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 fall term, we will read Annie Ernaux’s La Place, a short novel written after her father's death; Incendies, a play by Canadian-Lebanese author Wajdi Mouawad which was later made into a film by Canadian director Denis Villeneuve; and Le consentement by Vanessa Springora, a powerful look at her complicated involvement with the writer Gabriel Matzneff who pursued her when she was 14 and he was 50. A film based on the book is due in October.
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.
