Haha, Dan Brown is indeed the single worst writer I’ve ever read. Absolutely shocking! Not that I imagine he cares.

Even if you ignore the writing style in the only book I read of his which is awful in itself there is no plot as such (except I want to use a conspiracy theory), no character development and research so poor (when has Versailles been NE of Paris or Rue de Rivoli not been one way) it almost made me ill.

So it doesn’t feel French.

It’s not meant to…. that’s why he lives at Privet Drive etc. not Boulevard Carnot…. it’s mean to give a parochial view on a Middle England

got a house point

However you translate that no French kid would understand. If you tried to introduce it to a school the kids would tell their parents at lunchtime and there would a protest outside the gates at 4:15. The police would be called, a journalist would turn up, there would be talk of Vichy France and the school would issue an official apology. 8)

It’s not meant to

My point exactly, so you’ve changed your mind from “feels French” to “doesn’t feel French”, excellent.

Anyhow, enough of HP, Dan Brown, Joyce or any other translation. How about some highly readable French French.

Boris Vian for a bizarre but perceptive view of France in the forties and fifties (not forgetting to listen to his music)
François Lelord to make you a more satisfied human.
Then have a look through what’s selling best in France and pick one that isn’t a translation to suit your taste.

I’m quite fascinated by Boris Vian. I only came across him via reading up on Gainsbourg and then again in the Gainsbourg movie (vie heroïque – recommended). I’ve watched the movie of l’écume des jours and it was interesting though not great. I am intrigued in reading some of his work. Any standout title?

My point exactly, so you’ve changed your mind from “feels French” to “doesn’t feel French”, excellent.

The translation “feels” like it has been written by a French author very successfully getting across a lot of British idiosyncrasies.

You can in some way’s take “French” out…. and imagine a American author trying to do the same… or turn it around and a British actor playing a American drug addicted physician (or should that be doctor)….
Lots of Americans apparently were debating which part of America Hugh Lorrie comes from…. in that they didn’t realise he was English

got a house point

I have a book by Roddy Doyle “translated” into “American” with a huge glossary of Irish/American words and whole Chapters (chapter being a relative term in the book) explaining band-aid/plaster and cookies/biscuits etc.

As it happens the book (signed copy) was given to me by a friend who at the time was JKR’s American publicist…

According to my wife, in America they thought that JKR had invented all this boarding school stuff like houses and things like Curly Wurlys and had an amazing imagination. They were unaware of the boarding school story tradition that it follows pretty closely.

L’Arrache-coeur, unless you are on the point of getting married and having kids.

Should be safe, that’s all ancient history! 😉

Thanks will look it out.

Movie can be seen for free here but I can’t wholeheartedly recommend it, except as a curio.

http://filmfra.com/baza/03.php

@nico –
Ah yes, I see that prendre can be used like that – in the sense of “take your coat”. I just wasn’t certain of it. Thanks

I went with ‘aller chercher’ though to give the sense of “I’ll go and get” which was closer to the meaning I wanted.