Short Stories in French (New Penguin Parallel Texts)

Rating:
Summary: full spectrum of writings and translation
Review: The content in the original French ranges from the beautiful "On ne meurt jamais" to the confusing "Le personnage" Some works are interesting but others seem tedious. The collection presents to the reader a wide range of contemporary French literature and, if one is a student, an excellent opportunity to see the French language used in all its various applications. The editor takes the liberty of translating the sense of idiomatic phrases rather than attempting to force the words into something that resembles the original, with mixed results. The longest piece, 'David' is also one of the best, as is 'L'objet d'art'; my favorite 'On ne meurt jamais' made the purchase worthwhile all by itself.

Rating:
Summary: full spectrum of writings and translation
Review: The content in the original French ranges from the beautiful "On ne meurt jamais" to the confusing "Le personnage" Some works are interesting but others seem tedious. The collection presents to the reader a wide range of contemporary French literature and, if one is a student, an excellent opportunity to see the French language used in all its various applications. The editor takes the liberty of translating the sense of idiomatic phrases rather than attempting to force the words into something that resembles the original, with mixed results. The longest piece, 'David' is also one of the best, as is 'L'objet d'art'; my favorite 'On ne meurt jamais' made the purchase worthwhile all by itself.