Category: Literature

Literature, The Arts in France

Six of the Most Famous Poems by Victor Hugo with their English Translations

Victor Hugo is one of the most famous French authors, and is best-known in the Anglophone world for his novels The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables. However, he was also one of the great Romantic poets (and playwrights). His poetry collections contain some of the finest works of the era, and reflect upon themes such as death, nature, and love, as well as the … Continue reading Six of the Most Famous Poems by Victor Hugo with their English Translations

Michael Partridge
Literature, The Arts in France

Seven of the Most Famous French Playwrights

Sadly, French playwrights are often overlooked in comparison to the greats of Anglophone and Greek theatre like Sophocles and Shakespeare. Perhaps with the exception of Molière, most can’t name a single French playwright. To try and right this wrong, I’ve made a list of seven of my favourite acclaimed French dramatists, along with an introduction to their style and most famous plays. These playwrights were … Continue reading Seven of the Most Famous French Playwrights

Michael Partridge
Literature, The Arts in France

Five of the Most Famous French Poems with their English Translations

As well as creating some of the greatest novels in Western literature, French writers have also produced some of its finest poetry. Throughout the centuries, the universal themes of love, death, nature, and war have all been explored by French poets in their stanzas and rhymes. Our small selection of some of the finest French poems consists of those by Victor Hugo, Arthur Rimbaud, Jacques … Continue reading Five of the Most Famous French Poems with their English Translations

Michael Partridge
Literature, The Arts in France

Ten of the Most Famous Classic French Novels

For many centuries, France has had a high reputation in European intellectual culture, and its literature is no exception. French authors have produced works known around the world, pioneered and reinvented genres, and explored everything from marriage to revolution. Our list of ten of the most famous French classics includes novels from the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. These books have all been written … Continue reading Ten of the Most Famous Classic French Novels

Michael Partridge