Customer Rating: 
Summary: a quick language boost
Comment: Not having learnt french since school (GCSE/GCE) I found the stories easy enough to get the general story line but complex enough to challenge and revise my knowledge of the language - and extend it. The parallel text is just fantastic you don't lose interest constantly having to look words up in a dictionary. Would strongly recomend this book for intermediates.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Interesting selection of varying levels of difficulty
Comment: This isn't a book for beginners. My French is post O level and taken more years ago than I intend to disclose. I started re-learning it by teaching myself 10 months ago. I can now read most of these stories using the parallel text to check my understanding and to argue with the translations - yes I'm that confident now. For some stories I needed more help than others... 'Apprendre à vie' and 'David' gave me no trouble at all but 'Tous Feux Éteints' was a struggle. I enjoy the fact that some stories are easy and others are difficult because I'm trying now to get used to different styles and pick up vocabulary so this collection of stories has really appealed to me. I love the parallel texts because I don't need a dictionary and I can use the translation for reassurance and as I say to argue with. I really recommend these short stories - I have several parallel texts and am always looking out for more. But this isn't for beginners - you do need a reasonable reading age in French - I think mine is about 12 or 13! So most of the time I know what's going on but complex structures and vocabulary do still confuse me. If you want to increase vocabulary and immerse yourself in the culture then these short stories are ideal. I love to read them on the train because I don't have to juggle with a dictionary and the prices are very good. Yes, I recommend this collection. Ahhh some extra words - there are no exercises with this selection and no vocabulary list - some parallel texts do have those. But this does have a very good introduction. As the editor hints at the denouements on some of the stories I would advise reading it *after* you've read the stories! There are twelve in all and of varying lengths... `David' is very long but some of the stories are just a few pages. I repeat - this isn't for beginners... you need to have studied to the equivalent of GCSE or O level to be able to cope with these. But they really are an enjoyable and varied collection. Actually, they're worth reading in English but the translation lacks that je ne sais quoi! ;->
Customer Rating: 
Summary: French short stories
Comment: The stories are very varied, interesting, rich and, in some cases, moving. But unless the reader is at an advanced level they are quite difficult to read and are "heavy going". So the book's description that it is suitable for students of French at all levels is misleading. For me it will be a long time before I can easily read it and that is if I don't sell it beforehand.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A must for a-level, degree or pleasure!
Comment: The parallel text is fantastic for all those who want to practise tranlation of "unseens", for a-level or degree level. I've certainly found this book invaluabe for both these purposes! However, this book is also great if you just want to read some short modern French language works, and is accessible to all levels from lower-intermediate and up. My particular favourite is "David", which is so beautifully and bizarrely French. If you just want to practise unseens (and take photocopies, or scrawl on your text), the spacing and size of text is not ideal, the font is a little small and double line spacing would make life a lot easier. Other than that, a really good book for most levels and good value for money too (which is very important for impoverished students like myself!).
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