French Stories / Contes Français (A Dual-Language Book) (English and French Edition)

First the good. These stories are worth reading anyway, even if not trying to improve your French. Can't believe I never read Micromegas before! Can't believe it was written mid 1700s! So the selection of stories is an excellent one and the practice and vocabulary building comes quickly. For that reason, I'd unquestionably buy this again.The bad. I know enough French to know that the translations are atrocious. Though I am not fluent in French, I believe I could have done a better, truer translation (with help of a French dictionary). Beautiful phrases are translated into mundane English cliches and some unknown French words are, on some occasions, "translated" into the identical (and equally unknown) word on the English side. Did the translater not have access to an English dictionary or did he not know what the French word really meant?So -- definitely a useful buy for learning and practicing French and (particularly if you can read most of it in French) interesting stories as well. Just try not to refer to the English counterpart more than you must, such as for the periodic word translation.

This is just the type of book I was looking for to increase my French literacy. Previous to buying this book, I would buy a book such as "L'Etranger" in French and also in English and read them side by side--so this book of French stories does exactly that in one book. It's also a plus that the stories themselves are are excellent from a literary point of view, and would be worthwhile reading, even just in English.The only drawback is, as a novice in the French language, it was very challenging for me to read in French without resorting very frequently to the English side of the page. It made me want to find a similar book, but slightly less advanced, so that I could graduate up to this book.If you are fairly new to French, this is not for you. If you are fairly fluent, this will be a pleasure read. If you are somewhere in the middle like me, with a few years of schooling in French but no practical experience, take it on as a learning opportunity, but you may not be able to read more than a few pages at one sitting.

These are challenging stories from the past. The vocabulary is advanced. I have taken several years of French and found the stories not easy to read. If you want stories that are modern and accessible, look elsewhere. If you want true French literature from the past, this might be your cup of tea. I write my translations directly in the book using a French dictionary and then read the English translation the book provides. Your French would improve if you worked diligently in this book.

I took a few years of French and was impressed with this "novel" approach to learning the language. I wish I had known of such a book when I was in school. This book was purchased as a gift for my 15 year old son. He's a French 1 student in high school.My son's confidence in his French language skills has improved since he began reading this book (just a few nights ago). We both agree the vocabulary is intermediate level, but can be interpreted by a beginning level French speaker.The low price and unique approach make this little book a must have for all high school French students. Order it!

Appreciated the chance to access shorter pieces written by classic French authors. The side-by-side feature means I can share the book with both anglophones and francophones.

An excellent way to learn French, from some of the best writers in the language.The English translation is close, but not exactly word-for-word. This makes the English clunky but in places it also makes it hard to tell exactly what is going on in the French. Nonetheless, a very helpful adjunct for anyone trying to learn the French language.

The content is excellent and would suit the intermediate student who wants to push a little harder and gain some exposure to a cross section of French literature.This is the first time I have used an e-version of a parallel text book and I am a little disappointed as one needs to read quite a bit before getting the English translation. I am more used to having it on the opposite page. I will try to buy the hard copy as well if it is available.

This is a great dusk language book to brush up on your French. The stories are written by some of the best French writers. It can be very challenging and the content of the stories can be very intense, but if you wish to expand your vocabulary and strengthen your linguistic knowledge, I highly recommend this book.

The stories are rather old-fashioned, obviously, by design. And the translations are therefore also rather dated, by necessity. This is a charming and educational collection for a reader already pretty well acquainted with French, but might make it less than the perfect choice for a beginner, who would absorb a rather old-fashioned style of French that would sound pretty passé if used in conversation today. So, a really good book—for the intended audience.

All the writers and most of the characters are male. I found myself wondering who are the French women writers and ended up buying Bonjour Tristesse .?! The eBook format isn't ideal for parallel text ( the clue's in 'parallel') but it is surprisingly manageable and encourages you to have a go at deciphering the French before surrendering to the expert fluency of the translation. In spite of the gender bias the stories are most enjoyable varying from moral tale to prose poem. The level of difficulty is respectful but not extreme.

An interesting collection of short pieces from a varied selection of accomplished and renowned authors. To my albeit inexperienced eye, the parallel translation seems to have accuracy without being too literal.There is a useful vocabulary at the back. I would say the standard of French it is most suited for is "intermediate level" ie somewhat more advanced than UK A-level. It will most interest those people who would like read the authors in English anyway.

Excellent condition, sent quickly and the book’s dual-language is a good format to improve vocabulary and understanding

Some charming stories in this collection - facing page (French one side, English translation opposite), thus easy to read for novice students or even those who don't speak French. "The Atheist's Mass" was my favourite, but I won't spoil it by telling you why.. you'll have to read it yourself ;)