Well, I took a grad-level French literature class last semester, which took all of my extra time...no time to read other stuff. Here is what I read in class, in case any of you are interested in French contemporary literature.
Enfant de sable by Ben Tahar Jelloun: This is the story of an Arabic family with all girls. The father is so ashamed that he decides that the next child will be raised as a boy, no matter what. This is the story of that child, born female but raised male.
Le premier siecle apres Beatrice by Maalouf: This is the story of a world where it becomes possible to choose male or female children. The results are devastating to the globe as nature is messed with.
Le Ventre de l'Atlantique by Diome: This is the story of an African girl living in France and her struggle with identity. It is also the story of her brother, still in Africa, who wants to play soccer in France more than anything in the world.
Diego by Redonnet: This is the story of an ex-political prisoner who flees to France upon his release from jail. The book talks about how les clandestins are treated in France and the "underworld" of these illegals.
L'Adversaire by Carrere: This is a true story of a man who truly lived a lie. He "attended" medical school alongside his friends, got a job with the World Health Organization, and had many famous friends. In reality, he had no degree and no job. He supported his family by taking others' savings and "depositing" them in a Swiss bank where they would grow more quickly and wouldn't be subject to taxes. Eventually, others start to question him about his life and he kills his family and tries to kill himself. VERY disturbing story.
Whew! That explains my last semester. I can't decide if I'll try to remember any English books that might have come in that time, or if I will just start anew with 2012.
No comments:
Post a Comment