10 must-read French books: what to read, in French or in English, and how hard each one really is

TL;DR: We’ve established the 10 best French books to read ranked by difficulty. Not many
people realise that the passé simple tense can make children’s classics tougher than
contemporary novels. It is crucial to find a novel you can read comfortably, and to
understand how challenging the books may be. A study from the Educational Psychology
Review shows choosing a book that is suitable to your proficiency level is highly beneficial
for language learners. Three of the books below are particularly friendly for beginners and
provide an excellent starting point in French literature.

Some readers want the best of French literature and are perfectly happy to read it in English
translation while others want something they can read through entirely, without reaching for
a dictionary. In our guide, we have reviewed the best of French literature and classified
these books in the table below. Our guide shows the level of each book, the linguistic reason
for that level, the length of the book and the English translation worth paying for.


How to choose a French book at your level

Four main criteria should always be considered when determining just how tough a French
book is to read and understand.

1. Tense. Reading French literature sometimes means understanding passé simple, the
literary past tense that denotes a finished action. These days, it is mostly used
stylistically, having largely disappeared from daily conversation except to incorporate
humour into speech. It is seen as overly formal and French learners may not
encounter it very much. It is present in many older books, and this can add a
challenge when trying to understand the text.

2. Register. Some books use slang and verlan, a method in which people flip or jumble
the syllables of words. For instance, ‘Cimer’ is sometimes used in slang instead of
‘Merci’. The sentences are often short, but the slang can still present a significant
challenge for those who do not understand it or use this language day-to-day.

3. Sentence length. Smaller sentences are much more digestible. This is true in any
language where long and complex sentences can add a huge level of difficulty for
those whose French isn’t perfect or native level.

4. Book length. Some of the classics are huge, highly detailed stories that can run into
many hundreds of pages. It is better to take on a 150-page book and finish it than
aim for a 600-page classic and give up. A shorter and more digestible length could
be preferable for many readers.

The levels in the table are CEFR bands, A2 through to C2, which is the same framework
Memrise places learners against. If you already know roughly where you sit, you read the
table and find the best match for you. If you don't know your level, a placement test will tell
you faster than three abandoned chapters will.


Why French children's books are not the easy option

It is easy to assume that children’s books might be a good place to start with your journey. It
is certainly true of the English language, where books for youths tend to use simple
language. Yet this is not the case in French where passé simple appears even in children’s
books, even though it is not often covered in the early stages of French learning. Some
readers struggle to understand all aspects of children’s books and assume they’re not ready
to read French literature; that isn’t necessarily the case.

A lot of people find that contemporary books provide a simpler and more accessible read.
Books by authors like Ernaux and Slimani may provide an easier starting point than
children’s classics. These modern authors very rarely use passé simple in their writing. This
can also be much more useful for learning conversational French rather than old-fashioned
and overly formal language.


The 10 books, from most to least accessible

1. Le Petit Nicolas -  René Goscinny & Jean-Jacques Sempé (1959)

Le Petit Nicolas, written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Jean-Jacques Sempé, is an
excellent place to start. The book is a collection of short stories and includes both the
present and passé composé, with no literary tenses. There are plenty of accessible stories
and passages for people to latch onto. Goscinny is also known for his creation of the iconiccharacter Astérix, along with illustrator Albert Uderzo.

There are some more difficult aspects of Le Petit Nicolas to consider. There are plenty of
run-on sentences and, perhaps most challengingly, a lot of schoolyard slang.
The translation by Anthea Bell is a good option for those who wish to read this in the English
language.


2. L'Étranger - Albert Camus (1942)

L'Étranger is a relatively short novella that focuses on some heavily philosophical themes. It
uses deliberate repetition and a minimalist syntax that makes it much more readable for
those who are closer to a beginner level. It is often readable by those at around an A2 or B1
level of French.

The book is ranked at number one in Le Monde’s 100 Books of the Century, a 1999 poll of
17,000 French readers.

The story is narrated by Meursault, a detached French Algerian who appears emotionally
unmoved by his mother’s death. It explores themes such as the absurdity of existence.
Being so influential, the book has been translated into many languages, including a UK
version translated by Sandra Smith (2012). In addition to Smith’s translation, Matthew
Ward’s edition (1988) is the American standard while Stuart Gilbert’s translation (1946) is the
oldest.


3. Le Scaphandre et le papillon -  Jean-Dominique Bauby (1997)

This memoir sees former Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby describe life after a stroke
leaves him with locked-in syndrome. He was left almost completely paralysed and could
communicate only by blinking his left eyelid. A transcriber repeatedly recited the alphabet,
allowing Bauby to select letters and dictate the book one blink at a time. It took two months
and three hours a day, with roughly 200,000 blinks in total.

The book is at around a B1 level. Bauby’s writing is fairly contemporary and has a
journalistic register. But his vocabulary is impressive and sometimes lyrical, which can
present some challenges.

La Scaphandre et le papillon also has short chapters, which can make it easier to digest and
understand. The book is widely known, it sold 25,000 copies on publication day and 150,000
in the first week and has even been adapted for the screen.

4. Le Chien jaune - Georges Simenon (1931)

Le Chien jaune is one of a wide selection of books by Belgian writer Georges Simenon. The
Maigret series of detective novels saw him publish 75 detective novels and 28 short stories.

In this 1931 book, Inspector Maigret arrives in the Breton port of Concarneau after a local
wine merchant is shot outside a hotel. Soon, further unsettling incidents disturb a group of
prominent townsmen who regularly meet at the Admiral Hotel. Poison appears in their
drinks, one man disappears and a mysterious yellow dog is repeatedly seen near the scenes
of trouble.

Simenon estimated that the vocabulary in these books was deliberately limited to 2000
words. Penguin has reissued all of his books in English with various modern translators.
There’s plenty of material for those who enjoy the books, and the level of French (around
B1) makes it an ideal series for non-native speakers.


5. Vendredi ou la vie Sauvage - Michel Tournier (1971)

Originally published in 1967 as Vendredi ou les Limbes du Pacifique and then revised in
1971 as Vendredi ou la vie Sauvage, Michel Tournier’s award-winning novel retells the
adventures of Robinson Crusoe to examine ideas of culture and authority.

Crusoe finds himself alone on the seemingly deserted island of Speranza. He initially tries to
recreate European society through rules and careful organisation. His life changes when he
rescues an Indigenous man who is about to be sacrificed. Crusoe names him Friday and first
attempts to make him follow his rigid way of living. However, Friday’s freedom, inventiveness
and understanding of nature gradually transform their relationship and Crusoe’s attitude
towards the island.

This book is around the A2 or B1 level and is a great option for those with more limited
vocabularies who want to read an exciting part of French literary history.


6. La Place - Annie Ernaux (1983)

La Place is a novel that suits those at around the B1 to B2 CEFR level. The Nobel
Foundation explained that Ernaux's prose used "plain, stripped-down language” which is
why her book suits learners and those who aren’t quite fluent in French yet.

Ernaux won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2022, "for the courage and clinical acuity with
which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective restraints of personal memory."

The book explores the relationship between father and daughter. Ernaux’s father grew up in
poverty, worked as a labourer and later ran a small café and grocery shop with Ernaux’s
mother. He valued hard work and education and aimed to give his daughter opportunities
denied to him. Yet Ernaux’s academic success introduced her to a middle-class world whose
language and customs separated her from her parents.

Tanya Leslie translated the book for the English audience.


7. L'Amant - Marguerite Duras (1984)

L’Amant sits at a similar level of difficulty to La Place. It can be structurally tough due to the
way it is composed. The timeline is floating and not necessarily chronological, which can
make it harder to follow even for native speakers. However, at a sentence level, the book is
generally simple.

The book has been made available in 43 languages. L'Amant won the Prix Goncourt in
1984, France's most prestigious literary award, and translator Barbara Bray won the Scott
Moncrieff Prize and the PEN/BOMC Translation Prize for it in 1986.

Set in Duras’s place of birth, French colonial Vietnam, L’Amant recalls the narrator’s
adolescence within an impoverished French family. She meets a wealthy Chinese man while
crossing the Mekong River. The two begin an intense relationship shaped by desire and the
rigid divisions of colonial society. Her family privately benefits from the affair while publicly
treating the man with prejudice.

8. Le Petit Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1943 US / 1945 France)

Le Petit Prince is not as much of a beginner novel as some people claim. It introduces passé
simple in chapter two and contains the subjonctif imparfait in phrases like: "Je ne compris
pas pourquoi il était si important que les moutons mangeassent les arbustes". Beginners
may not find this book accessible as a result.

It uses a wide vocabulary which can be off-putting, but Memrise’s logical focus on learning the most popular French words first helps to keep books like Le Petit Prince much more
accessible.

The book is undeniably popular. In fact, it has been the most translated non-religious book
since April 2017 and has sold over 140 million copies in 600 languages and dialects as of
November 2024.

The plot follows a pilot stranded in the Sahara. He meets a mysterious young prince who
has travelled to Earth from a tiny asteroid. The prince describes his home and his
demanding but beloved rose. He talks of his visits to several planets where he encountered
adults consumed by vanity or pointless routines.

9. Chanson douce - Leïla Slimani (2016)

Chanson douce became a huge hit when it was released and won the Prix Goncourt 2016,
selling 600,000 copies in France in its first year. Because of the novel’s register, it is more
suitable for B2-level readers. The vocabulary is contemporary and there are no literary
tenses to decode, so the difficulty is with the novel’s pace and subject matter rather than
grammar.

The novel reveals that it has a tragic outcome immediately, then examines the
circumstances leading towards it. It deals with heavy themes such as class and family
dynamics.

The opening pages are the hardest to understand and the most complex. The Guided
French Book Club (French à la Carte) notes that "the style becomes simpler" after chapter
four. For readers able to move past these more challenging sections, the novel is highly
rewarding and moving.

10. Le Comte de Monte-Cristo - Alexandre Dumas (serialised 28 Aug
1844 – 15 Jan 1846) 

Readers should be at a high level of French language ability before they consider taking on
this huge story, written by Alexandre Dumas and serialised between 1844 and 1846.

One of the biggest challenges of this novel is its length. One hundred and seventeen
chapters of passé simple is a commitment for any reader. However, the plot restates itself
often enough that you can lose a paragraph and stay afloat.

It is also important to note that the edition you read also makes a big difference. The
common English text is derived from an anonymous 1846 Chapman & Hall translation;
however, this is abridged and bowdlerised. More modern translation options may be more
suitable for the contemporary reader, with versions by Robin Buss (Penguin Classics, 1996)
or David Coward (Oxford World's Classics) proving popular.



Reading in French vs reading in translation

Reading in translation is an option for those who are focusing on the story alone and want to explore it in their native language. But the French versions are very useful for those who want to learn the language and reinforce their French comprehension. It's worth being honest with yourself about which of the two you're after, because the answer changes what you should pick up.

Some learners assume that challenging themselves and trying to reach for more complex  books is the best option. This isn't necessarily the case. A study published in the Educational Psychology Review in September 2025 found that learners' choice of text was constrained by their proficiency level. Choosing a book that fits your current level is therefore one of the most important decisions to make when deciding on a French book.

If you're reading in English, the edition is worth a second look before you buy. As mentioned, the free text you'll find online for Le Comte de Monte-Cristo is the anonymous 1846 Chapman and Hall version, which is abridged and has the racier bits taken out. The complete versions by Robin Buss (Penguin Classics, 1996) or David Coward (Oxford World's Classics) are the ones to go for. Where a book here has more than one translation,  the table above highlights the edition worth having.


How to actually get through your first French novel

Actually succeeding at reading your first French novel is not a case of heading to Google or a French dictionary every 10 seconds. That's a habit that will only drain you as a reader and could see you closing the book unfinished, usually somewhere around chapter three. Read for gist. This means that you should be able to understand the general notion of what is happening and what the characters are discussing. The words you skip past will come round again, and you'll pick most of them up on the second or third attempt.

It is also a good idea to use a bilingual edition. If areas get particularly tricky, you can refer to your native version to understand what is happening. There's nothing to feel bad about here as having the English on the facing page turns a difficult paragraph into a five-second check. Many users find themselves reading the same book twice to cement the knowledge and understanding, and the second attempt is often where understanding sticks, because you're no longer spending all your attention on working out the plot.

It is also worth mentioning that you should finish something short before you start something long. A 114-page Ernaux you've read to the end will do more for you and feel more satisfying  than 300 pages of Monte-Cristo.

It is also crucial to understand how this knowledge relates to using the language. Reading a word and recognising it at speed are different skills. Native-speaker video clips form a fundamental part of Memrise's French course and give you a chance to practise using the language.



Frequently asked questions

What is the best French book to start with?
Le Petit Nicolas is an exceptional place to start. It has relatively simple language and is split
into short stories that are digestible. As it is told from the perspective of an eight-year-old,
the vocabulary and grammar are simple enough for those learning French to follow and
comprehend.

Is Le Petit Prince good for French beginners?
Le Petit Prince is often recommended for beginners, but it is not as much of a beginner’s
book as everyone says. It uses the challenging subjonctif imparfait which some French
beginners might struggle to understand. Despite appearing to be a children’s book, Le Petit
Prince is intentionally abstract and poetic, which can be challenging for some readers

What level of French do I need to read a novel?
Most people find that they need at least A2 French to read a simple novel in the language.
However, readers might find that they need to look up vocabulary or could trip up on certain
grammatical points. Higher levels of French, like B1 and B2, give the reader a sense of
linguistic context and plot comprehension, which makes the reading experience more fluid
and enjoyable

Should I read French books in French or in English?
For learning the language, reading books in French is ideal. Reading books in the original
French allows the reader to pick up on the rhythm of the text or linguistic tricks the writer
might have used. However, English translations can still be a great way to enjoy the story
without needing to be completely fluent. Moreover, having a bilingual copy of a book is
excellent for checking any new words and saves having to carry a dictionary around.

Can you learn French by reading books?
Reading books can be a very helpful part of learning French. You cannot learn French
exclusively by reading books, but it forms a key part of the learning experience. Reading
books in French also adds a layer of cultural context that goes beyond simply learning
vocabulary and grammar.

What are the most famous French novels?
Some of the most famous French novels are L’Étranger by Albert Camus, Le Comte de
Monte-Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, who also authored Les Trois Mousquetaires.
Additionally, Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is a well-known and loved book for
both children and adults.