I’ve noted quite a bit of French nomenclature and references to different French cultural things in House Andrews novels. When did an interest in France come into your lives? And have you two spent much time in France?
This is the original text of WAR AND PEACE. I’d estimate about 1/10 of it is in French. My father was displeased with my knowledge of Russian grammar because I have received a C on two tests in a row in the 4th grade and he went to speak to my Russian teacher about it. She was very old school and she told him she had a fix.
Guess who copied a third of WAR AND PEACE by hand to develop “habits” of proper Russian grammar? C’était moi. Vouloir c’est pouvoir. Sadly, it wasn’t my will that was involved.
There is a very telling paragraph on that first page.
“He spoke that exquisite French, not just spoken but thought in by our grandfathers, and with that quiet, condescending tone particular to a man who’d grown old in society and was significant at court. He approached Anna Pavlovna, kissed her hand, presenting her with his perfumed and shiny bald spot, and peacefully settled on the divan.”
Russia’s culture has been greatly influenced by France. Russian nobles spoke fluent French. They corresponded in French. They wrote poems in French.
– Quand au front du convive, au beau sein de Delie…
Pushkin, the greatest of Russian poets
Quand au front du convive, au beau sein de Delie
La rose ebloussante a termine sa vie,
——
Soudain se detachant de sa tige natale
Comme un léger soupir sa douce âme s’exhale,
Aux rives Elysees ses manes parfumes
Vont charmer du Lethe les bords inanimes.
Quand je te vois sourire,
Mon coeur s’epanouit,
Et je voudrais te dire,
Ce que mon coeur me dit!
Alors toute ma vie
A mes yeux apparait;
Je maudis, et je prie,
Et je pleure en secret.Car sans toi, mon seul guide,
Sans ton regard de feu
Mon passe parait vide,
Come le ciel sans Dieu.Et puis, caprice etrange,
Lermontov, arguably one of the best prose writers in Russia.
Je me surprends benir
Le beau jour, oh mon ange,
Ou tu m’as fait souffrir!…
Russia sits on the cross roads of Scandinavia and China. A great deal of Chinese culture revolved around literacy, penmanship, and poetry. Russia is very similar, especially post Peter I. We were required to memorize and recite poems in front of the class. We were required to study classics. Half of the damn classics are in French. I do not speak French, because I know my pronunciation is atrocious. But there was a point in my life when I read it a little bit. It’s all gone now.
The knowledge of France among Russian intelligentsia extends to French literature and art. Russian word for a novel is roman, also French. People will quote things at you. If someone quips about Tartuffe, you must know where it comes from, so you don’t look stupid. The only greater sin is to not know Greek myths.
Here is a brief list of French writers one must be familiar with to be considered educated in Russia.
- Victor Hugo
- Honore de Balsac
- Voltaire
- Moliere
- Jules Verne
- Prosper Merimee
- Alexander Dumas
- Anne Golon
- George Sand
As you can see, most of them are classics. The problem with modern French writers is that they are often subversive and there is only so much USSR censors would allow through. But Albert Camus was a staple as well.
A couple of years ago we went to RARE convention in Paris and our publisher arranged for a tour of George Sand’s home. I greatly enjoyed it because I have read most of her translated works when I was around 12 starting with Consuelo, otherwise known as How to write a traditional gothic. When I eventually skyped with Dad and told him about it, he immediately said, “Did you know she had a relationship with Chopin?” There you go.
Now on to France. Gordon and I visited once, Paris only, during the aforementioned RARE, and we both absolutely loved it. I’d go again any day. The atmosphere, the city, the architecture, the people, the food, everything was lovely. Everyone treated us with calm politeness, people were friendly, and the service at the restaurants and shops was impeccable. We were there when protests were going and as we walked past the shop fronts, we noticed a lot of severe looking gentlemen obviously guarding the stores. Gordon asked one of them why, and the man shrugged.
The guard: Revolution.
Gordon: Again?
The guard: Every Saturday.
I thought it was the most French thing I had ever heard.
The only odd thing was that everyone kept mistaking Gordon for a Brit.
The waiter: UK?
Gordon: US.
The waiter: Really?
Maybe he just looks British? Or perhaps we don’t behave typically American, whatever that might be.
Oh also, traffic. French traffic will make your hair stand on end. They do not understand lanes. There is this roundabout around Arc de Triomphe… O_O.
On the professional front, our French publisher treats us and our work with so much care, it’s unreal. The collector edition of Kate Daniels in French is spectacular.
Ce livre est un trésor. Hopefully, my sad knowledge of French paid off and I didn’t bungle that up too badly. Cécile, if you are reading this, thank you for everything. Gordon and I are very grateful.
For pure schadenfreude:
Admire the Arc de Triomphe and the traffic from street level.
Cross, using the underground passage, to the actual Arc in the middle of the round-and-round. Do not cross at street level!!!
Admire the Arc and then pay to go up in it.
Admire the Arc and minor exhibits from inside (OK), the view from above (good), and watch the round-and-round traffic from a bird’s eye view. The gloating over being on foot and not driving is superb.
Scandinavia and the World has several comics on French driving:
https://satwcomic.com/driving
https://satwcomic.com/buckle-up
https://satwcomic.com/take-the-wheel
I spent a month in France in high school, but I don’t remember being aware of the driving much. I think we mostly traveled by train, for one thing.
I love the illustration of Kate calling “minou, minou?” I had no trouble translating that! A memorable scene in the story.
My Swedish relatives were very amused when we walked around in Old Town Stockholm and again in Copenhagen. Both times I was taken by the arm and cajoled into posing for French tourists who were quite sure I was an authentic native.I tried to explain, but my Swedish relatives (by marriage) explained loudly, that I was just shy! So there are several French families with lovely authentic pictures of architecture, canals, and Tivoli Gardens. And an American-tourist. Lest you think I was dressed to deceive, I was outfitted in LL Bean top to toe. But better yet was the mistake in our hotel in Copenhagen. A group of very nice US Southerners asked me if I could direct them to Tivoli. I did and was overwhelmed with compliments on my English and how wonderful it was that I spoke English so well. I decided thank them and not to tell them that I was a Bostonian born and bred. I thought they asked me because they knew I was American.
“Minou Minou” is SO much funnier than “here, kitty kitty. “
C’est vrai! 🙂
My sister lived in Paris for a year after finishing University. My first visit was in March of 1983, while she was there. Since then, I have been back many, many times and will always go back.
“What is there to see still. Don’t you want to go somewhere new?”
Don’t they know? In Paris, there is ALWAYS something new.
I am only sorrowing over what I will see when we can travel again: poor Notre Dame.
I am a direct descendant of general Lafayette in the revolutionary war for the USA so… viva la France and long live America!!!
Minou, minou? Kitty, kitty? 😀
I am from Louisiana, and we speak both Standard French and Louisiana French in our home. And now that I have seen that French collector’s edition I know what my next “read it so you don’t lose it while living amongst non-French speakers” project will be. I also do not understand the contempt for the French, but we have so much influence in our home, our home state, and know so many lovely people in different parts of France that my viewpoint is just different. My accent is awful in Standard French, but when I explain I am from Louisiana I basically get a pat on the head and a “you tried.” My kids’ accents are better.
A big thanks for this article!
Personally, I really appreciated the French references in the Kate Daniels series <3 <3 <3
I didn't know that French and Russian culture were so intertwined!
The collector's edition (the few images available) is just splendid, I hope there will be more for sale because I could not get a copy.
The comments on France made me smile ^^.
I am sorry for all those who have had bad experiences in France 🙁
We must not forget that everywhere in the world, there are always people with preconceptions about others and there are disagreeable people everywhere in the world (there is nothing we can do). I think you have to try to go beyond all that and make your own idea while not relying on first impressions.
As everywhere we appreciate that people tries to speak a little in French (in addition, your accent is too cute!) especially since we speak (for the most part) very (very very) poor English !!!
Paris is a beautiful city, especially on the cultural level, but it is not absolutely representative of France or of the personality of all French people (for example, we don't all eat frogs or snails! :p).
As for driving, even the French have a sweat on their foreheads when they drive in Paris ^^.
So I invite you to visit other places 🙂 Besides, if someone wants to visit Bordeaux (wine region) or Angoulême (city of comics), I would be delighted to be your guide 🙂
Bises "masquées " from France 😉
and thanks again for this article
On a Rhine river cruise several years ago, one of our excursions was a tour of one of the massive fortifications making up the Maginot Line. It was fascinating: effectively a huge underground concrete submarine. It could be closed up and remain safe from bombs (at least, the bombs from WW1, which were hopelessly outmatched by the German bombs in WW2), gas, and almost any other type of action for three months at a time. But the technology in it was so outdated that by the time the soldiers could fire their weapons, the targets were a mile away.
When Germany invaded, they didn’t go directly into France, where the Maginot line could have actually slowed them down; they went through Belgium, where the outposts were twice as far apart, so couldn’t fire on the invasion. They then turned and drove towards Paris, and took the city within a month. The soldiers at the Maginot line refused to believe that Paris had fallen so easily, so the French generals had to go out to the line and convince them to open their doors.
Maybe you and Gordon didn’t smile enough to be taken for Americans?
I got to visit Paris way back in 1996. As a recent grad with my roommate…we were lucky enough to meet a lovely local who had studied in California and missed the chance to speak English! She brought us to all these wonderful spots that we never would have found on our own… the best of which (and we went to the Louvre and Musee d’Orsay, Norte Dame…) was the massive chocolate crepe from a street cart. I saved the chocolate smeared wrapper it was so good. In case I ever got to go back I wanted to find that vendor again… I’ll remember that crepe for the rest of my life.
“Vive La France, ???????? “ echoed!
I am laughing at the French translation of here kitty kitty ???? I speak fluent French and it never dawned on me minou was the translation. I knew a cat named Minou growing up, she did not belong to me but to a classmate. We had to take care of her for a week while said classmate was on vacation. My parents are not cat people and this cat was not happy being dropped off in our basement by her family and being left behind in a strange environment, understandably (we were also away when they dropped her off). She hissed a lot and was standoffish, as a kid I didn’t get it but now I do. My parents still remember taking care of her and how mean (really scared and confused) she was. Poor Minou!!
Glad you loved France. As a half French person whose father is from there it always pleases me to hear people enjoyed themselves. I hope you get to go again someday! I am partial to Normandy as my father is from there (not because of D Day) and Brittany and I studied abroad in Toulouse and loved it.
The British and the French grumbling about each other is the same as cousins belly aching about each other. You might moan but you’re still family.
We have a very long history together from the days when English kings and queens included parts of France in their kingdom and our aristocrats spoke, dressed and ate French (just like Russia) to today when huge numbers of British people live in France and call it home from home.
We’ve had bitter wars with France and wars when we fought side by side. Our dead from two world wars lie in French soil and we visit France to remember them. Our history is so often shared.
At the moment the politics have left a bitter taste. It’s a bit like being divorced when pain makes you say hurtful things and squabble (and nearly half the British did not want to be divorced). But our roots go deep and I pray for the tide to turn. Even if they call us Roast Beef and we call them froggies 🙂
I seriously doubt that the French drive with the enthusiasm I witnessed by a bus driver on the road from Milford Sound to Te Anu through the Southern Alps in New Zealand. He was driving the full sized tour bus like it was a formula one racer.
Is it still possible to buy the collectors edition of Kate Daniels in French? If yes where can I find it? I only see paperback versions on the publisher site 🙁
Hey Genevieve,
The special editions are out of stock atm but there will be a new batch of the softcovers available in August on the French publisher site ????.
Hope this helps.
Minou, Minou o.m.g. I am laughing until I can’t breathe…..this is soooooo much more charmingly disrespectful in French……
peace,
Sechat
I think Gordon looks very Scandinavian actually. If I would see him roaming the streets of Oslo I would for sure think he was Norwegian.
I have an online friend who is French and one of the nicest people. And I’ve heard other stories from people who visited…
But it reminds me of the time a friend from another state visited me in NY. We walked along the streets of Manhattan and she said, “You know, everyone knows how unfriendly New Yorkers are supposed to be but when I come here, people are nice!”
I leaned in and said, “Shhh. Don’t tell nobody.” *winks*
On the flip side, I have a friend who always complained how rude NYers were to her. The final straw was when she walked out of a 7-11 and complained again. When I questioned her, I discovered that she didn’t realize that her “perfectly polite way of asking someone to move aside in Nebraska” was actually extremely rude in New York! Cultural differences. Gotta love them.
I had no idea about the relationship between France and Russia. LOL How exciting to see your books in French!
That said, any chance of any of them being translated into Korean? I’m learning, and trying to read your books in that language would be soooo helpful since I know them so well. 🙂
Hey J.M.,
House Andrews do not control the availability of their books in other countries. The best way to read IA work in a specific language/country, is to please email a local publisher who publishes fiction similar to their work and let them know you would like to read the books in that language. House Andrews are very happy to sell foreign rights to other countries and have the books be available as widely as possible :).
Hope this helps 🙂
That scene where Kate calls kitty kitty , along w the bowl of milk scene are my absolute favs. Love the art work.
Hello, loved this post about your French Experiences???? As A Huge French Fan (only reading you in english) I have to say:
– Please, if you ever come back to France visit other places than Paris, like le Mont-St-Michel, Cannes, Strasbourg, and Lyon where I live???? I can definetly be your personal guide ????????????????????????
-About the traffics and lines, unfortunetly you took the on and only exemple of “rond point” (=round trafic places to avoid without trafic signal/light) in France without line????
Also Paris is know for is issue about trafic but honestly it’s not worth than NYC????
Love you guys♥️