{"id":119664,"date":"2019-08-21T10:04:00","date_gmt":"2019-08-21T14:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/easy-french-short-stories-2\/"},"modified":"2025-02-03T09:19:10","modified_gmt":"2025-02-03T14:19:10","slug":"easy-french-short-stories-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/easy-french-short-stories-2\/","title":{"rendered":"21 Great French Short Stories for Learners"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reading is one of the main French skills you need to know to become fluent.\u00a0While it may seem tedious to read, short stories\u00a0can be a powerful French learning technique as they don’t take too much time to complete.<\/p>\n

This post contains 21 of the best French short stories for you to use for your next quick study session.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. “Fables Choisies Pour Les Enfants”<\/i><\/a><\/h2>\n

\"La<\/a><\/p>\n

This is a collection of classic short stories by Jean de la Fontaine. The stories have been staples of children’s literature for generations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Most involve a cast of animal characters, such as “Le Tortue et le Lievre”<\/em>\u00a0(“The Tortoise and the Hare”).<\/p>\n

While these stories are meant for children, they are quite old so keep in mind that some of the writing may be a bit archaic.<\/p>\n

2. “Cendrillon”<\/a><\/em><\/h2>\n

\"Cendrillon<\/a><\/p>\n

“Cendrillon”<\/em>\u00a0(Cinderella) is perhaps the most well-known fairy tale of all.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is the famous story of a young woman who is mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters, but ends up marrying a prince.<\/p>\n

You likely know this classic, so you can focus on the French in this one without having to worry too much about the plot.<\/p>\n

3. “Le Chat Bott\u00e9”<\/a><\/em><\/h2>\n

\"Le<\/a><\/p>\n

In this classic tale, a young man is disappointed because he receives nothing but a cat from his father’s inheritance.<\/p>\n

However, this shrewd cat turns out to be extremely useful to the man.<\/p>\n

The story is not very long, and it introduces you to\u00a0the pass\u00e9 simple<\/em><\/a><\/strong> (simple past), which is only used in writing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

4. “Aux Champs”<\/a><\/em><\/h2>\n

\"Aux<\/a><\/p>\n

If you are in for something more\u00a0dark and thought-provoking<\/strong>, this story is for you.<\/p>\n

This is the story of two poor families that receive an offer from a rich couple\u00a0to adopt one of the poor children and pay the parents generously.<\/p>\n

This story is one of the more challenging stories on this list<\/strong>, due to its literary and older language style (19th century).\u00a0<\/p>\n

5. \u201cContes de la B\u00e9casse\u201d<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/h2>\n

\"Contes<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cContes de la b\u00e9casse\u201d\u00a0<\/em>is Guy de Maupassant’s collection of short stories<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

These follow the friends of a baron as they each have to tell their own story.<\/p>\n

The stories are fun and you can even\u00a0read the entire collection online for free<\/a>!<\/p>\n

6. \u201cTrois Contes\u201d<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/h2>\n

\"Trois<\/a><\/p>\n

This is yet another collection of short stories<\/strong>, this time by Gustave Flaubert.<\/p>\n

There are three stories in this collection:\u00a0“Un c\u0153ur simple,” “La l\u00e9gende de Saint-Julien l’hospitalier”\u00a0<\/i><\/em>and\u00a0“H\u00e9rodias.”\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

All the stories are different, but each just as inspiring.<\/p>\n

7. \u201cLe Cur\u00e9 de Tours\u201d<\/em><\/a><\/h2>\n

\"Le<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cLe Cur\u00e9 de Tours\u201d<\/em> is a short story by Honore de Balzac that\u2019s perfect for a beginner<\/strong> as the prose tends to be easy to read<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The story is one of the best known of Balzac\u2019s works as it follows two priests that are very different in personality and in ambition.<\/p>\n

The story follows their adventures and mishaps in the city, as well as their interactions with different people.<\/p>\n

8. \u201cNouvelles Orientales\u201d<\/em><\/a><\/h2>\n

\"Nouvelles<\/a><\/p>\n

This is the perfect book for diving into the works of 20th century women in French literature.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Marguerite Yourcenar was the first woman elected to the\u00a0Acad\u00e9mie fran\u00e7aise<\/em>, which is no small feat.<\/p>\n

This collection contains 10 works revolving around Eastern themes.<\/p>\n

The stories are modern and full of symbolism that is sure to stimulate you intellectually and linguistically.\u00a0<\/p>\n

9. \u201cLe Passe-muraille\u201d<\/em><\/a><\/h2>\n

\"Le<\/a><\/p>\n

This 20th century short story is a fun one to read for those who have visited Pari<\/strong>s, as a tribute to the novel stands on the square bearing the name of the author.<\/p>\n

\u201cLe Passe-muraille\u201d<\/em>\u00a0tells the story of a man who can walk through walls\u2026until he can\u2019t.<\/p>\n

10. \u201cLa Grande Bret\u00e8che\u201d<\/em><\/a><\/h2>\n

\"La<\/a><\/p>\n

This piece is one of the short stories that make up Honor\u00e9 de Balzac\u2019s La Comedie Humaine<\/em> (\u201cThe Human Comedy\u201d).<\/p>\n

In \u201cLa Grande Bret\u00e8che\u201d\u00a0<\/em>a traveller stumbles on an abandoned manor,\u00a0where the lawyer of the late owner tells the story of the house.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While this is a favorite, I recommend you read any of the stories in this collection for a great look into 19th century literature.<\/strong><\/p>\n

11. \u201cLes Choses\u201d<\/em><\/a><\/h2>\n

\"Les<\/a><\/p>\n

George Perec\u2019s \u201cLes Choses\u201d<\/em> (\u201cThings\u201d) is a great short story for picking up on vocabulary<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cLes Choses\u201d<\/em> recounts the life of a young couple in Paris just after World War II.<\/p>\n

As members of the first postwar generation touched by modern consumerism, they struggle to afford their lavish lifestyles on middle class salaries.\u00a0<\/p>\n

12. \u201cUn papillon dans la Cit\u00e9\u201d<\/em><\/a><\/h2>\n

\"Un<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cUn papillon dans la cit\u00e9\u201d<\/em> (\u201cA Butterfly in the Projects\u201d), by Gis\u00e8le Pineau, recounts life in Paris from an immigrant\u2019s perspective.<\/p>\n

Young Felicia moves from her native Guadeloupe to live with her mother in Paris, growing up between two cultures.<\/p>\n

This is a great story that highlights immigration and multiculturalism<\/strong>, which are important themes in the French world.<\/p>\n

13. \u201cModerato Cantabile\u201d<\/em><\/a><\/h2>\n

\"Moderato<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cModerato Cantabile,\u201d by Marguerite Duras, is the epitome of 20th century French literature.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A wealthy couple moves to a \u201cbackward\u201d coastal town, where the wife witnesses a murder.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This book captures a France in its transition away from the traditional pre-war society towards the sensational liberation that characterized the Nouvelle Vague<\/em> (New Wave) movement.<\/p>\n

14. \u201cL\u2019\u00e9tranger\u201d<\/em><\/a><\/h2>\n

\"L'\u00e9tranger<\/a><\/p>\n

No list of classic French stories would be complete without mentioning \u201cL\u2019\u00e9tranger\u201d<\/em> (\u201cThe Stranger\u201d) by Albert Camus.<\/p>\n

In Algiers, a Frenchman named Meursault kills an Algerian man on the beach and then has to cope with the consequences of his actions.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/em>L\u2019\u00e9tranger\u201d\u00a0<\/em>is a relatively easy read<\/strong> for all levels of French.<\/p>\n

15. \u201cHuis Clos\u201d<\/em><\/a><\/h2>\n

\"Huis<\/a><\/p>\n

Although technically a play, \u201cHuis Clos\u201d<\/em>\u00a0(\u201cNo Exit\u201d) deserves mention for being written by one of France\u2019s greatest short-form writers, Jean-Paul Sartre.<\/p>\n

In this story, three cruel people die and find themselves trapped together in a gloomy room for eternity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The story has a great diversity of vocabulary<\/strong>, which may make it better for the more advanced learner.<\/p>\n

16. \u201cPierre et Jean\u201d<\/em><\/a><\/h2>\n

\"Pierre<\/a><\/p>\n

Another Maupassant masterpiece,\u00a0\u201cPierre et Jean\u201d<\/em> (\u201cPierre and Jean\u201d) follows two very opposite brothers who inherit a fortune and grow apart.<\/p>\n

The dialogue can be quite complex<\/strong>, but this is a great way to expose yourself to some older French literature.<\/p>\n

17. \u201cAvatar\u201d<\/a><\/h2>\n

\"Avatar<\/a><\/p>\n

A short story treasure<\/strong> from the 19th century by the famous French novelist Th\u00e9ophile Gautier,\u00a0\u201cAvatar\u201d\u00a0<\/em>tells the fantastic story of Octave de Saville.<\/p>\n

Madly in love with the countess Prascovie Labinska, he hires a doctor to put him in the body of her husband.<\/p>\n

18. \u201cUn Drame dans les Airs\u201d<\/em><\/a><\/h2>\n

\"Un<\/a><\/p>\n

No list of French short stories would be complete without mentioning one of Jules Verne\u2019s many short texts.<\/p>\n

In\u00a0this one, a stranger forces his way into a hot air balloon of partygoers and forces them to drop the ballast and climb ever higher, while relating stories of air travel.<\/p>\n

Like most of Verne’s stories, this includes lots of technical vocabulary<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

19. \u201cBoucles d\u2019or et les Trois Ours\u201d<\/em><\/a><\/h2>\n

\"boucles<\/a><\/p>\n

Yet another classic, this French version of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” is sure to be an easy read.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoucles d\u2019or et les Trois Ours\u201d<\/em>\u00a0is filled with useful verbs and<\/strong>\u00a0imparfait<\/em> conjugations.<\/strong><\/p>\n

20. \u201cLe Premier No\u00ebl de Bonbon\u201d<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/h2>\n

\"Le<\/a><\/p>\n

Yes, bonbon<\/em> is the French word for candy, but it\u2019s also the name of the precious lead puppy in this book.<\/p>\n

This story teaches readers a lot of vocabulary related to winter and Christmas<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

I would recommend \u201cLe Premier No\u00ebl de Bonbon\u201d<\/em> for intermediate readers since some vocabulary is advanced.<\/p>\n

21. \u201cL\u2019Histoire de L\u2019\u00c9clipse\u201d<\/a><\/em><\/h2>\n

\"french<\/a>Four French learners created this adorable story about the eclipse.<\/p>\n

There’s lots of\u00a0imparfait\u00a0<\/em>practice as well as plenty of vocabulary about the sky and outer space.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Since it was written by students, this story has a great learning-based perspective.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Voil\u00e0!<\/em> (There it is!) Now you have a whole library of French short stories to help you practice your French reading skills!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

And one more thing...<\/h2>\r\n

\r\nIf you like learning French on your own time and from the comfort of your smart device, then I'd be remiss to not tell you about FluentU<\/a>.<\/strong>\r\n

\r\nFluentU has a wide variety of great content, like interviews, documentary excerpts and web series, as you can see here:\r\n<\/p>\r\n\"learn-french-with-videos\"<\/a>\r\n

\r\nFluentU brings native French videos with reach.<\/strong> With interactive captions, you can tap on any word to see an image, definition and useful examples.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\"learn-french-with-movies\"<\/a>\r\n

\r\nFor example, if you tap on the word \"crois,\"<\/em><\/strong> you'll see this:\r\n<\/p>\r\n\"practice-french-with-subtitled-videos\"<\/a>\r\n

\r\nPractice and reinforce all the vocabulary you've learned in a given video with learn mode. <\/strong>Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you\u2019re learning, and play the mini-games found in our dynamic flashcards, like \"fill in the blank.\"\r\n<\/p>\r\n\"practice-french-with-adaptive-quizzes\"<\/a>\r\n

\r\nAll throughout, FluentU tracks the vocabulary that you\u2019re learning and uses this information to give you a totally personalized experience. It gives you extra practice with difficult words\u2014and reminds you when it\u2019s time to review what you\u2019ve learned. \r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nStart using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reading is one of the main French skills you need to know to become fluent.\u00a0While it may seem tedious to read, short stories\u00a0can be a powerful French learning technique as…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":507,"featured_media":249913,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"21 Great French Short Stories for Learners | FluentU French Blog","description":"French short stories are a great way to practice your French reading skills in short segments. This post lists 21 of the best French short stories to make your learning journey easy and fun! From fairy tales to horror shorts, you are sure to find something you enjoy!"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[570,572,574],"tags":[],"coauthors":[675],"class_list":["post-119664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-french","category-french-learning-resources","category-reading-french-learning-resources"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119664","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/507"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119664"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119664\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":246647,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119664\/revisions\/246647"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/249913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119664"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119664"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119664"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=119664"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}