6 New French Books You Should Read
It is French literary award season, and here are the books juries recommend adding to your “To Read” list — plus one overlooked gem. The prestigious Prix Goncourt awards its winner a cheque for €10, which recipients often frame and proudly display, sometimes at greater cost than the prize itself. The Prix Renaudot offers no monetary prize, yet both awards—as well as the Prix Médicis, the Femina Prize, and the Académie Française Grand Prix du Roman—significantly boost book sales.
To stay ahead in literary conversations, consider these French titles next time you visit your local bookstore.
La Maison Vide (The Empty House)
Laurent Mauvignier’s La Maison Vide won the Prix Goncourt after only one voting round by the jury. This 750-page novel is a meticulous, fourth wall-breaking exploration of his family history, beginning with his great-great-grandmother, told through heirlooms and keepsakes. The story carries a thriller-like atmosphere and has also won the Prix littéraire Le Monde and the Prix des libraires de Nancy-Le Point, while being nominated for the Femina prize.
The prize for winning the Prix Goncourt, France’s most prestigious literary award, is a cheque for €10, which winners apparently tend to have framed — perhaps at greater expense than the actual prize money — and displayed proudly on the wall of their office or writing nook.
The Prix Renaudot, meanwhile, comes with no cash award at all. But both prizes — along with the Prix Médicis, the Femina Prize, and the Académie Française Grand Prix du Roman — all boost book sales enormously.
Author’s summary: French literary awards spotlight exceptional novels, with winners often gaining both acclaim and increased sales despite modest or symbolic prize money.
Would you like the other five books formatted similarly?