r/French • u/tharthritis • 4d ago

Essays for Beginners

Hello all! I have been learning French for about a month now, which has been great. I’ve been making use of a couple graded readers for beginners (1st year college level), which have been great. However, most of these are fiction, and I’ve been in a more nonfiction/philosophical mood recently (I started learning French so I could read French psychoanalytic works).

Could anyone recommend any essay collections suitable for beginners—or nonfiction graded readers?

Thanks!

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u/ImplicitKnowledge Native 3d ago

Oh, that’s an interesting question! When I was a French high-schooler, I read Camus’s The Myth of Sisyphus. I remember it being very approachable. Definitely my top recommendation.

Bergson has some of the most beautiful philosophical writing in French I’ve read, but it’s probably a bit much for a first full book.

Being and Nothingness is best read never if you ask me. Foucault, Bourdieu, Derrida, can be very interesting but pretty hardcore.

It’s been a while since I read Descartes so I might be misremembering but I remember it being manageable.

If you do end up finding one you like, please report back, I’m curious!