6 New French Books You Should Read
It’s French literary award season, and these are the books the juries recommend adding to your growing "To Read" list — plus one notable title they missed but you shouldn’t overlook. Winning the Prix Goncourt, France’s most prestigious literary prize, comes with a symbolic cheque of €10, which winners often frame and display proudly, sometimes spending more on framing than the prize itself. The Prix Renaudot awards no cash, but both, along with the Prix Médicis, the Femina Prize, and the Académie Française Grand Prix du Roman, significantly boost book sales.
To stay ahead in literary conversations, here are some French books to pick up on your next visit to a local bookstore.
La Maison Vide (The Empty House)
The jury of the Prix Goncourt awarded Laurent Mauvignier the prize for La Maison Vide after just one round of voting. This 750-page novel offers a forensic, fourth wall-breaking journey through the author’s family history, starting with his great-great-grandmother and told through heirlooms and mementoes. With a thriller-like atmosphere, it previously won the Prix littéraire Le Monde and the Prix des libraires de Nancy-Le Point, and was shortlisted for the Femina prize.
"Laurent Mauvignier’s La Maison Vide is a forensic, fourth wall-breaking exploration of his family’s past, weaving memory and heirlooms into a compelling narrative."
Author’s summary: This list highlights celebrated French literary works that reflect rich traditions and shape contemporary reading trends.