Recommendations based on "Domestic Peace"

'A story for our, and all, times' GuardianThe Plague is Albert Camus's world-renowned fable of fear and courageThe townspeople of Oran are in the grip of a deadly plague, which condemns its victims to a swift and horrifying death. Fear, isolation and claustrophobia follow as they are forced into quarantine. Each person responds in their own way to the lethal some resign themselves to fate, some seek blame, and a few, like Dr Rieux, resist the terror.An immediate triumph when it was published in 1947, The Plague is in part an allegory of France's suffering under the Nazi occupation, and a story of bravery and determination against the precariousness of human existence.'A matchless fable of fear, courage and cowardice' Independent'Magnificent' The Times

Meursault is different. He will not lie. He will not pretend.He is true to himself.So when his mother dies and he is unmoved, he refuses to do the proper thing and grieve. Returning to Algiers after the funeral, he carries on life as usual until he becomes involved in a violent murder.In court, it is clear that Meursault's guilt or innocence will not be determined by what he did or did not do.He is on trial for being different - an outsider.

Published when she was only nineteen, Fran�oise Sagan's astonishing first novel Bonjour Tristessebecame an instant bestseller. It tells the story of C�cile, who leads a carefree life with her widowed father and his young mistresses until, one hot summer on the Riviera, he decides to remarry - with devastating consequences. In A Certain SmileDominique, a young woman bored with her lover, begins an encounter with an older man that unfolds in unexpected and troubling ways. These two acerbically witty and delightfully amoral tales about the nature of love are shimmering masterpieces of cool-headed, brilliant observation.

Written when execution by guillotine was still legal in France, Albert Camus' devastating attack on the 'obscene exhibition' of capital punishment remains one of the most powerful, persuasive arguments ever made against the death penalty.

In his most delightful foray into the wonders of Provençal life, Peter Mayle returns to France and puts behind him cholesterol worries, shopping by phone, California wines, and other concerns that plagued him after too much time away. In Encore Provence, Mayle gives us a glimpse into the secrets of the truffle trade, a parfumerie lesson on the delicacies of scent, an exploration of the genetic effects of 2,000 years of foie gras, and a small-town murder mystery that reads like the best fiction. Here, too, are Mayle's latest tips on where to find the best honey, cheese, or chambre d'hìte the region has to offer. Lyric, insightful, sparkling with detail, Encore Provence brings us a land where the smell of thyme in the fields or the glory of a leisurely lunch is no less than inspiring.

An old French peasant, Fouan, divides his farmland among his three children, only to be astonished by their ingratitude and greed

The Plague is Albert Camus's world-renowned fable of fear and courage The townspeople of Oran are in the grip of a deadly plague, which condemns its victims to a swift and horrifying death. Fear, isolation and claustrophobia follow as they are forced into quarantine. Each person responds in their own way to the lethal disease: some resign themselves to fate, some seek blame, and a few, like Dr Rieux, resist the terror. An immediate triumph when it was published in 1947, The Plague is in part an allegory of France's suffering under the Nazi occupation, and a story of bravery and determination against the precariousness of human existence. 'A matchless fable of fear, courage and cowardice' Independent 'Magnificent'The Times Albert Camus was born in Algeria in 1913. He studied philosophy in Algiers and then worked in Paris as a journalist. He was one of the intellectual leaders of the Resistance movement and, after the War, established his international reputation as a writer. His books include The Plague, The Just and The Fall, and he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957. Camus was killed in a road accident in 1960.

Bonjour Tristesse Is Françoise Sagan's Stylish, Shimmering And Amoral Tale Of Adolescence And Betrayal On The French Riviera, Published When Its Author Was Just Eighteen Years Old. It Tells The Story Of Cécile, Who Leads A Carefree Life With Her Widowed Father And His Young Mistresses Until, One Hot Summer On The Riviera, He Decides To Remarry - With Devastating Consequences. In A Certain Smile, Which Is Also Included In This Volume, Dominique, A Young Woman Bored With Her Lover, Begins An Encounter With An Older Man That Unfolds In Unexpected And Troubling Ways. Both Novellas Have Been Freshly Translated By Heather Lloyd And Include An Introduction By Rachel Cusk. Françoise Sagan Was Born In France In 1935. Bonjour Tristesse (1954), Published When She Was Just Eighteen, Became A Succès De Scandale And Even Earned Its Author A Papal Denunciation. Sagan Went On To Write Many Other Novels, Plays And Screenplays, And Died In 2004. Heather Lloyd Was Previously Senior Lecturer In French At The University Of Glasgow, And Has Published Work On Both Bonjour Tristesse And Françoise Sagan. Rachel Cusk Is The Author Of Saving Agnes (1993), Which Won The Whitbread First Novel Award; A Life's Work: On Becoming A Mother (2001); And Arlington Park (2006), Shortlisted For The 2007 Orange Prize For Fiction. Her Most Recent Book Is Aftermath: On Marriage And Separation (2012). 'funny, Thoroughly Immoral And Thoroughly French' The Times

"An obsessive and revealing self-portrait of a remarkable woman humiliated by the circumstances of her birth and by her physical appearance. La Batarde relates Violette Leduc's long search for her own identity through a series of agonizing and passionate love affairs with both men and women. When first published, La Batarde was compared to the work of Jean Genet for the frank depiction of sexual escapades and immoral behavior. A confession that contains portraits of several famous French authors, this book is more than just a scintillating memoir - like that of Henry Miller or Charles Bukowski, Leduc's brilliant writing style and attention to language transform this autobiography into a work of art."--BOOK JACKET.

Henri Charriere, called "Papillon," for the butterfly tattoo on his chest, was convicted in Paris in 1931 of a murder he did not commit. Sentenced to life imprisonment in the penal colony of French Guiana, he became obsessed with one goal: escape. After planning and executing a series of treacherous yet failed attempts over many years, he was eventually sent to the notorious prison, Devil's Island, a place from which no one had ever escaped . . . until Papillon. His flight to freedom remains one of the most incredible feats of human cunning, will, and endurance ever undertaken. Charriere's astonishing autobiography, Papillon, was published in France to instant acclaim in 1968, more than twenty years after his final escape. Since then, it has become a treasured classic -- the gripping, shocking, ultimately uplifting odyssey of an innocent man who would not be defeated.