French book club

Sat 14 Jan 2017, 16:41 (last edited on Sat 14 Jan 2017, 16:46)

I'm a student at Alliance Français d'Oxford. As well as classes they run cultural events which are open to all. One of these is their book-club. The first Saturday in the month.

The book club meets at the garden room of the Anchor Pub in north Oxford and people typically have a coffee and pastry whilst discussing the texts (in french). It costs £12. If you are interested please do come back to me. I'm planning on driving in to both so can offer a couple of people a lift. Alternatively you can contact director@af-oxford.org to make a direct booking. There is a car park and some free off-street parking if you drive.

I find its easiest to get the books via kindle, but I've seen previous titles at Blackwells in their international section.

On Saturday Feb 4th the book is "Chanson Douce" by Leïla Slimani. It won the Prix Goncourt 2016. According to Amazon its a story of a professional couple - the wife decides to return to her law firm, and so they need to hire a nanny. Little by little they learn about her upbringing and their cultural differences.

The second book is discussed on March 4th. "Le liseur de 6h27" by Jean-Paul Didierlaurent. Amazon explains Guylain Vignolles lives on the edge of existence. Working at a book pulping factory in a job he hates, he has but one pleasure in life . . .

Sitting on the 6.27 train each day, Guylain recites aloud from pages he has saved from the jaws of his monstrous pulping machine. But it is when he discovers the diary of a lonely young woman, Julie - a woman who feels as lost in the world as he does - that his journey will truly begin.

This second book is also available in translation - so you could read it in English and discuss your thoughts about it in French, which is what some of the other people sometimes do (I understand).