About us
## The French Book Club 📚🇫🇷
Love reading and want to discover French literature while improving your French?
Welcome to The French Book Club, an online community of passionate readers and French learners from around the world.
Over the years, we’ve already read and discussed dozens of books together, and our international community of book lovers keeps growing. From contemporary novels and literary bestsellers to classics and non-fiction, we love discovering French and Francophone literature — and, above all, talking about it together.
We’ve read authors such as Albert Camus, Annie Ernaux, Romain Gary, Leïla Slimani, George Sand, Émile Zola, Colette, Gaël Faye and many more.
Our book clubs take place online in very small groups (2–6 readers) and are guided by a qualified and experienced French teacher.
We read each book progressively over several weeks and meet once a week for a 1-hour discussion in French. We talk about the characters, themes and writing, but also the historical and cultural context — and, of course, share our own reactions, interpretations and opinions.
📚 What to expect:
• Weekly 1-hour online discussions in French
• Small, friendly groups of passionate readers
• A manageable reading schedule over several weeks
• Guided discussions where everyone has time to speak
• Vocabulary, explanations and language support when needed
• Different books and levels throughout the year
• French and Francophone literature, from classics to contemporary works
• An international community brought together by a love of books and French
You don't need to understand every single word to enjoy a book in French. Reading together gives you the motivation to keep going — and discussing the book brings the language, the story and its ideas to life.
Whether you’re already an avid reader in French or ready to take on your first novel, join our growing community and discover your next French read with us.
Grab your book and come talk literature with us! ☕📖🇫🇷
Upcoming events
2
🇫🇷 Le French Book Club 📚- Le quai de Ouistreham
·OnlineOnline# 🇫🇷 French Book Club — Le Quai de Ouistreham by Florence Aubenas
⚠️ Please note: this is a paid online French course (€125 for 5 sessions). Registration is required.
👉 Register here:
https://www.learnfrenchwithgladys.com/thefrenchbookclub📚 Level: B2+
📅 5 weekly sessions, starting September 2
🕖 Wednesdays, 7–8 pm (Paris time)
💻 Online
💶 €125 for the complete 5-week Book Club***
### Read a great book. Improve your French. Talk about it together.
For our next French Book Club, we’ll be reading Le Quai de Ouistreham by Florence Aubenas, a fascinating work of literary journalism about work, precarity and contemporary French society.
To understand the reality of low-paid and precarious work, French journalist Florence Aubenas went undercover for several months as a cleaner in Normandy. Without revealing her identity, she experienced temporary contracts, difficult working hours and exhausting jobs — including cleaning the ferries that leave from Ouistreham.The result is a powerful and deeply human account of invisible work, the people who do it and the solidarity that develops between them.
It’s also an excellent book for French learners: Aubenas's writing is precise, vivid and accessible, while offering plenty to discuss about French society and the world of work.### 📖 How does the Book Club work?
We read approximately 50 pages per week at home, then meet online for a 1-hour guided discussion in French.
Each week, you’ll also receive additional resources to help you understand the book, explore its social and cultural context and develop useful vocabulary.
During our meetings, we discuss the book, its characters and themes, share opinions and reactions, and work on vocabulary and expressions from the text.
The group is guided by an experienced and qualified French teacher, so this is both a real book club and an opportunity to improve your French through literature and conversation.You’ll practise:
✓ Speaking and expressing opinions in French
✓ Expanding your vocabulary
✓ Improving your comprehension and grammar
✓ Learning more about contemporary French society and culture
✓ Reading an entire book in French with the motivation of a group📘 You will need to purchase the book before the course begins.
Ready to read with us?
👉 Registration and full details:
https://www.learnfrenchwithgladys.com/thefrenchbookclub
Places are limited to keep the discussions friendly and give everyone plenty of time to speak. 🇫🇷📚1 attendee
🇫🇷 Le French Book Club 📚- Indiana
·OnlineOnline# 🇫🇷 French Book Club — Indiana by George Sand
⚠️ Please note: this is a paid online French course (€175 for 7 sessions). Registration is required.
👉 Register here:
The French Book Club – Registration
📚 Level: B2 minimum
📅 7 weekly sessions, starting September 4
🕓 Fridays, 4–5 pm (Paris time)
💻 Online – live sessions (replay available)
💶 €175 for the complete 7-week Book Club
👥 Small group: 2–8 participants### Read a French classic. Improve your French. Talk about it together.
For this French Book Club, we’ll be reading Indiana by George Sand, one of the major voices of 19th-century French literature.
Published in 1832, Indiana was the first novel George Sand published under her famous pen name. It tells the story of a young Creole woman trapped in an unhappy marriage and explores love, marriage, women's freedom and social inequality.
Through Indiana’s story, George Sand challenges the position of women in 19th-century society and questions the ideals of romantic love. It’s a fascinating introduction to both French Romanticism and the rebellious voice of an author who challenged the conventions of her time.### 📖 How does the Book Club work?
We’ll read approximately 35–45 pages per week at home and meet online every Friday for a 1-hour guided discussion in French.
Each week, you’ll also receive supporting material including vocabulary, cultural and historical context, and questions to guide your reading.During our sessions, we’ll discuss the characters, themes and writing, share our interpretations and opinions, and explore the historical and social context of the novel.
The group is guided by an experienced and qualified French teacher, so you’ll be developing your French while enjoying a genuine literary discussion with other readers.
You can use any edition of the novel, as we’ll use chapters rather than page numbers as our reference.This Book Club is recommended for learners with a B2 level or above who want to expand their vocabulary, become more confident discussing complex ideas in French and discover a major work of French literature.
📚 Ready to read with us?
👉 Register for The French Book Club
Places are limited to keep the discussions interactive and give everyone time to speak.1 attendee
