Course Description
Discover and discuss contemporary classics in this lively class for high-intermediate and advanced French speakers. You’ll read a book at home, either a short novel or play, then participate in a class discussion. The instructor will supply context and cultural elements, as well as discussion questions intended to spark reflection and debate. In the spirit of literary cafés, the class will help you gain a deeper knowledge of French societal issues and controversies.
For the spring term, we will read Françoise Sagan’s Bonjour Tristesse, an entertaining novel set in the sixties on the French Riviera that provoked a scandal in its day, and critically acclaimed Jean-Luc Lagarce’s Juste la fin du monde, an autobiographical play later adapted for the screen by Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan.
Please note: the first class will be primarily focused on introductions and a discussion of the first reading, and may be shorter than subsequent sessions.
About the instructor
Bleuenn Simon has taught French literature and French as a second language for over 18 years in France and in the United States. She is also a theater teacher, amateur actress, and author.
