Coquecigrues

Jules RenardProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 190K words
Chapters: 20

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Coquecigrues by Jules RenardAuthor: Renard, Jules, 1864-1910,Language: French, Class: PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Release Date: Oct 10, 2009

Editor's review

Coquecigrues is a French-language work by the French writer Jules Renard. Concise in length, it carries on the author's keen observation of everyday life and his restrained irony. The title itself suggests the absurd and the fanciful, and the writing often hides a cool scrutiny of human nature and society within light narration. For Chinese readers, the main hurdle is language: this is not a translation but the French original, best treated as a sample of late-19th-century French prose style rather than a plot-driven read. The free electronic edition from Project Gutenberg makes it easy to search and read alongside other texts, and it can be dipped into piece by piece during commutes or odd moments. If you are learning French or are interested in the essay and notebook forms in French literature, this book offers a short but lingering reading experience; if you simply want a story in Chinese, you will need to look for a translation or introductory materials.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with some French proficiency who want to encounter French literature in the original
Readers who prefer short essays and prose sketches to long plotted narratives
Literature lovers interested in the late-19th-century French literary scene
Students who need a free electronic text for language study or close reading

Not a good fit for

General readers with no French who want a Chinese translation
Readers who prefer strong plots and complete story structures
Beginners who need detailed annotations and systematic introductions

Reading tips

Read one or two pieces first to feel the rhythm of the language; don't look up every unfamiliar word, and keep the reading fluid.
Keep a French dictionary or translation tool at hand and mark recurring keywords for vocabulary building.
Read it alongside other French prose sketches to appreciate Renard's short sentences and ironic touch.
Read a small number of pieces at a time and take brief notes on tone, imagery, and the target of the irony.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a Chinese translation?

No. According to the materials, the book is in French and is a French-language electronic original provided by Project Gutenberg, suitable for readers with some French reading ability to read directly; Chinese readers who need to understand the content can use a dictionary or introductory materials.

Can someone with no French read this book?

Not really. There is no Chinese translation or annotation in the book, and readers with zero French will find it very hard to get into the text. If you are interested in the author or French literature, look for a Chinese translation or related introduction first, then decide whether to try the original.

Is this book suitable for reading straight through from beginning to end?

You can adjust it to your own habits. The book is not long and the pieces are relatively independent, so it is better suited to reading in sections and savoring repeatedly; reading straight through makes it easy to miss language details and ironic tone, so it is advisable to read a small amount at a time and take notes.

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About the author

Jules Renard Author · French · 1864–1910

Jules Renard (1864–1910) was a French novelist, essayist and playwright, a member of the Académie Goncourt, born in Mayenne, France. He is known for the autobiographical novel Poil de Carotte and the prose collection Histoires naturelles. His style is concise and sharp, making effective use of plain description and capturing细微 images from everyday life and nature. Poil de Carotte portrays a child's situation within a family, while Histoires naturelles depicts animals and the countryside in short pieces. Renard helped found the magazine Mercure de France; his Journal (1887–1910) is regarded as an important document of modern literature and has influenced writers such as Sartre and Maugham. Works including L'écornifleur and Coquecigrues also show his concise, observant manner.