Best Novels for French Language Learners by CEFRL Level

Some of the French-language books I’ve read (and some I recommend below). Lausanne, Switzerland. May 3, 2021.

Some of the French-language books I’ve read (and some I recommend below). Lausanne, Switzerland. May 3, 2021.

To build vocabulary and see the language you’re learning in action, read a book.

Often, teachers and language experts recommend that learners read the news. Though news sites and papers provide clear, short texts with immediate relevance—often linked to reports of current events encountered already in the native language, helping with comprehension—I found reading the news dispiriting (the news doesn’t tend toward the happy and the positive) and, well, boring.

Struggling through the news in French daily didn’t quite compel me.

However, as a lover of novels, essays, and stories, I did find that the payoff of a good tale’s plotline motivated me enough to do the work needed to read in French, dictionary in hand.

What to Expect When You Start Reading in French

When I began to read books in French, it could take me a solid hour to get through four dense, text-packed pages. (I typically read, in English, 100 to 200 pages per day.)

Gradually, my reading in French picked up speed—as does everything that we practice regularly. After at least an hour per day of reading in French, I could read an average-sized book in French per week. (Yes, an hour a day means a huge commitment. I had real motivation; I realize that most people will not choose to dedicate this much time each week.)

At first, I had to look up most of what I read with a translation tool to understand the text fully or to double-check what I thought I’d understood (especially if what happened next in the plot made no sense in what I thought I’d understood as the story’s context). The complexity of French grammar means that the smallest change in structure can completely change a phrase’s or sentence’s meaning.

Over time, I needed only a dictionary to help me understand the meaning of certain words; I could typically grasp the overall grammatical structure of a French text. My e-reader, which has a built-in dictionary that I can access by pressing on the unknown word, has made this phase of my French reading journey a pleasure.

Assessing Levels of Language Proficiency: The CEFRL Ranking

If you’re learning a European language, like French, you’ll find that many classes, tests and assessments, and applications (for jobs and internships, residency permits and citizenship, and so forth) ask for your CEFRL level. The acronym stands for the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

The CEFRL framework assesses language ability across different types of knowledge, skills, and competencies. The levels range from A1 through to C2, with the A levels classified as “beginner,” the B levels considered as “intermediate,” and the C levels seen as “advanced.”

You can get a more detailed overview of what each level means via this Wikipedia page. You can find quick assessment tests on-line as well.

I’ve used the CEFRL framework to classify the books I’ve recommended for readers at different levels. An important note, though: People rarely have the same CEFRL level for all types of language capacity.

For example, because I read and wrote so much more than I spoke with people or listened to French during the beginning of my language-learning journey, I had a much more advanced level of written French and French reading comprehension than I had in aural comprehension (understanding what people said to me) or conversation (especially when it came to pronunciation).

Therefore, even if you have a very high level of French for some capacities, if you don’t read much or haven’t read much in French, I’d recommend that you aim a little lower than you might think you should when picking up a book in French.

Reading at an easy level will build your confidence for reading a higher level later. Also, reading something that doesn’t feel overly difficult will help ensure that you don’t get frustrated and quit.

After all, when you read fiction, you should enjoy the experience—even if you have a language-learning challenge in the mix.

Book Recommendations for Readers at the B1 Level

Reading a novel in French before you reach the B levels will daunt you too much.

However, once you get to the B levels in your language-learning journey, you’ll need something fresh and different to keep you progressing. (You’ll have had more than your fill of the simple texts provided in textbooks and worksheets from your well-meaning teachers and language classes. Trust me.)

If you fit this description, the books I’ve listed below will give you a good starting point. The authors have written in clean, clear styles, often using current and conversational language, and rarely use complicated tenses.

I’ve listed the books in order of the author’s last name and have specified the type of fiction in parentheses at the end of each recommendation, to help you choose something aligned with your typical reading interests.

Although I haven’t listed any books that I didn’t enjoy (I’ve encountered many of those, and I wouldn’t recommend them even for language-learning purposes), Un Tout Petit Rein, by Camille Anseaume; Les Quatre Saisons de l'Été, by Grégoire Delacourt; and Les Gratitudes, by Delphine de Vigan stand out for me as favorites on this list.

Book Recommendations for Readers at the B2 Level

Some of the books in my list of French-language reads for learners at the B2 level will feel more challenging than others.

The B2 level felt like a huge leap in complexity, for me, compared to leveling up between A1 and A2 or even leveling from A2 to B1. And moving through the needed skills to progress from B2 to C1 will take you a lot longer. Learners at the B2 level will find a lot more variance in their abilities compared to their classmates’ competencies, due to the higher expectations for near fluency at this stage.

How can you discern the easier from the harder books in the list below?

In general, the books I’ve classified as “literature” will seem more complex than the books in the “popular fiction” category. Literature tends to use more poetic and artistic forms of language, including a lot of metaphor and simile, and has a wider range of vocabulary. Further, in most literature, you’ll find less dialogue and less commonly used phrasing.

I’ve tried to include a significant number of recommendations across a variety of genres in my list of book recommendations for French language learners at the B2 level. I recommend trying a variety of books, even in genres you don’t typically prefer, to broaden your language horizons.

As with the other recommendations lists in this article, I haven’t included any books that I’d call real stinkers. However, I’ll list here my favorite reads from my list of B2 recommendations: La Vraie Vie, by Adeline Dieudonné; Mamie Luger, by Benoît Philippon; Sharko; by Franck Thilliez; and Désenchantées by Marie Vareille.

(Side note: If you plan to take the DELF B2 examination, you may want to read about my experience taking it as part of your mental preparation!)

Book Recommendations for Readers at the C1 Level

If you read books at the C level (whether C1 or C2), you likely don’t need recommendations dedicated to a language learner. You’ve already hit fluency in reading comprehension.

However, if you’ve mastered the B2 level, trying a C-level book will push you forward. When I started the books on this list, I needed to level up but needed a story compelling enough to keep me engaged to persevere in the struggle.

  • Vernon Subutex (a series of three novels—the link takes you to the first book in the series), by Virginie Despentes (literature)

If you start the series and enjoy it, you’ll want to read all three books. However, as with all series, you’ll want to start with the first of these books. (I found it the best of the three, too.)

Where to Buy Books in French

Though your local bookseller will have a limited selection of French books on the shelves, unless you live in a French-speaking part of the world, the store can typically order books for you upon request.

Also, if you have an e-reader, you can probably buy books in French via the e-reader’s electronic bookstore. I have a Kobo and buy my French-language books through the Kobo Bookstore, and I have friends with Kindles who tell me that they found these books easily in the Kindle on-line store.

Do note that, even electronically, all geographies do not sell all books, due to rights agreements and international sales hurdles. However, based on my experience and research with the above titles, you can find most of the books I’ve listed above outside of France. (In fact, I bought all of them via an account registered in the U.S. Kobo Bookstore.)

Bookmark this Post for Additional Recommendations

Consider this a living article: I’ll keep updating it as I continue my French-reading journey and discover more books to recommend in different styles and genres.

And if you have a book in French to recommend, please share it!

P.S.—If you’re interested in other great resources I found for learning French—or in stories about my language-learning journey—click here.

P.P.S.—A final note! If you found this list helpful and want to help me fund my reading habit and my commitment to keeping this site free, consider buying me a coffee (or a book).

Thinking, Most PopularLeslie Farnsworthreading, literature, culture, language learning8 Comments