Short stories might not be as popular as their cousin the novel but they are full of themes, powerful imagery and interesting characters that can actually convince you might like them more. Since they are so short, they are great reads when you are learning a new language. From French literature classics to more contemporary reads, these 10 French short stories are all very different but they are all great reads to explore if you are lacking ideas of things to read.
1La Parure (Guy de Maupassant)
Guy de Maupassant is well known for his novels, but do you know he wrote some of the greatest French short stories? This short story was published in 1884 and first appeared in Le Gaulois, a daily French newspaper. The story is about a housewife who wishes she could live a lavish and ostentation life full of elegance and style. Her husband works for the government and doesn’t make a lot of money but one day he gets invited to a big party that will be filled with affluent people. His wife is very excited and asks her wealthy friend if she can borrow her precious necklace so she can look the part…but unfortunately, things don’t turn out so well.
2Pulpe (various authors)
3La Vénus d’Ille (Prosper Mérimée)
La Vénus D’Ille is a fantasy short story written in 1835. The story is set in the Pyréneés-Orientales in France and tells the story of an antique dealer and a guide that discover a statue of Venus while uprooting a dead olive tree. The statue seems to have some mystical powers because every time someone hurts the statue in any way, something bad happens to the person who hurt it. The men notice a strange inscription on the statue: “Cave amantem” which means “Take care if she should love you”…Intriguing.
