Yesterday I told our local bookseller I wanted to start reading in French. Could he recommend something easy and short, perhaps chick lit or kids’ books? Any bilingual editions, I asked? The answer to that last question was mighty convoluted–j’ai pas compris! Not an auspicious beginning.
He mused and murmured and wandered around the shop.
Ah, he says, finally.
Le Petit Prince!
Bonne idée! I replied. Since I already know the story!
But he wasn’t finished.
Back to books for grown-ups.
He pulled a book off the shelf. Here you go!
CAMUS????? I must have looked alarmed.
The language is not difficult, he said.
Lordy, I thought. Some of the ideas are . . . too complicated for words.
Alors, on y va!
Stumbled across a fascinating TV show this morning, Escape to the Chateau. English couple spends life savings on a 45-room abandoned, dilapidated chateau in the Loire. For GBP 390,000! Which left them exactly 20,000 pounds for the renovation. It was so absurd I couldn’t believe it was real, but apparently so. Must find other episodes.
