I met Zaz, a writer from Lorraine, at the writing salon l'Eté du Livre in Metz last June, when I bought her book "Mémoires d'un Labrador". I'm still reading this story (yes, I read slowly ... and extremely slowly in French), and I find it to be a heartwarming story from the point of view of a dog.
Zaz has just released her latest novel, Malou, the self-published sequel to La Lavandière d'Igney. The saga follows a family over the course of a century, and I believe Malou is the second of four volumes. If you're a Francophone, feel free to order her books directly from her. Zaz's blog can be found at http://zazecritoire.unblog.fr/.
Waking Up Sideways
5 weeks ago
Because of the alphabet in my feed reader "A Metz of Memories" is first - I was sooo proud to understand everything ...;-)
ReplyDeleteI checked out her site, but because my French sucks, I just looked at the pictures (like I do with most books). Actually, I did pick up "Film de Clint Eastwood," so maybe my French is getting better after all!
ReplyDeleteYay, will you be reading books in French, now, Martina? I have two bookmarks for my books. One for the content I read ahead for gist, and another for where I "really" am. I still have to keep a notebook to jot down new vocabulary and idioms I pick up.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you do with books without pictures, Tim?
I leave strange and cryptic notes inside them for people to discover at the library.
ReplyDeleteUhuhuuu .... some weeks (months?) ago I subscribed to a "One-French-Word-A-Day" email newsletter and for Christmas I bought myself a "French for the lazy" textbook - so there might be hope ... I am still on TinTin level, though.
ReplyDeleteSo you're the one leaving those notes in the books, Tim!
ReplyDeleteFrench for the lazy, I love it! I wonder if a Word a Day includes idioms. Maybe they could do an idiom a day.
I took two years of French in high school, was even in the French Club, and today (43 years later), I can say 'voila!' and 'comment talez vous' (are something like that)! Isn't that just sad? I do remember we had to read a book about the bastille, a classic whose title totally escapes me, even though I have the movie that was made from it on tape. Oh, wait...Les Miserables? We had to read the French version!
ReplyDeleteFYI, if you will send me your email address, I can tell you the town of my exchange student's parents (from about 15 years ago!)...which, strangely enough, I just found the other day. Literally, after I mentioned it to you before, I was cleaning out a box of old tax records, and lo and behold there was a legal size padded envelope with 1998 tax receipts that was saved when Alexandra's dad sent her something. How wierd is that!
Anyway, I can't find your email address anyway, so if you could write me at linwin48@hotmail.com maybe we can figure out the best route for me to take. FYI, she wasn't on Facebook...cuz that would have been just too easy!
I think I am alright without idioms right now, :-). They have a very eclectic range of vocabulary:
ReplyDeleteTu connais la hauteur de la tour de tèlèvision?
(la hauteur = die Höhe)
or
La choucroute est une spécialité qui vient d'Alsace.
(la choucroute = das Sauerkraut)
La plume de ma tante...
ReplyDeleteUh ... nein, wie hohe ist der turm? Or maybe wie ist die Höhe von dem Turm? Wie ist der Turmenhöhe? Meine Deutsch ist schrecklich. I don't think any of those is correct.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that sauerkraut was from Alsace!
Hmm ... j'ai découvert une petite note étrange et énigmatique sur ma page!
Wie hoch ist der Turm? would be correct ... wie ist die Höhe von dem Turm? is kind of 14 years old cool kids speech .... not really German, though, but I would not be suprised if some native speaker pronounced this (we have a idiom for this: dative is genitive's death!)
ReplyDeleteI did not know this thing about sauerkraut, too. Hey, we are the krauts, aren't we? (In the end, it is a graeco-roman and chinese food).
Oui, mais c'est cool, eh?
J'ai honte que mon français est si mauvais. Après trois années du lycee. Duh ... .
Ton français est mieux que mon allemand.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to know I speak like a child. Some have accused me of being pretty childlike...
I'm afraid the only French I read these days are the offerings of French Vogue and poetry.
ReplyDeleteNovels require far too much effort and as I'm one of those people who like to get thoroughly engrossed in a book the constant interruption of having to look up vocab I'm not familiar with frustrates me enormously and ends up detracting from my enjoyment of the book.
Besides which... I've always believed the best way to learn a language is via "pillow talk".
Hence, my advice to you would be to throw those books away and get yourself a French lover instead ma chère! *wink*
I am becoming a hermit for awhile until I figure out my life, or at least get back on my feet. Maybe a French chat pal?
ReplyDeleteregarding MIW' comment: Wouldn't it be a little bit exhausting at our age with all the interesting languages one would like to learn?
ReplyDeleteAll at the same time? Maybe it's better to learn languages one at a time ... unless you're a high energy person :D
ReplyDeleteme? I am over forty. >.->
ReplyDeleteI'm 43, Martina, so over 40 as well :-)
ReplyDeleteHi everybody !
ReplyDeleteI read all your comments and I am not sure I understood all of them...
I am Zaz, the french "writer" whom Tracey met in Metz at a books salon. Since then, almost one year, she comes regularly to visit my blog www.zazecritoire.unblog.fr
Hey Tim, come back as often you want, there are always new pictures to see ! And maybe one day, you will be able to read my articles, books and films summaries or whatever else.
And don't be afraid to write comments, I am so proud that my blog is read by Americans !!!
love
Zaz
Hi Zaz, thanks for visiting! Yes, there are always new photos and Monique is a wonderful photographer, so they are well worth taking the time to look.
ReplyDelete