Books about moving to and living in France

General Discussion
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In the last couple of months I’ve read quite a few (>25) personal accounts by people who have moved to France… you can’t do too much research! However I’m rapidly running out and am looking for suggestions. If you have a favourite, or have written your own account and published it, please point me in the right direction.

If you want to see the list of what I’ve read so far you can see it here https://leroideprusse.com/2018/08/05/reading-list/

Thanks

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It doesn’t strictly fit your criteria but this one has explained a lot of the French mystery for me and confirmed a lot of my suspicions.
Sixty Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong: Paperback – May 1, 2003

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Thanks Richard. I saw that mentioned elsewhere and will definitely have a look.

4

I enjoyed the Caro Feely books on setting up a vineyard.

Grape Expectations: A Family’s Vineyard Adventure in France https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1849532575/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_C7oTBbX0GMHP4

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Ha! I know her :relaxed:

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We went to meet her last summer and have a tour of the vineyard - it is a beautiful location.

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I read that too and enjoyed it! The second one is on my shelf waiting to be read.

I enjoyed the Peter Mayle books, especially A Year in Provence.

I have also read books by Karen Wheeler (early ones are best) and by Carol Drinkwater (the actress who played Helen Herriot in All Creatures Great and Small) who owns an olive farm.

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8

Personally I think that reading the french classics is a very good foundation for getting a feel for french culture, history and so on. So things like Moliére’s Misanthrope, Zola’s books are great reads, or of course Les Misérables.

There’s also a more modern book called French Lessons by Alice Kaplan that is of some interest.

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By the later Karen Wheeler books I wanted to get hold of her and shake hery

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I know what you mean. She lived quite close to me so I could have arranged it.

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Just along the road from chez moi, in fact I drive past every day on my way to work.

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Wow, very pretty area.

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I’ve managed to read Les Misérables, all 1200 odd pages, but only in English. Incredible book. I’ve also read Zola’s L’Assommoir, again in English, and enjoyed it immensely although it was relentlessly depressing.

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Yes, I’ve just read the latest one and found it to be just one long whinge. Didn’t really enjoy it.

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My novel ‘Chasing Dreams and Flies; a Tragicomedy of Life in France’ is available on Amazon as an ebook and a paperback.

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In case anyone is running out of books about moving to and living in France I have updated my reading list which includes links to the more than 40 titles I’ve ready in the last six months… I should really get out more!

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Gideon, thanks for that list.

Which books did you find the most helpful? It seems to me that while 10-20 years ago there were plenty of books on the practical aspects of the move, no-one publishes such things any more. (Recently we’ve been watching French Fields, as it happens :wink:)

One author I wouldn’t recommend, though I read him precisely for the reasons you mention, is Michel Houllebecq.

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Yes, I wouldn’t give Houllebecq the time of day…

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Hope it’s useful Stevie.

All the ‘How to’ books have something to offer, even if it is what not to do, whilst the personal accounts vary dramatically in quality and readability. My personal favourites are Beth Haslam’s four books about moving with dogs and an irascible husband, Fidelma Cook’s French Leave, Matt Feroze’s account of becoming a Cheese expert and Simon Swinn’s tales of taking over a campsite. The reviews on Amazon are a useful guide, though I’ve only been moved to write one myself; to complain about the horrible racism of the author.

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I read ‘Atomised’ many years ago but haven’t read anything since.