François Dupaire & Farid Boudjellal: La Présidente
In this graphic novel, historian François Dupaire imagines Marine Le Pen's victory in the 2017 presidential elections in a divided France – a nightmare in color? Farid Boudjellal's illustrations depict this scenario in black and white. The graphic novel invites readers to experience a potential election victory and the first months of Le Pen's presidency from various perspectives. The portrayal of the political implementation and its social consequences is at times somewhat graphic. At the same time, however, the graphic novel adheres strictly to the election platform of the National Front at the time. This close connection to political reality lends the graphic novel its tension and provokes thought.
Genre: Comic / Bande dessinée
Recommended for: those interested in politics, ideally with some prior knowledge of French politics.
In this bande dessinée, the histories François Dupaire imagine the victory of Marine Le Pen aux élections presidents de 2017 in a France division – a cauchemar en couleurs? The oeuvre (a ?) is designed by Farid Boudjellal – in black and white. The bande dessinée demandse toutefois aux lecteur.rices de suivre l'élection, la victoire et les premiers mois du mandate de Marine Le Pen sous different angles. The representation of the mise en œuvre d'une politique d'extreme droite et de ses conséquences sociales ensemble parfois un peu drastique. En revanche, the ouvrage reste fidèle au program électoral du Front National de 2017. This proximity with the réalité politique conference à la bande dessinée tout son suspense et incite à la réflexion.
Recommended for: people interested in general politics. This plus is a useful source of connaissance in France politics.
Paul E.
Rachid Benzine: Les silences des pères
"We only want to protect you"—a sentence from parents that one didn't want to believe as a child. But this novel showed me how true it is. It tells the story of a son who follows in the footsteps of his deceased father. Through the father's old cassette tapes from exile, a new light is shed on the man who, to the son, had always seemed like a cold and perpetually silent stranger.
With its calm yet compelling writing style, the novel shows how easily we forget what parents do for their children, and that they too are human beings who carry their own grief and worries. This story is a reminder to always be grateful to them – for what we have and for what they have made possible for us.
Genre: autobiographically inspired novel
Recommended for: all those who like to be touched by the fates of other people, who want to trace the hidden thoughts and motivations of their parents, and who want to learn how the absence of a psychologically distant father can be understood in a new way.
« Nous voulons seulement te protéger » – a phrase pronounced by the parents, à laquelle on ne voulait pas croire enfant. This is a Roman watch from the point of view. The history of a file that suits the traces of his father's décédé et qui, grâce à ses vieilles cassettes audio enregistrées pendant son exil, découvre sous un nouveau jour cet homme qui a toujours été pour lui un étranger froid et taciturne.
Avec son style calme mais intense, ce roman fait comprendre à quel point nous oublions facilement ce que des parents font pour leurs enfants et qu'eux aussi sont des êtres humains, qui portent en eux leur propre chagrin et leurs propres soucis. Ce récit rappelle qu'il faut toujours leur être reconnaissant – pour ce que nous avons et pour ce qu'ils nous ont permis d'accomplir.
Recommended for: tous cells.eux qui aiment être touché.es par le destin d'autres personnes, qui veulent comprendre les pensées et les motivations cachées de leurs parents et qui veulent découvrir comment l'absence d'un père psychologiquement distant peut être consist d'une new manner.
Emma-Marie L.
Molière: Le Tartuffe
More than four hundred years after its publication, it is difficult not to appreciate the potential of this work and recognize how far ahead of its time it was. It is indeed a timeless work—the themes it addresses remain remarkably familiar and relevant today. This satirical reckoning with the 17th-century bourgeoisie takes aim at the exploitation of faith, false piety, hypocrisy, and manipulation, criticizing the modus operandi of the highest social classes of the era. Molière successfully portrays both conventional and controversial aspects of society by denouncing its essence through the comic technique of exaggerating his characters' traits. It is no wonder, then, that the play earned him five years of censorship from the Church…
Genre: theatrical comedy/comedy
Recommended for: all literature and theatre enthusiasts who want to rediscover a French classic – without the risk of being disappointed!
Plus the four cents after the parution, it is difficult to appraise the potential of this oeuvre and remember the same point in time. The piece is in a temporary effect: the themes abordées restent encore aujourd'hui extremely familières et actuales. This véritable dénonciation satirique de la bourgeoisie du XVIIe siècle aborde l'exploitation de la foi, la fausse dévotion, l'hypocrisie et la manipulation et critique le modus operandi des classes sociales les plus élevées de son époque. Molière parvient avec succès à primer des aspects conventionnels et controversés de la société, tout en dévoilant leur nature à travers le procédé comique qui consiste à accentuer les traits des figures. This is not the case for this criticism, which is worth the criticism of the part of the church…
Recommended for: the enthousiasts of the literature and the theater, who will (re)découvrir a grand classique French – without the risk of d'être déçu.e!
Assma S.
Laetitia Colombani: La Tresse
This inspiring novel about the position of women, social inequality, and the 'invisible solidarity' between people tells the very different stories of three women in India, Italy, and Canada in short, intense chapters. The literary device: their lives are linked by the symbol of hair. Despite the different realities of the three women, the themes that concern them are the same: the stories are about courage, the fight against injustice, and the longing for freedom and self-determination.
Genre: Novel
Recommended for: anyone who loves a good read, because you won't be able to put this book down!
This novel inspires the place of the woman in our society, the inégalités sociales et la "solidarité invisible" between les êtres humains est raconté à travers des chapitres courts et intensely retraçant les destins très différents de three femmes vivant en Inde, en Italie et au Canada. The clou littéraire: Leurs vies sont liées par le symbole des cheveux. Malgré les réalités contrastées des three femmes, les themes qui les animation sont les mêmes: les récits parlent de courage, de la lutte against l'injustice et du désir de liberté et d'autodétermination.
Recommend for : the readers and lectures will have an experience that will bring you more joy in the book!
Lysann G.
Alain Robbe-Grillet: La Jalousie
This story offers an unusual reading experience: the narrator's presence in the plot is only implied, and the strange plot itself is fragmentary and non-linear. Set on a colonial banana plantation, it revolves around a jealous husband, blinds, and centipedes…
Genre: a novel that deliberately throws the conventions of a novel overboard – a nouveau roman
Recommended for: anyone who enjoys reading something unusual and challenging. But also for anyone who likes to tell others what they're reading…
This récit offers an experience of reading inhabituelle: the narrateur and its presence are not so implicit, the intrigue is fragmented and non-linear. Sur une plantation de bananas, all tourne autour des jalousies – dans all les senses du mot – et des mille-pattes…
Recommended for: the reader can read the books inhabituels or difficiles and they can also hear the words they read...
Till S.
Morris & Goscinny: Lucky Luke – La Diligence
Lucky Luke is a true hero, because in this comic he's escorting a stagecoach transporting gold – why? Transporting gold has recently become a real challenge, as there have been repeated attacks and robberies on stagecoaches. In any case, the story is a captivating adventure, which Lucky Luke, as always, tackles with humor and nonchalance. The artwork is also vibrant and reflects the journey in the typically colorful style of the world-famous comic series.
Genre: Comic/Bande dessinée
Recommended for: all comic fans – and all those who want to become one! – preferably with a penchant for humorous stories and a love of the Wild West.
Lucky Luke is one of his heroes, accompagnant of a thoroughness that transports the ore – mais en quoi est-ce heroïque? The frequent attacks on the prairie font that the transport of the ore is désormais devenu a veritable défi. The history is a captivating adventure that reflects the humor and nonchalance of Lucky Luke. The vivid graphic design reflects the color spirit, typical of the world-class series.
Recommended for: celles.eux qui aiment la bande dessinée – and qui souhaitent la découvrir ! – with a preference for the histoires humoristiques and the Far West.
Veronika D.
Emmanuel Carrère: L' Adversaire
Jean-Claude Romand – beloved husband, loving father, good friend, respected doctor. For two decades, this man lived a lie. Just before everything threatened to unravel, he murdered his wife, children, and parents. Emmanuel Carrère, the author of * The Adversary* , not only recounts a true murder story but also questions the act of storytelling itself, grappling with the questions: "Is it justifiable to write about a serial killer?", "What drove Jean-Claude Romand to murder?", and "Where does journalism end and literature begin?"
Genre: Documentary novel
Recommended for: Readers who find true crime with a focus on the psychological background exciting.
Jean-Claude Romand – mari aimant, père attentionné, ami fiable, médecin respecté. Pendant vingt ans, this homme a vécu une vie fausse remplie de mensonges. This is why it was discovered that the woman, her children and her parents. Emmanuel Carrère, the author of the Adversaire, has already written about the history of his death, but he also answers the question of the truth of the story in his own right: «Est-ce qu'il est acceptable d'écrire sur un meurtrier multiple? », « What did Jean-Claude Romand say about these things? » and « Did you start journalism and start the literature? ».
Recommended for: cells.eux that aim at true crime and find interesting psychological motivations.
Henriette F.
Christine Arnothy: J'ai quinze ans et je ne veux pas mourir
What would you do if you were 15 and every day could be your last? This is the question Christine Arnothy asks herself as she recounts her experiences during the Siege of Budapest in World War II in her autobiography. She manages to describe her feelings, fears, and hopes with a compelling directness, giving the reader a genuine glimpse into life during the Second World War. Her story is moving and simultaneously demonstrates the importance of hope and solidarity in difficult situations.
Genre: Autobiography
Recommended for: anyone who wants to learn more about how strong people can be in difficult and dangerous phases of life: both teenagers who are the same age as the author herself was at the time, and young adults who want to learn about history in a different way.
Are you still 15 years old and can you get to the bottom? C'est la question que se pose Christine Arnothy, qui raconte dans son autobiographie ses expériences pendant le siège de Budapest pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Elle réussit à décrire ses sentiments, sa peur et son espoir de manière directe, offered aux lecteur.rices a véritable aperçu de la vie pendant la guerre. The story is touched upon and monitored simultaneously by the importance of the story and solidarity.
Recommended for: cells.eux qui veulent comprendre la force des personnes dans les moments difficiles. It is also of interest to young people in the same way that the young people of adults who learn the history of a different style.
Marie S.
Leïla Slimani: Le pays des other people
This is an intense novel about Mathilde, a Frenchwoman in 1950s Morocco, searching for her place in love, abroad, and within the framework of societal expectations. Slimani's way of portraying the colonial era, racism, and patriarchy in clear and accessible language, on both an emotional and political level, particularly impressed me.
Genre: Novel
Recommended for: Readers who enjoy family stories in a historical context, are interested in colonialism, identity and strong female roles, as well as those with North African roots who can identify with the theme of interculturality.
This is an intense novel about Mathilde, in a French language in Maroc in the years 1950, which takes place in the heart of love, life and the social events. This is a marquée for the manière dont Slimani montre la period coloniale, le racisme et le patriarcat dans a langue claire, accessible and pourtant très forte sur le plan émotionnel et politique.
Recommended for: celles.eux qui apprécient les familiales histories in a historical context, qui s'intéressent au colonialisme, à l'identité et aux figures féminines fortes, ainsi que les personnes d'origine Nord-Africaine qui se reconnaissent in the thème de l'interculturalité.
Yasmine C.
Scholastique Mukasonga: Notre Dame du Nil
This novel, set two decades before the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, addresses the ethnic tensions that were already present in the 1970s. Despite this dark chapter, readers are invited to adopt an unusual perspective, as the events are followed from the viewpoint of a group of students at the Lycée Notre-Dame du Nil: a Catholic girls' school perched atop one of Rwanda's highest mountains.
The stories told about these girls' lives reveal the traces of colonialism, while simultaneously giving space to pre-colonial religions—a stark contrast to the social tensions within this Western-influenced school. The school, which initially seems to protect its students, quickly becomes a stage for intrigue and political pressure. What makes this novel so special is the implicit way in which readers participate in this escalating social conflict. Although aware of their inevitable fate, it is the everyday lives of these young women that truly captivate us: their ambitions, the challenges of adolescence, and the tensions that unfold within such a diverse group.
Genre: historical novel, moral questioning, religious and national identity / fiction historique, questionnement de la moralité, la religion et l'identité Nationale
Recommended for: Readers who appreciate an undeniably female narrative deeply rooted in Rwandan cultural history.
This novel, located in decades before the genocide of the Tutsis in 1994, is penche sur les ethnic tensions déjà bien presentes dans les années 1970. Malgré ce chapitre sombre, les lecteur.rices sont invité.es à l'apercevoir d'un point de Vue assezz stupéfiant: en suivant un groupe d'élèves du Lycée Notre Dame du Nil, perché sur l'une des plus hautes montagnes du Rwanda.
The trajectoires racontées de ces girls mettent en lumière les traces du colonialisme, tout en laissant place aux religions precoloniales, en contraste important avec les enjeux social d'une école catholique de young girls. Rapidly, the institution that protects itself from its elements leads to the theater of political pressures and intrigues, and a whole basculer vers la peur.
Ce qui rend ce roman si special, c'est la manière implicite avec laquelle les lecteur.rices participent à un tel dénouement social. Bel et bien conscient.es du destin inéluctable, c'est tout de même le quotidien des young femmes qui nous enveloppe: leurs ambitions, les problems de l'adolescence et les solidarités qui se déploient au sein d'un groupe si diverse.
Recommended for: the readers who apprehend an incontestable feminine narrative, also in the culture and in the history of Rwanda.
Noah B.
Fatima Daas: La petite dernière
In this autofictional narrative, the protagonist Fatima recounts her life as a French woman of Algerian descent. A devout Muslim, she grew up in the Parisian suburbs and eventually has to admit to herself that she is attracted to women. She also suffers from a chronic illness. All of this leads to a feeling of social alienation.
This moving novel sensitively portrays the inner turmoil of a young woman. The conflict between her faith, her familial responsibilities, and her coming out as a queer woman is clearly highlighted as a central theme. When Fatima finally meets Nina, her world is turned upside down. Must she now choose a path in life? Or is it possible to reconcile all the contradictions that life throws at us, or at least allow them to coexist?
Genre: autofictional coming-of-age novel with poetic elements / roman autofictionnel coming-of-age with des éléments poétiques
Recommended for: anyone who can relate to the feeling of a life full of contradictions and doesn't want to choose just one path.
Dans ce récit autofictionnel, the protagonist Fatima parle de sa vie en tant que Française d'origine Algérienne. Elle est musulmane pratiquante, grandit dans les banlieues Parisiennes – and elle doit accepter le fait qu'elle soit attirée par les femmes. De plus, elle souffre d'une maladie chronique. All these things belong to a sentiment of social alienation.
This novel is the watchful eye for empathizing with the inner interior of a young woman. The central conflict is visible: the tentative conciliation of the family, the responsibility of the family and the coming out of the interior of the queer woman. Lorsque Fatima has the connaissance of Nina, sa vie est bouleversée. Do you have a fair choice of vie? Is it possible to have one another or to coexist without contradictions in the font of the vie?
Recommended for: celles.eux, which can understand the sentiment of a wide range of contradictions and which does not necessarily limit a unique conception of the world.
Merle K.
The media recommendations were compiled by students of the University of Bremen in cooperation with Campus Nord for France and Francophonie.