4Les Liaisons dangereuses (Pierre Choderlos de Laclos)
This epistolary novel is published in four volumes in 1782. An epistolary novel means that the whole book consists of letters written by different characters and it is through the letters that the reader can understand what is going on. The story tells the story of two ex-lovers who become rivals, the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont. They both use seduction to control and exploit people. They both enjoy this doing and don’t care that they hurt people while they manipulate them. If you’re interested in the French aristocracy, jealousy, love, lust, passion and the life of the rich before the French revolution, then you’ll enjoy this story. If you’ve ever seen the 1999 movie Cruel Intentions, then you’ll know what this book is all about.
5Cyrano de Bergerac (Edmond Rostand)
Cyrano de Bergerac is a play but it is still a must-read. It was written in 1897 and is a fictionalized version of a real man named Cyrano de Bergerac. Cyrano is a cadet in the French army with panache (great confidence in his style) and many talents: He is an excellent poet and musician but because of his large nose, he thinks that no woman (even if she is unattractive) will eve love him. He is in love with her distant cousin, Roxane, who is beautiful and intellectual. Roxane is supposed to be married off to the Viscount Valvert but she is in love with Christian, another cadet in the army. Cyrano writes beautiful letters to Roxane to help Christian since he is in love with her too. This love triangle is a real page-turner!
6Les Trois Mousquetaires (Alexandre Dumas)
This historical novel was published in 1844 but is set in the early 17th century. The novel chronicles the adventures of d’Artagnan (loosely based on the captain of the Musketeers of the Guard, Charles de Batz-Castelmore d’Artagnan), a young man who joins the Musketeers of the Guard. He can’t join this elite group but becomes friends with three of the best fighters: Athos, Porthos and Aramis. This novel is historical and full of adventure but you also get to know how the author felt about the monarchy and the Second Republic since he comments on the injustices, abuses and idiocy of the old regime. There are numerous movies, television series, books, children’s books, and video games adaptations that have been made to keep d’Artagnan alive.
