Recently Translated Books From French On Display

This June in our Members’ Lounge, we’re showcasing some exciting titles that have been translated from French into English in recent years, from fiction and poetry, to memoir and an empirical study of Paris.

You don’t have to be a fluent French speaker (or reader) to enjoy some of the latest releases in French—our selection of books in the Library that have been translated into English in recent years means you can access fiction and non-fiction books set in the French-speaking world with your American Library membership.

For poetry and philosophical musings, you might be interested in Daybreak: New and Selected Poems by Claire Malroux, or a recent translation of Georges Perec’s An Attempt at Exhausting a Place in Paris by Marc Lowenthal.

If you like to read juicy psychological thrillers, then try the dark page-turner Adèle by Leila Slimani or Flowers of Darkness by Tatiana de Rosnay (a 2021 submission into the American Library in Paris Book Award). 

Self-Portrait in Green is Marie NDiaye’s highly original and experimental memoir, and a book to be devoured in one sitting at just 103 pages. 

Or to go back in time, read the haunting The Mad Women’s Ball by Victoria Mas, set in 19th-century Paris, or Our Riches by Kaouther Adimi, if you want to travel to 1930s Algeria. 

Drop by our Members’ Lounge over the next few weeks to browse our titles and check out any that take your fancy. 

You can also take a look at our online lending platform Libby where we have a selection of French e-books translated into English:

• The Occupation Trilogy (La Place de l’Étoile – The Night Watch – Ring Roads) by Patrick Modiano
• Suspended Sentences (Three Novellas) by Patrick Modiano
• Slave Old Man by Patrick Chamoiseau

As always, you can suggest a title to be added to our collection if you’re a member by clicking here. We’re always looking to enrich our collection with new titles, including our selection of books in translation.