Explore every episode of the podcast Les Bookworms

We're starting Volume 4 of Proust's In Search of Lost Time. This week's episode discusses the first chapter of Sodom and Gomorrah which starts off with a BANG! Are you ready for the next Proust adventure?

We’re halfway there!

This episode celebrates the conclusion of the third volume - Le Côté de Guermantes. We explore the final (and rather humorous) scenes of the chapter Le Côté de Guermantes II. We deep dive into the ridiculousness of France’s aristocratic society while also unpacking heavier and more nuanced topics, such as mortality, grief, memory, and the inevitable passage of time accompanied by its fleeting beauty, fame and status. As always, Proust is everywhere including in the most tortured poetry.

Join us as we reflect on the elegance of Proust’s prose and the melancholic beauty of his reflections on a world that is slowly slipping away.

Mangeuses by Lauren Malka was so good it deserved an English episode in addition to the French! The book delves into the role food and eating play in the life of women. It discussion the individual pressures as well as the political and societal pressures felt by women around their bodies. But, we also celebrate the revolutionary act of savoring food and taking pleasure in each bite of a confit de canard!

Dans cet épisode, nous discutons le livre de Lauren Malka – Mangeuses : Histoire de celle qui dévorent, savourent ou se privent a l’excès. Nous explorons les expériences universelles et personnelles lie à l’acte de manger, passant de la honte et de la culpabilité à la célébration et à la joie. Nous examinons les pressions politique et sociétales qui ont contrôle et critique le corps de femmes.  Et surtout, nous célébrons l’acte de rébellion de s’aimer tel que nous sommes et de savourer chaque bouchée de ce confit de canard !

We're back on the Proust train. This episode covers the first chapter of Volume 3 - The Guermantes Way (Le Côté de Guermantes). We focus on the Dreyfus Affair and its role in French society at the time of Proust and today.

Kicking off 2024 with a BANGER of a book! This week we discuss the Nobel prize winning Annie Ernaux's The Years (Les Années). Spoiler alert - we loved it. Come listen to a better, more feminist Proustian collective memory exploration.

We're BACK! After a long hiatus, Les Bookworms are back with an episode reflecting on our Proustian journey or lack thereof (spoiler alert...c'mon not really). We also chat some of our favorite books from our break, books we are excited to read and some other literary moments that have sparked joy in the last few months. In the episode, we reference a new bilingual literary journal - Version Original - which you can order on their website or pick up in several bookstores across Paris. As always, happy reading! For more from Les Bookworms, check out our Instagram @lesbookwormspod or our ⁠blog⁠.

This episode is a pull back and pause on the journey of reading the world's longest novel. We've officially completed the first two volumes of In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust. We look at the volume as a whole and discuss a few issues we've had with the text so far. We also discuss why people consider this classic on of the greatest of all times and if we would recommend reading it. Happy reading! For more from Les Bookworms Pod, check out our Instagram @lesbookwormspod or our blog: https://lesbookwormspod.com. 

This week on Les Bookworms Pod features two Paris memoirs that we enjoyed reading: Paris on Air by Oliver Gee and No. 91/92: notes on a Parisian commute by Lauren Elkin. Two short reads that transport you directly to the heart of Paris. Both stories touch on the experience of living in Paris following the 2015 terrorist attacks, while also navigating personal insights and reflections of the daily experience of life as foreigners in Paris and France in general. We are longtime fans of both and enjoyed reflecting on what about these books spoke to us.  You can find fuller episode description and other book reviews on our blog: https://lesbookwormspod.com For current reads and a dose of French living, check out our Instagram: @lesbookwormspod

Les Bookworms are back for 2023 with an update on Proust! The third check-in covers mainly the second part of Volume II - "À l'ombre des jeunes filles en fleurs" (In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower). This section was packed with very interesting and profound ideas on love and the construction of our identities by ourselves and others. No need to have read Proust to listen we give a 30 second recap of everything that is important. You can find a fuller episode description and other book reviews on our blog: https://lesbookwormspod.wordpress.com For our current reads and dose of French living, check out our Instagram: @lesbookwormspod

On this episode of Les Bookworms Pod, we chat about two books that have been in our PAL (pile à lire aka TBR) for awhile. Each is written by women who love the City of Lights! Both books are relatively short and provide unique perspectives of Paris. The collection of short stories « There’s Only One Paris » snakes around each arrondissement and gives glimpses into the different lives of Parisians, activities and landmarks each district has to offer. « L’Origine » offers a personal perspective of an artistic journey and deep dive into the history behind the painting L’origine which can be found in the Musée d’Orsay. Come pal around Paris with us! You can find a fuller episode description and other book reviews on our blog: https://lesbookwormspod.wordpress.com For our current reads and dose of French living, check out our Instagram: @lesbookwormspod

The second check-in on In Search of Lost Time covers part of the second volume - "À l'ombre des jeunes filles en fleurs" (In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower). Our reflections vary from women's choices and societal pressure at the turn of the 20th century as well as in today's modern society to the misalignment of our own idea of self and the identity we present to the world to searching for the author in the text of their novel. No need to have read Proust to listen we give a 30 second recap of everything that is important. If you want to know how many times Proust is reference in Gilmore Girls, give this episode a listen!  You can find a fuller episode description and other book reviews on our blog: https://lesbookwormspod.wordpress.com For our current reads and dose of French living, check out our Instagram: @lesbookwormspod

Les Bookworms take on more classics. This week Helen and Miranda give their takes on three French classics: François le Champi (Georges Sand), Le Père Goriot (Honoré de Balzac) and Madame Bovary (Gustave Flaubert). If you have ever been interested in reading French classics, this episode is for you! We give a brief summary before giving our thoughts on these famous classics. We also ask whether these books should continue to be passed down?  You can find a fuller episode description and other book reviews on our blog: https://lesbookwormspod.wordpress.com For our current reads and a dose of French living, check out our Instagram: @lesbookwormspod 

Today's episode is a check-in on how the adventure of reading the world's longest novel - In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust - is going for each of us. Join us for this literary odyssey as we make our way through the 1 267 069 words in this novel with the lens of understanding why this book is known to be so rewarding and considered among the greatest of all time. Have no fear we aren't Proustian and are not attempting to provide literary criticism! If you've ever been curious about Proust or simply want to read the book with or through us, this episode is for you!

You can find a fuller episode description and other book reviews on our blog: https://lesbookwormspod.wordpress.com

For our current reads and a dose of French living, check out our Instagram: @lesbookwormspod 

Kicking off Season 4 of Les Bookworms Pod by diving straight in to our newest adventure - tackling Marcel Proust. We discuss Alain de Botton's novel "How Proust Can Save Your Life" as a primer before diving head first in to "In Search of Lost Time". 

You can find a fuller episode description and other book reviews on our blog: https://lesbookwormspod.wordpress.com

For all our current reads and a dose of French living, check out our Instagram: @lesbookwormspod

What could be a better way to wrap Season 3 of the Les Bookworms Pod than being in the same room for the first time in 3 years? While there is no book this week, we chat all about what's changed, what's stayed the same here in France and the reverse culture shocks after being away for so long. We also finally let you in on what we have in store for Season 4, which is going to be a completely different season for us!  Blog: https://lesbookwormspod.wordpress.com  Instagram: @lesbookwormspod 

The Bookworms head to Burgundy this week to discuss not 1 but 3 books that take us into the heart of this winemaking region. We like our red and whites just like we love a good nonfiction as much as a historical novel. This week’s episode gives a brief introduction to the region, its wine, the tradition of the harvest and its history with references to “Red, White and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass” by Natalie MacLean, “My Grape Year” by Laura Bradbury and “The Lost Vintage” by Ann Mah. 

Blog: https://lesbookwormspod.wordpress.com 

Instagram: @lesbookwormspod

Cette semaine est la dernière épisode de notre série politique. Nous discutons le livre « Présentes » par Lauren Bastide (2020) et nous nous posons la même question qu’elle: quelle place pour les femmes? Blog: https://lesbookwormspod.wordpress.com Instagram: @lesbookwormspod >>>son propre podcast s’appelle « La Poudre »

With the French presidential elections just around the corner, this 4-part series covers the basics of the political system. Part 3 - French Political Parties breaks down France's multi-party system and identifies some of the 2022 presidential hopefuls. 

Blog: https://lesbookwormspod.wordpress.com

Instagram: @lesbookwormspod

With the French presidential elections just around the corner, this 4-part series covers the basics of the political system. Part 2 - French Politics 101 is an introduction to France's political system, the V République and highlights on the presidents.  Blog: https://lesbookwormspod.wordpress.com Instagram: @lesbookwormspod

With the French presidential elections just around the corner, this 4-part series covers the basics of the political system. Part 1 - What is a Parliamentary System? is a political primer for future episodes discussing the complexities of the French system and the political stage for the upcoming election in France. 

Our parliamentarian-in-resident, Miranda walks us through the answers and the fundamental aspects of Canadian parliament while providing comparisons to other political systems. This episode answers questions such as, what is parliament? what is a bicameral system? how is a prime minister elected? 

Blog: https://lesbookwormspod.wordpress.com

Instagram: @lesbookwormspod

This week's episode explores the graphic novel - Le Piano Oriental by Zeina Abirached. She tells a story through imagery and words, weaving together a dual narrative of her grandfather in 1960s Beirut and herself in Paris several decades later. Her grandfather's piano is central to understanding how language, culture and code switching play a role in her own life. 

Blog: https://lesbookwormspod.wordpress.com

Instagram: @lesbookwormspod

Bienvenue au Canada ! Bien que les francophones québécois soient les plus connus, le Canada regorge d’autres groupes francophones comme les franco-ontariens. Avec notre invitée Brigitte, nous parlons du bilinguisme et de la culture Franco-Ontarienne. Blog: Blog: https://lesbookwormspod.wordpress.com Instagram: @lesbookwormspod

How many francophone groups live in Canada? Have you heard of Franco-Ontarian day? This week we answer these questions and more with our special guest - Brigitte! Join us for an interesting discussion on what it’s like growing up bilingual in Canada and no she isn’t from Quebec ! Blog: https://lesbookwormspod.wordpress.com Instagram: @lesbookwormspod

This week we break down A Year in the M***e by Stephen Clarke (2006), which was originally published under the pen name Paul West (the protagonist in the book). The book explores Clarke's own experiences of moving to Paris and figuring out the city, the people and the French culture. Written as a comedic representation, Clarke offers a Anglo-male perspective of an often repeated story of landing in the City of Lights and finding a home. Blog: https://lesbookwormspod.wordpress.com Instagram: @lesbookwormspod

Cette semaine nous introduisons un nouveau genre pour Les Bookworms Pod – la bande dessinée. Cette BD est une autobiographie de Kei Lam qui présente son enfance en France. Elle raconte sa vie et son expérience d’immigration. C’est une histoire touchante avec les illustrations incroyables !

Blog: https://lesbookwormspod.wordpress.com

Instagram : @lesbookwormspod

What exactly is TAPIF? How does it work? And what books should you read before arriving in France?

This episode explores the program that brought us together. We discuss the basics of the program, provide a bit of advice for current/future assistants or to anyone moving abroad for the first time as well as a few take-aways from our experience as English teaching assistants in France. If you want more concrete information on how you can pursue this opportunity, check out the TAPIF site itself: https://frenchhighereducation.org/teaching-assistant-program

Come say hi to us on Instagram @lesbookwormspod 

By email: lesbookwormspod@gmail.com

Or for all your book review and episode write-ups, our website: lesbookwormspod.wordpress.com 

Coucou! Today marks 1 whole year of Les Bookworms Podcast! We are so proud and humbled by the last year and we have loved sharing our love of books and the francophonie with you all.  In this episode, we look back on the the last year of content and reflect on what we want for Season 3, coming soon! Instagram: @lesbookwormspod Blog: lesbookwormspod.wordpress.com Email: lesbookwormspod@gmail.com

Part 2 of the bonus series and the final episode of Season 2! We are whipping up a fricassée de poulet (chicken) à l'ancienne from the seminal cookbook "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" which effectively introduced French cuisine and technique to Americans. Come cook with us, drink some wine and have a Francophile afternoon as we discuss various aspects of French food and culture together!

Blog: https://lesbookwormspod.wordpress.com/ 

Instagram: @lesbookwormspod

Part 1 of a bonus series to end Season 2 of the Les Bookworms Pod. We talk about Julia Child, her influence and legacy in French cuisine in North America as well as the absence of the great "French chef" in France. A bit of book talk, life talk and general Francophile chit chat to get ready for Part 2 (releasing on Sunday) where we cook a tradition French Sunday dinner from the famous "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". 

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Instagram: @lesbookwormspod

Ce roman raconte d'une façon la vie d’un garçon de dix ans et d'une autre façon l’histoire d’Afrique brutalement malmené par l’histoire. Comme Gaël Faye explique lui-même: “J’ai écrit ce roman pour faire surgir un monde oublié, pour dire nos instants joyeux, discrets comme des filles de bonnes familles...J’ai écrit ce roman pour crier à l’univers que nous avons existé, avec nos vies simples, notre train-train, notre ennui, que nous avions des bonheurs qui ne cherchaient qu’à le rester avant d'être expédiés aux quatre coins du monde et de devenir une bande d’exilés, de réfugiés, d’immigrés, de migrants.”

Chanson: https://youtu.be/XTF2pwr8lYk 

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Small Country by Gael Faye (2016) describes the life of a small boy living in Burundi in a period of relative peace, when his innocence is brutally lost after the coup d'état that sends the country into lawlessness and war. It's an incredibly beautiful novel about childhood and the intersection of growth and tragedy. In this episode, we discuss innocence, interconnectedness of culture and colonial identity. 

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Ce roman explore l’aventure de trouver votre identité, vu par notre héros Samba qui vient d’un pays d'Afrique (basé au Sénégal) mais prend le voyage à Paris pour poursuivre ses études supérieures. Là- bas, il découvrit les grandes différences entre l'occident et l’afrique. Le roman explore les thèmes de modernité et la négritude ou nationalisme de l'Afrique.

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This short novel is one of two works by Cheikh Hamidou Kane who has since become a legend of African literature. Similarly to other works we’ve seen this season, Kane explores essentialism and existentialism within this novel. He weaves imaginary or allegorical perspectives with real history, social and political matrices, and philosophical questions on what it means to exist within the imperial and republican France as someone who is  non-white and not from the metropole. He does this primarily through presenting the story of Samba Diallo who leaves his home to study in France. The book divides the experience into before, during, and after and explores various intellectual ideas and the interactions between African cultures and French culture. Beyond the representation of Samba’s experience, this book also depicts black cultural nationalism and African-centered notions of modernity and modernization.

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Aimé Césaire est un poète français, écrivain et politicien qui a écrit “Le cahier d’un retour au pays natal” dans les années 30 quand il était étudiant à Paris. Influencé par le surréalisme, il mêlait métaphores audacieuses et expressions de la révolte dans son texte. “Le cahier d’un retour au pays natal” est célèbre pour son symbole du mouvement de la négritude et de l’anticolonialisme. Le poème était refusé par une dizaine d'éditeurs français avant d'être publié par André Breton - lui-même poète.

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Aime Cesaire was a French poet, author, and politician. During his studies in Paris, he started a journal called “L’etudiant noir” with other students who felt culturally alienated by the societal colonial stigmatization of Martinque and Guyanian students. During this time, he wrote the poem Return to my Native Land which subsequently launched the negritude literary movement. He became a huge proponent for combatting colonials, acculturation, and communism. “A Return to my Native Land” has been called the first “grand cri noir” as it takes the reader on an emotional at times spiritual and perhaps even existential journey of hope and despair.

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Ce roman raconte une histoire d’amour entre une française et un Canadien-camouronais. Tandis que leur affaire commence à Hollywood, ils traversent les frontières et explorent la culture, l’identité, la race, le désir, et la réjection. Darrieussecq écrit une histoire complexe qui montre comment l’imagination coloniale transforme toujours la pensée consciente et inconsciente. Son style littéraire est allégorique. Elle évoque plusieurs thèmes pendant la lecture qui inclut “au cœur de ténèbres” par Joseph Conrad en construisant une discussion psychologique et critique. Le roman souligne le racisme continuel et met en évidence la complexité de l’intersectionnalité dans le présent.

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In a way, this is a modern Hollywood love story that explores culture, identity, race, longing, and rejection. And yet, Darrieussecq weaves a complex story illustrating how the colonial imagination continues to shape conscious and unconscious thought. In an allegorical literary style, she plays with themes found in the Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad to construct a psychological discussion on race, ethnicity, national identity, social expectations, and intersectionality of today’s modern times. Using timely and accurate references, it becomes clear that societal norms have not fully changed and the reader, like the characters in the novel need to confront reality.

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Adam Hochschild retrace l’histoire de la colonisation et construction d’un État personnel au monarque blegesur le fleuve Congo. Le roi Léopold II de la Belgique était un homme avide de pouvoir et de gloire. Il est orchestré et brutalement exécuté une campagne de domination pour attraper une colonie pour en retirer des bénéfices personnels. Ce livre raconte la presse, les stratégies, les accords, et les décisions des autres pays et coupables qui ont choisi de fermer les yeux. Par ailleurs, Hochschild raconte également des organisations et des gens qui se sont levés contre ces atrocités. Ce récit de crimes oubliés, véritable dissection du système colonial, aide à la compréhension d’une actualité tragique.

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Leopold’s Ghost explores the exploitation and colonization of the Congo Free State by King Leopold of Belgium from inception to the King’s death, an area now separated into the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo. It recounts the terrifying greed and lack of empathy of Leopold in his single desire to own and command a “piece of the African cake”. Unlike the non-fiction of my history class, the book highlights specific people within the timelines of this terror, creating an enthralling read that underscores how history is told, and the many small steps needed to keep the atrocities of this time quiet.

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Ce petit roman est assez simple par rapport à l'histoire présentée. On pourrait le lire comme un dernier testament du personnage principal qui s'appelle Meursault. Pendant ce roman, on suit Meursault, un pied noir en Algerie dans sa vie quotidienne. Il explique la mort de sa mère, la rencontre de son amoureuse Marie, les nouvelles de ses amies, et le plus intriguant un procès criminel qui l' accuse d'être meurtrier. Ce roman est plus connu pour sa critique sociétale et l’absurdisme trouvé dedans.

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The Stranger has a rather simple plot and reads almost like a last testament in first person prose. In a little over hundred pages, we follow Meursault, a pied-noir in Algeria through the loss of his mother, his adventures in love and friendship, and a strange criminal trial in which  he finds himself implicated. Known more for its commentary on society and as a prime example of absurdist fiction, Camus’ The Stranger has been integrated into the reading curriculum throughout the world and remains a novel that many hate to love.

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Simone de Beauvoir discuter les points de vue pris sur la femme par plusieurs disciplines academiques. Son chef-d'œuvre est une chronique de l’histoire des femme et connu comme le plus grand livre de la philosophoie feministe. C’est un essai, manuel, et thèse qui influence considérablement les générations de femmes qui lui ont succédé. Elle explore comment l'inégalité entre les hommes et les femmes est historiquement et idéologiquement construite. Le deuxieme sexe etait revolutionaire en 1949 et reste l’actualite aujourd’hui.

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Originally published in 1949 as a novel, The Second Sex reads more like a textbook of the history of female oppression, taking on topics ranging from Christian depictions of women, the right to vote, menstruation and maternity. De Beauvoir begins by saying famously, one is not born a woman, one becomes a woman. Straight away, she attacks the myths perpetuated about women and gender as essential to a person’s being. The book is shockingly ahead of its time and it can’t be overstated how important it was in inspiring the second wave of feminism. One that moves beyond legal equality and into philosophical and societal differences in the way women are treated.

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This episode is all about breaking down existentialism as a philosophy. In this French/English episode, we cover the basic tenants of existentialism through discussing the philosophers responsible for its creation and propagation. Then, we discuss the time period and external influences as well as the most famous works (for the French existentialists). We hope by the end of the episode, you have a better grasp on what existentialism means and how it applies to our next few episodes!

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Entre un mémoire et un livre de santé et bien être, ce livre essaye d’expliquer comment les femmes françaises évitent la culture de régime et restent mince et en bonne santé. Mireille explique son expérience prenant du poids et ses coup de mains de les perdre utilisant la modération. Il y a des recettes, des conseils utiles et des exemples de la façon dont les français peuvent tout avoir.

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Somewhere between self-help, memoir and anthropological study of the relationship French culture has with food and diet, this book aims to explain how French people avoid yoyo dieting through moderation, seasonal eating and mindful meals. Mireille explains her own journey through putting on weight and trying to keep it off. Not quite a diet book, you learn useful recipes and tricks to be conscious of what you eat and gain general knowledge about the French approach to food and body image.

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This episode is all about Christmas traditions! With the holidays around the corner, we discuss Christmas traditions in our homes: Canada and France! This is our last episode this season and before our break for the holidays. We hope you have a wonderful holiday season and stay safe into 2021!

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Une histoire d'amour réaliste entre un soldat marocain et une jeune femme d'Alsace à la fin de la deuxième guerre mondiale. Mathilde déménage au Maroc avec son nouveau mari Amine et ils commencent de bâtir une vie ensemble. Ils rencontrent des obstacles tout le temps, avec leur ferme et les agrumes qui ne grandissent pas, avec leurs familles qui vient des cultures différents, et avec leurs sentiments de soi, de qui sont-ils dans ce pays des autres.

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This is a realistic love story between a Moroccan soldier and an Alsatian woman beginning at the end of WWII. It follows their life as they create a household, build a farm, and experience life together in a mixed race, bicultural family in the 50s and 60s. The cultural conflicts and genuine efforts of connection weave a pragmatic tale filled with the trials and tribulations of everyday life in a unique period of time in Morocco - the beginning of the end.

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