Go to the French texts category here and then type contes (stories) into the search bar. Now that we’ve covered all that, if you’re thinking you need a French dictionary, you’re right! If you’re just starting out, you probably shouldn’t pick up À la recherche du temps perdu and expect that you’ll be able to get through it with just a little effort. If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to learn French with real-world videos. Nineteenth century writer Guy de Maupassant is one of the masters of the French short story. You can read the entire story collection for free here! More contemporary stories will show you the way people really talk today – even how their words sound, if an author chooses to write things phonetically. To help you in this quest, I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite titles. George Perec’s “Les Choses” (“Things”), although little more than 100 pages, packs a punch with the sheer number of vocabulary words you’ll encounter. Two brothers, opposites in every way, inherit a fortune. You may even have read one of his works in your French class, as they’re fairly easy to read for intermediate and advanced speakers. The French word for “short story” is une nouvelle, but this also means “a news item”. In “La Grande Bretèche” a traveller stumbles on an abandoned manor, known as the Grande Bretèche, where the lawyer of the late owner tells the story of the house. For now, the most recent fairy tales to receive that honor are probably those in two collections: Les contes du chat perché by Marcel Aymé (written in the 1930’s and ‘40’s) and Les contes de la rue Broca by Pierre Gripari (written in 1967). Remember what I wrote about my “lessons” with Monsieur Lupin:  It wasn’t all jumping over rooftops and stealing diamonds (or the Mona Lisa); I spent a lot of time looking up words and figuring out turns of phrase. “Pierre et Jean” takes place in the 19th century. So, say you want to find a short story by your favorite contemporary Francophone author, Amélie Nothomb. Guy de Maupassant, Anatole France and Honoré de Balzac are the most famous authors in French. Get comfortable with the general conventions of written French, and when you feel ready, move on to the next level. At only 92 pages, “Avatar” is a quick read. If your level is beginner to intermediate, think about a modern version of the fairy tale. Set in the 1950s, they narrate slices of childhood of Nicolas, a young schoolboy (adults are ununderstanding, mysterious people and school is only fun for the recess time with friends) . It almost brings tears to my eyes. We also participate in other affiliate advertising programs for products and services we believe in. This is a great book for advanced learners for its diverse vocabulary. One of the best French teachers I ever had was a charming criminal. He wanders into the city and discovers just how monstrous humans can be. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t other, usually free or cheap, ways to get your hands on them. There are many websites for learning French, but very few sites teach French by presenting and analyzing short stories! ... and the audio is a little faster than our other stories. It’s true that stories for kids often use simpler language and are fairly short and entertaining. A classic in children's literature, these humourous short stories are perfect for intermediate students of French. Learning French becomes fun and easy when you learn with movie trailers, music videos, news and inspiring talks. Literally: The sitting cat’s stories; often translated as The Wonderful Farm) is a series of stories about a family with two little girls who can talk to and interact with the animals on their farm, including the titular cat. My husband and I were shocked and delighted when my four-year-old son started reciting La cigale et la fourmi the other day!