero no muy bien. Hace dos anos que tuve un excursion de Espana, exactamente el sur de Espana para dos semanas. Era absolumente marveloso. Hasta luego, Keene

WHAT? haahahahaha

OK ok you guys, HOLA and ADIOS and HASTA ..er...HASTA Turkey (TURKEY?) can one speack Turkey?

OK we're TALKING in English but we're to read in Espagnol. I have no idea what you both said but there are two of you and we need more more to make a Proposed discussion (ahahahah just imagine what they could be saying!) anyway.....how does one say ONE MORE NEEDED for whatever book they are discussing? hahahaha

A book on Spanish Turkeys? Birds I Have Known in Spain?

hahahaha

ginny

I'm laughing. I was just saying I lived in Turkey and know a bit of Turkish but not well enough to read and write it. I love "a book on Spanish turkeys" and "Birds I have known in Spain." That was a great attempt at translation--good for you. Thanks for the chuckle this Sunday morning. Keene

Gracias, Keene. Decidi hablar en espanol porque si vamos a leer en espanol, el hablar en espanol es buena practica!

Thanks, Keene. I decided to speak in spanish because if we're going to read in spanish, speaking in spanish is good practice (from now on I'll translate).

We need some more Spanish titles in the right hand column. I've received a good list from a poster by email, which I'll have placed there (some, I think are in Portuguese, which I don't speak and couldn't participate in in the original language, but I'll put those there too under Portuguese. I know we have at least one poster - kevxu - who lives in Portugal. Any Brazillians out there?

This folder is just for reading books in their original language. I know lots of you want to read in translation - something I love too. We've done a fair amount of that here in other folders, as well as reading a fair amount of "world lit" originally written in English. We've discussed novels by Jose Saramago, VS Naipaul, Isabel Allende, and Ha Jin - and I would love to participate in other such discussions here. (The Fiction General folder is a good place for suggestions.) However, this is an experiment in reading books in their original language, since it's not something we've done here before.

Je parle francais un peu et je voudrais aussi lire un livre en francais. Je n'ai pas de preference.

I speak a bit of french and I'd like also to read a book in french. I don't have a preference .

Halo Ginny " a flat tyre" j'ai une panne dans ma voiture. Le mecanicien va "me depanner"

Lucy

Amigos - noten la lista de libros en espanol encima. Cuales quisieran Uds. leer? Vamos a votar! Esta platica seria en Octubre. Prefiero un libro en espanol porque no hablo portugues. Si escogimos un libro en portugues, necitariamos encontrar tambien un lider que lo habla.

Voten entre ahora y el 15 Junio.

Friends - take note of the list of books in Spanish posted above. Which would you like to read? Let's vote. This discussion would take place in October. I prefer a book in Spanish because I don't speak portuguese, but if we choose a book in Portuguese, we'll also need to find a discussion leader that speaks it.

Vote between now and June 15.

#1 "Sobre Heroes y Tumbas", #2 "La Ciudad de los Prodigios"

Marvelle

What I'd like to do - change of course so let me know your thoughts - is make sure we have a quorum for October for Love in the Time of Cholera (El Amor en Los Tiempos del Colera). It appears we do.

Then, the vote (marvelle9, I note your vote) would be for the NOVEMBER selection from the remaining titles in the heading.

What say you all?

I think I'm going to have to pass on participating in the discussions in the next couple of months. I'm getting involved in too many discussions (love it though) and will be traveling quit a bit in those months. Have a great time, though. --Keene

Hey Keene - I know what you mean. It's like being a kid in a candy store here in the Books! So many books, so little time....

But I love having you in any discussion you choose to join!

Hello o o o o o

Is anyone out there?

Anyone interested in Love in the Time of Cholera in Spanish in October?

Maurice Denuzière, has written several works based in Louisiana. Interesting characters placed in a family chronicle or saga ranging from 1830 to 1940. These are, as one might expect,titled "Louisiana", "Bagatelle", "Fausse Riviere", and "Les Trois-Chenes" They are published by folio and Le Livre de Poche.

Dostoievski is available in Le Livre De Poche. His "L'éternel mari", and les "Pauvre Gens" are available. These are little heavy for us, I think.

A.de Saint-Exupery, is represented by "Vol de Nuit" in le Livre de Poche.

If the French Catalogue is not sufficiently interesting, french translations of English and American works are available.

Justin - I read some of Maurice Denuzière, Louisiana, I think, good suggestions. St. Exupéry's Le Petit Prince is also as good as Vol de Nuit, classics. The list in endless, but I understand people want to be able to find something they they can relate to. Dostoievski would be as difficult as Les Pérégrines with long sentences, difficult vocabulary and characters to keep track of as they have so many names.

Ginny - It is worth a try to have a book that has its translation. It is up to the reader to control his/her impulse to always look at the English without making the effort first to understand the French. Many people have learnt a language with this method. I used to often look at the Latin side when I read the Missel in Church when I was a child, but for me to try another language would have to be 'une langue vivante' one that is widely spoken, like Spanish.

Eloïse

I love George Simenon. I really believe that people could read his books without too much trouble. If people want them in English there are English translations of his books readily available from Barnes and Noble. Barnes and Noble also has a good selection of his books in French. I noticed that Chien Jaune is available at Barnes and Noble in both French and English. Of course if you look for it in English you must search for The Yellow Dog by Simenon. I think they title it Maigret and the Yellow Dog for the English translation.

I think it would be better to try to read things that aren't too complicated when there are people reading who are not all on the same level in French. Just my opinion.

Joan

I also bought some French books from amazon.ca (on Nov. 5 and they haven't arrived yet—it took two weeks for them to get the books to Canada and they shipped on the 23rd).

Here are my thoughts on possible French books. I think we need to look for simplicity and substance, as well as those with translations. There are quite a few authors in the modern era who fit that bill. I have previously suggested two, Gide and Camus, both Nobel prize winners, who write simply and whose books are thought-provoking. This is an interesting website on Camus's La Peste. Henri Troyat is another good modern writer.

I have read La Peste in French. It is very good literature. However I believe that something not quite so thought provoking would be good for the next book and work up to more thought provoking books. Of course maybe I am underestimating the level of French that everyone who is interested has.

Joan

I am not going our today but I can't stay in bed either. Flu with sinus problem is on the mend with medication. Thanks for your concern Ginny.

I am reading with interest what French book we could discuss after we are through with Les Pérégrines and when I see the list above they were all good suggestions, but we should be careful not to choose a book which is too much of a challenge in vocabulary, in plot, in length while we all want to have something with substence otherwise we won't keep participants interested. A challenge is what B & L participants are used to on Seniornet, but that challenge can be twofold, one to read and comment in French the other for its literary content. Something to keep in mind.

There are very good French Canadian authors, one of them is Gabrielle Roy and she writes about French Canadian culture. She won prizes in France and one of her books I loved is 'La Petite Poule d'Eau'. If I remember, that is a short story. I'll look it up.

There is much to say about having a translation available for those who don't want to spend too much time looking words up in the dictionary and for those who want to improve their rusty French, they might not want to follow with a translation. It's true that without effort, nothing is gained. But two books would have to be purchases and that could be a draw hack for some.

Eloïse

The excellent Mexican film "El Crimen del Padre Amaro", is set in modern day Mexico, but is based on the 1875 (yes, 1875!) Portuguese classic "The Sin of Father Amaro" by Eça de Queiroz. I enjoyed the movie and it spurred me on to read the novel, which I happened to have on hand, in a 1962 translation.

The translation is not seamless, the English is awkward at times, sometimes there is an obviously mistaken selection of a word (for instance, in one instance "luxurious" is used, where "lascivious" appears to have been the right word to suit the situation). However, these quibbles about the translation aside, the novel is magnificent, funny, witty, biting, ultimately tragic, truly a gem. I regret that my Portuguese is limited and in any case I don't have the original at hand, but should any one among you be in a position to read it in the original, or wish to read it in this translation, apparently the only one availabe, I urge you to enjoy this wonderful novel.

There is also Therese Desqueyroux by François Mauriac. It may also be too "literary," but.... I also liked Le Grand Maulnes, but I'm not sure there's a translation available. Gide's La Porte Etroite is quite short. I have also heard good things about Gabrielle Roy.

My all time favorite is the Red and the Black, which I found very readable.

Joan, I used to read Simenon to relax and still practice French, so that might be a perfect choice, though in a mystery, I'm not too sure what there is to discuss.

Joan, I didn't mean to sound snobby—I do love mysteries. For 30 years they were my librium, my valium, my one way to relax. But since I have started reading "real" books again, I feel so uplifted when I finish one that it is hard to go back (except when I'm on the treadmill, which is all too infrequently nowadays).

Simenon is certainly a master and well-considered literarily. His psychological novel Le Chat was also made into a film with Simone Signoret (but too psychological for us, I think), and I know there is another film Panique (that may be the name of the book) (remade as Monsieur Hire) that sounds pretty good. My only request would be for one that takes place in France.

I agree with you MmeW about a book that takes place in France. I feel the same way because I love that country so much as Joan will know, she does also.

Simenon is good too. It will be so hard to choose, don't you think? I mean it isn't just about discussing a good book, it's also about the language too and the level of knowledge of the language is so different from one participant to the other.

Joan you are right about the mental activity in reading a book in French. The time it takes in reading a page and posting in French is something important to remember.

MmeW do you mean that you can read a book while you are on a threadmill? I am surprised that it can be done because you are moving all the time.

Eloïse

Ah, but the book is steady. When I was working, I almost looked forward to it, but now that I am retired....

Reading on the treadmill is the only way to do it. Movement of the body alone is too boring to putup with. Without a book one must provide a mental movie of one's own to keep the feet moving. My last treadmill book was Dante's Inferno. The book becomes a mess after carrying it in a gym bag for weeks and more. Sweat leaves the pages looking like old leaves but one can always discard the used pages so that when the book is finished the reader is holding but one page. Try it you'll like it.

Saint Exupery, Night Flight, is a worthwhile suggestion Eloise. The work is short enough to attract Robby and the message is challenging. I like the idea of the Pest. The message will attract those who wish a little challenge and the French is simple. Mysteries are a breed. The fun lies in figuring out "who done it". They are relaxing but no great challenge. They follow a simple formula. Pick something short with a little muscle in it and a with a translation available. The one who reads the translation will have a challenge only with the muscle. Those who read French well will have challenge only with the muscle. Robby will enjoy the shortness. The rest of us will find pleasure in reading French and in writing responses.

I am back from the best Christmas I ever had.

I have not forgotten that wonderful experience of discussing a book in French and I believe that it appeals to enough people to seriously look into the best possible choice for everyone involved. Another author that would be interesting is Gustave Flaubert who wrote an all time favorite, Madame Bovary.

Justin, yes.

Eloïse

I'm not acquainted with "Night Flight." I'll think about it.

Robby

I have read most of the books suggested in French but not in English. It seems that I am the only one who is mindless enough to enjoy reading a mystery. I do enjoy them in whatever language I read them. They relax me and I am looking for relaxation most of the time after a lifetime of study and teaching. I have now directed my learning experiences to Art and spend many hours learning about art and artists. I did not study those things in school. I also spend time listening to recordings of popular French music. It is also a mindless way to keep up my French listening skills.

See you all around ,

Joan

Robby,

That is one of the things I enjoy about most mysteries they are short. I can finish them quickly and move on to another book.

I do read things that aren't mysteries. Theron and I are reading a biography of Marie Antoinette now .

Joan

Robby,

Thanks. I read there often but just don't post. I don't post much anywhere anymore.

Joan

Robby, you must have heard of Vol de Nuit de St. Exupéry. At first I didn't make the connection with Night Flight either. His books are classics in France.

Robby, like Story of Civilization, a book discussion can stretch a long long time as you know, but I am wondering why finishing it is more important than discussing it. Do you think that we should set a time limit for the discussion? I also think it is a good idea, but what criteria do you use to set the time limit?

Eloïse

I guess I am not explaining myself too well. I agree that discussing it is the most important part. It's just (for me at least) that fatigue sets in if I am struggling with a foreign language and the story goes on and on and on without some sort of stimulating conclusion. I would say the same thing about Story of Civilization if I had to read it in French. I admire you for continuing on in that forum in a language which is not your native tongue. I am NOT recommending a time limit. A short story would, by default, force the discussion to be comparatively short. We would then go on to another short story, and so on.

Robby

Today I went into Chapters Book store and leafed through Boule de Suif de Guy de Maupassant. Although it is well written, the sentences are too long, the expanded vocabulary is also difficult for occasional readers of French. A bit like Pérégrines minus the dated words. I also leafed through Vol de Nuit de St. Exupéry and it is easy literature but it concentrates mostly on aviation. I must go and see about the other books on the list above later this week. So far, Gustave Flaubert seems to be the easiest to read.

Joan, where do you get your French music? I understand you when you say that you want a rest from posting in discussions as you have been involved in Seniornet for many years. I remember that you were the first one I met on Seniornet in the discussion French for Travellers and Travelling Alone.

Eloïse

How about "The Diamond Necklace" and "Piece of String" by deMaupassant?

Robby

Robby, I read La Ficelle and the plot is is very moving. To loose all your friends in a village because a man picks up a piece of string on the ground because he collects things and is accused of something he did not do. Strange how the mind of people work. I lived in a village for 25 years and found this narrowness of mind very hard to live with, especially for those who are not born there.

Eloïse

Eloise:--Are you suggesting La Ficelle for discussion?

Robby

Robby - I would like to discuss several books that people proposed. The only problem I have with Maupassant is that he writes in long sentences and that makes it harder to understand the language. One participant said she did not like him at all and my Françoise said she did. I would like to have more feed back about that author before we make a decision. I preferred Boule de Suif for the story. It is about a plump young woman who is scorned because of her lifestyle. The author reveals her feelings very well.

Eloise,

I am not tired of posting. My posts are usually ignored when I post. So I just don't bother.

I am about to embark on Madame Bovary even if you do not choose to read and discuss it. I have decided I want to read it again. I have ordered it in both French and English. I have also ordered a dvd of the movie. I have a video tape of it. The more I think about the more I look forward to experiencing the reading of it again.

Joan

Joan, that is just super and I almost bought a second hand copy of it yesterday and decided to wait early in January to choose which one to discuss. So happy that you will be with us if it is Mme Bovary.

I still have guests, my son in Switzerland is going back home on the 6th and I am minding my grandson today. Tomorrow I will have one of my daughters, so it's a busy time here still. I am all excited about having another French book to discuss. I think it will be fun.

Eloïse

This is probably going to sound strange, but in preparing to enjoy Shakespeare's Julius Caesar which we'll read in March, I find that going back over some of the source materials has really whetted my appetite for reading the Latin itself, and with the internet, the texts are right there and not only there, a lot of them have annotations.

There are so many I've never read and so many great authors, I wonder if any other person would be interested in trying their old HS Latin?

I think I'll get up a discussion for it, it should be a lark! And see if we might have any takers, meanwhile if you'd like to consider it, post here and let's discuss it?

ginny

Is anyone interested in reading Italian books ? When I came to southern italy in the 1970s the first book i read was "Il Gattopardo" by Tommaso de Lampedusa. It was illuminating. If i had not read it i don't think i would ever have understood the immensely complex but implicit stratifications of the society in which i live . so very different from european classes and indian castes. i'm reading it again , alternating days with rereading J.J.Norwich's splendid opus "The Normans in Sicily" and of course my teaching. Would anyone like to join me ? Antidora ps isn't it extraordinary what other depths and meanings one can find in the books one read in youth ?

Un libro magnifico! We just finished reading it in my Italian class...only this time we did it in both languages. It's not an easy read (in Italian) for those not advanced Italian-language speakers.

But as a commentary on the Sicilian society before the Risorgimento, it's wonderful. We also viewed the old movie, with Bert Lancaster playing the part of the Sicilian landowner, The Leopard (Gattopardo)...the film is in Italian with English subtitles, but I suspect that Lancaster's Italian was dubbed..although his lips matched the words pretty well. It's an old movie, but is available in video (not on DVD).

Adesso, devo scrivere un compito riguardo Il Risorgimento e gli stati Papali. A domani.

Francesca

It's easy to do accent marks on your Macintosh.

For grave: type Option-e (together), then e by itself: é For aigu: type Option-` (together) then the vowel è Circumflex i: Option i, then i = î

Experiment a bit, but it's easy (and in Italian, there aren't too many!).

Francisca

There was, and still is, a big Arabic influence on Sicilian society..both before and after the Risorgimento. It's even in the dialect ... food, outlook, everything. Look at the geography and it's easy to see why.

Francisca (legal, Mother's choice), Francesca in Italian class and when I visit "my" village in southern Switzerland (Italian speaking canton of Ticino).

May I recommend "Cristo si è fermato a Eboli" by Carlo Levi? I don't think it is too difficult in Italian.

Now, a question. I love poetry. May I type up some Spanish, French, German, and Italian poetry in original? I would like so much to share what I love so much.

Waiting for permission and sending my warmest greetings.

Hi, hegeso, and welcome!

I'll add your title to the top.

Ginny, who is the Discussion Leader here, is in England right now and will be back in mid-August.

You might want to share your poetry in the Poetry discussion: Poetry click here

I asked for permission to type up some poetry in foreign languages. It is all right if nobody is interested, but I am not sure of it yet. I will wait for a while.

hegeso...I gave you a link above to the Poetry section if you want to share your poetry there. I will put it here again for you. Just click on the underlined words, and you'll be taken to that discussion.

Click here to go to the Poetry discussion .

I don't know how many folks there are able to read German, French, Italian, Spanish, etc., but you might ask and see.

OK?

Thank you, Jane. I visited the Poetry thread, asked the question, and now I am going to look into it.

Hegeso,

recently I mentioned Carlo Levi's Cristo si è fermato a Eboli = Christ Stopped at Eboli elsewhere on the net. It is an interesting suggestion.

Poetry in other languages might be an intriguing possiblity also for people who speak the respective foreign language(s).

Traude, I risked posting a poem in the French thread. As to the others, I still have to research whether poems would be welcome. Your thoughts?

Hegeso, I love the poem that you have posted in the French folder. We are very fortunate that we can come and discuss French here on Seniornet. There is a Poetry discussion and I have seen poems there. I am sure that you will be most welcomed. As far as other language discussions, I don't know, but why not try it?

Eloïse

Greetings,

Here's an opportunity for your book club members to read the first poems of Maria Lapachet’s NEW YORK, NEW YORK. A POETIC JOURNEY before it becomes a bestseller. Catch the SNEAK PREVIEW at http://members.fortunecity.com/newyorknewyorkapoeticjourney/.

Cheers,

Barbara

Merci, BARBARA, Bonjour, ELOÏSE, HEGESO, tout le monde !

Me voici, retournant avec beaucoup de retard à cause d'autres responsabilités pressantes, mais pour le même ansieuse de vous rejoindre, particulièrement en ce qui concerne Georges Duhamel, dont nous avions parlé auparavant.

Alors, pour recommencer, je vais vous offrir

La dictée de Georges Duhamel pour tous ceux qui prennent plaisir à jouer avec les mots.

Zinnias, mes beaux zinnias, vous n'avez plus aucun pouvoir.

Ah! que ne suis-je à Zanzibar avec Zénaïde ou Zoë !

J'ai souvent souhaité de vivre en ce paysage de rêve, assis sur le Z majuscule.

Je regarderais mes zouaves chasser le zèbre et le zébu avec la zagaie que l'on voit appuyée au bord de l'image.

Zélateur de Zarathroustra, je vivrais là loin des zoïles, loin des zizanies, des zéros, du zona, des zincs et des zozotants zoographes, le poing sur mon zygoma, perdu das la contemplation du zénith ou du zodiaque, tel un innocent zoophyte.

Ainsi jusqu'au zigzag suprême et jusqu'au zut définitif.

Amities.

Hi, I'd love to be part of the discussion of Cicero in latin.Do we get the book from Barnes and Noble-I cleaned house a few years ago and gave away all my books. Tudy

tudy!! Welcome welcome!!!
Delighted to see you here, what fun, I just sent a heading for the Cicero to Pat Westerdale, and hopefully we will have our own place shortly to congregate!

We'll need to get the text somewhere once we decide on it, the reason we talk about Barnes & Noble, tudy is that if you go thru our own SN Barnes & Noble store (that line of links near the bottom of every heading) B&N gives SN 7 percent of the purchase price and we here in the Books use that for our programs, so if you're thinking of BUYING one, yeah I recommend them, but hark only 4 at B&N? Hmmm. Only 4? We'll need to see which essays are covered in each table of contents! I have a list of the Loebs somethere, hopefully those are the ones we want!

More anon! WHAT FUN!!

ginny

Please help me here someone. Who/what is Loeb? is it an author? a publisher? an organization? What? I asked for Loeb Cicero at an English library down town today, Indigo, and the girl couldn't find anything resembling that in her computer. What should I ask for please? What are the exact titles are they the ones Mal posted above in Latin?

Ginny, A trilingual discussion???? Wow!!!!! comparing the Latin with the French and comparing it with the English??? Quite a challenge for someone who didn't spend much time in school when I was young. Pity for poor me.

Eloïse

The Loeb Classical Library is a collection of works by Roman and Greek authors and published by Harvard Press. Books with Green covers are Greek translations. Books with Red covers are Latin translations. The nice thing about the books is the placement of the English translation on the page facing the original text.

If there is a separate volume with all the letters to Atticus I tend to favor using that book. It is commentary on the times rather than Cicero's speeches. His speeches are well worth our efforts but it will be difficult to make selection from the 20 odd volumes and we can't read them all. Those of us who are in Civ. have read his letter to his wife from exile and therefore know how warm, human and touching he can be.

Thanks, Mal; There are four volumes of letters to Atticus. The cost is $20. each for a total of $80. That is probably too much for us. What do you suggest,Ginny? Perhaps there is one volume dealing exclusively with a major topic like the Rubicon decision.

Ginny: What do you think of the essay "On Duty", addressed to Cicero's son Marcus, who is studying in Athens at the Academy? There are also several letters to Atticus on the topic that may be included in the same book. Mal may be able to tell us the volume containing this material.

Ginny, I will phone around tomorrow and see what I can find with this information. I think all libraries go by IBSN. As Justin said, Cicero's letter to his wife we read in S of C is very touching and it made me curious. I don't mind any subject as long as it is not about wars. We have enough of that don't you think?

Justin, Our Missel in church when I was young had latin on one side of the page and French on the other and I used to often compare the two when I were bored during mass.

My sister is taking a course in Italian language because she wants to travel to Sicily this winter. She wants me to learn it too so we could practice together. I think it would be easier to learn than Spanish that I found more difficult.

Eloïse

The new place .. "---Readings in Latin ~ Cicero ~ Proposed"

And a link to the Harvard Index to Loeb Classical Library.

http://www.hup.harvard.edu/loeb/

Oh! Shut-up, you smart a--es.

I would like to propose, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, a Classic among Classics of the French Literature. I bought it yesterday to read it again after some 40 years since I first read it. It is still widely read and it has an excellent English translation. I wonder if anyone would be interested in discussing it with me.

It brilliantly exposes the penal system in the Napoleonic era. A crime intertwined with suspense and romance keeps us riveted to the book. The plot is set in beautiful Marseilles in the South of France.

Eloïse

Ginny, thanks for your future participation. I would like to discuss it in March if that's OK. I think would be better to discuss it in English even if we read it in French this way we could really have a good time talking about the history, the location and the plot. What do you think?

Eloïse

Ginny, of course I would love to discuss "Les Petits Contes de France" next summer. I didn't read it. Is "Le Petit Prince" de St. Exupéry included in it? It would certainly be a great summer read.