The Penguin Book of French Short Stories: 2

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‘Beautiful and deep … a sumptuous treat for any book lover’ The Independent

‘Food for short story lovers everywhere’ Irish Times

*A major celebration of the French short story and Spectator Book of the Year*

The short story has a rich tradition in French literature. This feast of an anthology celebrates its most famous practitioners, as well as newly translated writers ready for rediscovery. The second volume takes the reader through the tumultuous twentieth century in the company of writers including Simone de Beauvoir and Maryse Condé, Patrick Modiano and Virginie Despentes, covering world wars, revolutions, and the horrors of the motorway service station. Along the way we meet electronic brains, she-wolves, a sadistic Cinderella, ancestors, infidels, dissatisfied housewives and lonely ambassadors, all clamouring to be heard. Funny, devastating and fresh at every turn, this is the place to start for lovers of French literature, new and old.

Edited and with an introduction by Patrick McGuinness, academic, writer and translator.Beautiful and deep … a sumptuous treat for any book lover.—Martin Chilton, The Independent

Outstanding.—Philip Hensher, The Spectator Books of the Year 2022

A French version of The Thousand and One Nights … Both volumes tell us something new about writing in French … Such a creative arrangement forces us to rethink what we expect a short story to be or do … Perhaps all short fiction reminds us that the end is nigh, in which case not the least of Patrick McGuinness’s achievements is that of showing us how to read and live accordingly.—Annabel Kim, Times Literary Supplement

Patrick McGuinness’s magisterial anthology teems with universes from each of its 84 authors … There is so much to discover in these stories – both history and food for short story lovers everywhere. —Irish Times

It’s hard to imagine a better introduction to French literature than this glorious two-volume bran tub of short fiction … outstanding masterpieces all … There’s a welcome playfulness throughout.—John Self, The Guardian

Impeccably edited by Patrick McGuinness. The first volume stretches from the 16th century to the early 20th century … Volume two takes us from there to the early 21st century, featuring more women and non-white authors than the first volume. Treat yourself: buy both.—Tomiwa Owolade, Sunday Times

What a collection it is … Both volumes fizz with the enthusiasm with which McGuinness has assembled stories that range across centuries and continents … This will surely turn out to be the definitive anthology of French-language short fiction.—Charlie Connelly, The New European

Tales with a certain ooh la la … an eclectic, often steamy collection charting the history of the French short story [with] some gems by less famous figures … high marks for quality and variety.—Matthew Reisz, The ObserverPatrick McGuinness is Professor of French and Comparative Literature at the University of Oxford, and a Fellow of St Anne’s College. Born in Tunisia and raised in Belgium, he is a poet, novelist and translator. His novel The Last Hundred Days was longlisted for the 2011 Man Booker Prize and shortlisted for the 2011 Costa First Novel Award, and his second novel, Throw me to the Wolves, won the 2020 Encore Award. His other books include three collections of poems, The Canals of Mars (2004), Jilted City (2010), Blood Feather (2023) and a memoir, Other People’s Countries (2015), which won the Duff Cooper Prize. He was made a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 2011, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.GB

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