What books best depict the culture of France?

This is F. Scott Fitzgerald's last finished novel, and many consider it to be his best: It's semi-autobiographical, as it tells the story of Dick and Nicole Diver, who take up residence in the South of France and surround themselves with glamorous American compatriots. read more

If you want to see the “dark side” of France in the 1800s, the way the working class struggled to survive, read Émile Zola’s books. read more

Notable writers explore Parisian and French culture. Two Towns in Provence (M. F. K. Fisher, 1964). Aix-en-Provence and Marseille are the subjects of these two stories by the celebrated American food writer. She also writes about her life in France in Long Ago in France: The Years in Dijon (1929). read more