Reading is one of the top French skills you need to know to become fluent in that language. While it might seem tedious to read, short stories could be a powerful French learning method as they do not take too much time to complete.
This post has some of the finest French short stories for you that will help you to enhance your French language skills.
Cendrillon
“Cendrillon” (Cinderella) is probably the most well-known fairy tale of all. It is a famous story of a young woman who was badly mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters but ends up marrying a prince. You probably know this classic, so you can focus on the French in this one without having to bother too much about the plot.
Fables Choisies Pour Les Enfants
This book is a collection of classic short stories by Jean de la Fontaine. The stories have been staples of children’s literature for many generations. Most involve a cast of animal characters, like the “Le Tortue et le Lievre” (“The Tortoise and the Hare”).
While these stories were meant for children, they are quite old so bear in mind that some of the writing might be a bit archaic.
Trois Contes
This is another collection of short stories, this book is by Gustave Flaubert. There are 3 stories in this collection: “Un cœur simple,” “La légende de Saint-Julien l’hospitalier” and “Hérodias.” Each of the stories are different, but each simply as inspiring.
Le Passe-muraille
This 20th century short story is simply a fun one to read for those who have visited Paris, as a tribute to the novel stands on the square having the name of the author.
“Le Passe-muraille” tells the story of a man who can walk through walls…until the time he can’t.
Moderato Cantabile
“Moderato Cantabile,” written by Marguerite Duras, is an epitome of 20th-century French literature. A wealthy couple shifts to a “backward” coastal town, where the wife witnesses a murder.
This book captures France in its transition away from the traditional pre-war society towards the sensational liberation that illustrated the Nouvelle Vague (New Wave) movement.
Avatar
A short story treasure from the 19th century by the famous French novelist Théophile Gautier, “Avatar” tells the fabulous story of Octave de Saville.
Madly in love with countess Prascovie Labinska, he hires a doctor to put him in the body of her husband.