Welcome to Part I of “The Oxford Book of French Short Stories” (in English translation). Spanning the centuries from the late 18th to the late 20th, the collection opens with a rambunctious tale from the Marquis de Sade, then proceeds to take on the masters of the 19th century, from Stendhal and Balzac to Maupassant, and reaches to Quebec, Africa, and the French Caribbean. Women writers include relatively well-known figures such as Renee Vivien, Colette, and Beauvoir, and newer writers such as Assia Djebar, Christiane Baroche, and Annie Saumont. Before each session, students will read three or four designated stories, which will then be discussed in a comfortable inclusive classroom setting. We will only be covering only the first 15 stories. The final stories, Part II, are planned to be covered in the winter of 2026. The French short story is a rich and diverse medium, but all the stories selected share a common characteristic: They will make this class exciting and fun!
NOTE: A copy of “The Oxford Book of French Short Stories,” edited by Elizabeth Fallaize, is required. New and used versions are available online with used versions priced at about $8.