historical fiction set in France

I'm going to Paris at the end of January, and as usual I like to read as much as I can about the place I'm going. Along with travel and history books, I'd like to add in some good historical fiction.

Any recommendations for historical fiction set in France, especially Paris? The period doesn't matter particularly, though I might be extra interested in the medieval or Renaissance periods (having just read a very interesting biography of Catherine de Medici by Leonie Frieda).

Alexandre Dumas, father and son, wrote several great swashbucklers set in France, including The Three Musketeers and the The Man in the Iron Mask.
The second of Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles Queens Play is set in France and can easily be read as a stand alone. Don't forget A Tale of Two Cities or The Scarlet Pimpernel. More recently Neal Stephenson's Baroque Trilogy has large chunks set in France.

I personally would recommend reading Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles in order, but that's my taste :-)

I think Sandra Gulland's Josephine Bonaparte trilogy is excellent.

I do the same thing you do- when I travel somewhere, I like to read a book set in the area. I am going to Egypt in January and plan to take with me Palace Walk and possibly something else. Memoirs of Cleopatra is a little big, though, so I don't know about that one!

Maurice Druon wrote a series of novels set in 14th-century France called Les Rois Maudits (The Accursed Kings). They were written in French but English translations of them aren't too hard to find used.

I can't say I was wild about the one I read (maybe something was lost in translation), but some people really love them.

Part of Judith Koll Healey's novel The Canterbury Papers is set in medieval Paris.
Fiona Kai Avery's The Crown Rose is set mostly in medieval Paris.
A little bit of Jean Plaidy's Mary, Queen of France and The Royal Road to Fotheringay have Paris in them.
Lauren Willig's The Secret of the Pink Carnation

That's all I can think of at the moment!

I also thought The Canterbury Papers was pretty good, although it's more England than France.

The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier is set in France (half historical, half modern), but I didn't care for it all that much, so I can't really recommend it in good conscience.

Finally, it's a different vein from what's been suggested so far, but most of The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice is set in late 18th century France. Her writing may be a little much at times (although Vampire Lestat was before she started getting really excessively rambly about good and evil and etc etc), but I've always thought she was very good at grounding her stories in the detail of their time and place.

Just read in the past few months The Last Great Dance on Earth which is another view on Josephine Bonaparte and her life in France and her love story with Napoleon. Wonderful love story although it is contradicted by so many other historians and historical fiction writers who write about that time. Just another viewpoint I suppose of a subject that can have many sides.

Boswellbaxter wrote:

Maurice Druon wrote a series of novels set in 14th-century France called Les Rois Maudits (The Accursed Kings). They were written in French but English translations of them aren't too hard to find used.

*****
I have his The Iron King on my wish list, but it seems pretty pricey for me to find! Am I looking in the wrong place?

Thanks for all the great suggestions! I'm about to finish The Hunchback of Notre Dame; then I'm going to read The Three Musketeers (which has been languishing unread on my shelves for quite a while); then I can check out some of these recs.

aarti, have you read any Gillian Bradshaw? I've racked my brains to come up with historical fiction set in Egypt, and all I can think of is her book about Caesar and Cleopatra's son, Caesarion, Cleopatra's Heir.

The Good Men by Charmaine Craig is set in medieval France. It's about the Inquisition and the Cathars. Great characters with a historically accurate "feel."

I just want to chime in on the Josephine Bonaparte trilogy by Sarah Dunant...it is great and fast. I wanted more. She is also a library thing user...go to authors who library thing. For a fun interview with her go to thebookreport.com....she has a wonderful segment which can be listened to from a past show.

An old one, Désireé (I don't get a Touchstone) by Anne Marie Selinko got me interested in all things to do with Napoleon and those around him. Désireé was jilted by Napoleon in favor of Josephine, and then she met one of the other French Generals. . . .
Her sister married Joseph Bonaparte.

I'm not sure that I agree with the author's viewpoint after reading a lot of straight history. But I wouldn't have missed the novel, and it added to my interest in many places I visited in France.

There are lots of great WWII stories based in France. If you like that sort of thing, I read a wonderful one called Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks that was a love story/spy novel/French resistance story. Also a wonderful WWI love story was A Very Long Engagement by Sebastien Japrisot - I could list a few more if I go upstairs and check the bookshelf. Many of these take you around France as the story happens.

Aarti wrote:

I have his The Iron King on my wish list, but it seems pretty pricey for me to find! Am I looking in the wrong place?

I've seen his (Maurice Druon's) English-translation books show up fairly cheap on eBay now and then, but it's pretty catch as catch can, I think.

Thanks for the suggestion, gwyneira. I don't have those books by Gillian Bradshaw. But I do have her trilogy that begins with Hawk of May.

Definintely Victor Hugo! Les Miserables is great and takes place in Paris...I haven't read The Hunchback of Notre Dame, but I'm sure it's good. There's also Sharan Newman's Catherine le Vendeur series of mysteries set in medieval France. The earlier ones are the best, IMO. Another one is Susanne Alleyn's Game of Patience, a mystery set in post-Revolutionary Paris. Also Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky, about France during the Occupation is really good.

A place of greater safety by Hilary Mantel is a fictionalization of events around the Revolution and was fantastic!

Don't forget "The Phantom of the Opera" which was written by Gaston Leroux and is available at the gutenberg project for free.

For a more recent historical book set in Paris, try The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth. It's set after the Algerian War in 1963, and is about an attempt to kill Charles de Gaulle. It's a very exciting story, based in some fact, if you're interested in that type of thing.

aarti, there is a whole group for Egyptian fiction, called Egyptian Fiction Galore, if you are looking for more books set there. Pauline Gedge has many books set there in various time periods, and does a wonderful job.

For a book set in France, I have something called Paris Requiem by Lisa Appignanesi. It is a thriller type mystery set in 1899 Paris.

There is an older SF work from Jules Verne called Paris in the Twentieth Century.

There is a mystery series set in Paris/France by Cara Black the series is called Amiee Leduc Investigations, and the first book is Murder in the Marais

There are a couple of short non-fiction books:

Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik, an American writer living in Paris for 5 years with his family for work. It has 23 essays about his experiences and living there.

Another is Seven Ages of Paris by Alistair Horne, which is a history of the city told through seven episodes as determined by the writer.

For 19th century 2nd empire French history in novel form there's nothing like Emile Zola and his Rougon MacQuart series which came to 20 novels in all covering a very wide variety of social and cultural aspects. Among them some of the most famous are Nana which looked at prostitution, Germinal about miners and labor in general, The Earth about agricultural life is set in Provence, The ladies paradise which chronicles the birth of the department store, The masterpiece looks at the art world--particularly at the beginnings of impressionism, The belly of Paris at the food markets, 'La bete humaine' covers amongst other things the beginnings of mass transit, 'Money'--the world of High Finance' --His excellency Eugene Rougon--looks at politics and politicial intrigue, L'assommoir at the working class of Paris and finally The Debacle covers the Franco-Prussian war and the Paris commune.

There is a series by J. Gregory Keyes called The Age of Unreason that takes place in the time of Louis XIV (I believe). It is alternate history, though- so if you like history with a flair of fantasy ...

I am a passionate reader of historical fiction set in France, as you can see if you look at my books with the tag "historical fiction". Almost all of them are set in France. However, all of those are also written in French. But still, a lot of good ideas to pursue.

I just started The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette by Carolly Erickson I haven't gotten very far, but have heard it is extremly good.

I'm a brand newbie to this site and this is my first post. No one has mentioned the superb (and forgotten) novel called The Ivory Mischief by Arthur Meeker, jr. Set in the late 1600s, none of the characters is imaginary and, as the author writes "Virtually, all the incidents,too, really happened just as described."

The Ivory Mischief by Arthur Meeker

I just want to chime in on the Josephine Bonaparte trilogy by Sarah Dunant...

Actually, the author is Sandra Gulland, not Sarah Waters. *smile* I haven't read them, but they're on Mt TBR. Maybe in '07.

I was going to recommend The Knowledge of Water by Sarah Smith for the Parisian atmosphere, but I see you've already submitted a review :)

I just finished reading A Rose for Virtue by Norah Lofts, about Hortense, daughter of Josephine Bonaparte. Not a lot of atmosphere, but great characterizations of the historical figures concerned.

I haven't yet read this series, but I think that Susan Carroll's books, The Dark Queen, The Courtesan, and The Silver Rose, are set in France. I think all three books are predominantly set in Paris.
I enjoyed Courtesan by Diane Haeger which is about Henri, Diane de Poitiers, and Catherine de Medici.
A great book that wonderfully describes the Paris art scene in the early 1800's is Ophelia's Fan by Christine Balint.
A few about the French Revolution that I enjoyed: A Far Better Rest by Susanne Alleyn, City of Darkness, City of Light by Marge Piercy, and The Gods are Thirsty by Tanith Lee. Be forewarned though, the Tannith Lee book is filled with lots of purple prose, but was told from an interesting perspective which I thought made it worth reading. If you enjoyed Dickens' novel, A Tale of Two Cities, you'll probably enjoy the Alleyn novel.
If you're interested in a non-fiction book about Paris, Seven Ages of Paris by Alistair Horne is a great resource. It covers the entire history of Paris. I particularly liked how he included all of the women who helped shape Paris.
I saw that you were going to Paris at the end of January, but thought you may have been inspired to read more when you got home. ;-) Plus, I always take any opportunity to recommend my favorite's!

I really enjoyed The Burning Times by Jeanne Kalogridis. It's set in the 1300's with the Inquisition searching for heretics throuth out France.

gwyneira,

If you are going to Paris, a good book to get would be "Walks Through Napoleon and Josephine's Paris" (ISBN 1892145251). I would have liked to have seen Josephine's to,b while I was there. but no one could tell us directions.
This book tells of all the sites & has directions how to get there. I wish I had had it with me when I went!

The Rainbow Bridge by Aubrey Flegg is an excellent young adult historical fiction set during the French Revolution:

Synopsis:
Over a century has elapsed since Louise sat for her portrait. The painting has passed from person to person, unsigned and unvalued. Then, in 1792, as Revolution sweeps through France, Gaston Morteau, a lieutenant in the Hussars, rescues the canvas from a canal in Holland. Louise becomes a very real presence in Gaston's life, sharing his experiences -- the trauma of war, his meeting with Napoleon. When events force Gaston to give up the painting to the sinister Count du Bois, Louise becomes embroiled in a tale of political intrigue and Gothic horror. In the ashes of the Delft explosion, Louise made a choice for life. Now she has to face the realities of love, loss and pain that this life brings.

Review:
Set during the French Revolution, the second in The Louise Trilogy is packed with the excitement, danger and trauma of war as well as taking a look at the people left at home, away from the battlefield. Despite being the second in a trilogy, The Rainbow Bridge can easily be read and enjoyed without having previously read its prequel, with no loss of enjoyment or understanding of the plot.

Even when dealing with the universal themes of love, loss, pain and hardship, this is surprisingly upbeat and hopeful, never becoming maudlin or trite, and instead is an engaging tale of changing relationships and survival during a time of great upheaval that would change France forever.

I have Marguerite Yourcenar's The Abyss on my shelf, which I hear is excellent, and takes place in the second half of the 16th century.

I also have Elizabeth Knox's The Vintner's Luck, which has a touch of fantasy but which I hear is also marvelous.

I know this is late, but if you're still looking for stuff set in France, "The Spider King" is by the HF master, Lawrence Schoonover

Two different readers above mentioned my novels A Far Better Rest and Game of Patience, both set in revolutionary Paris -- thanks guys! -- and I would just like to mention that the sequel to Game of Patience, A Treasury of Regrets, is now in bookstores and libraries. These two are the first in what I hope will be an ongoing series of historical mysteries, featuring police agent Aristide Ravel, set (mostly) in Paris just before, during, and after the French Revolution. Enjoy before or during a trip to Paris. *end of BSP* ;-)

I can suggest two based on Marie Antoinette:

Versailles by Kathryn Davies
Abundance by Sena Jeter Naslund

Carolly Erickson has a new one about Josephine Bonaparte coming out in September.

Definitely The Count of Monte Cristo- my favorite book actually!!! And any others by Dumas! All fun and intriguing- great for planes rides!!!

Another good one was Gardener to the King. It describes how Versailles was landscaped.

Good books set in France in Medieval times are Holy Fools and Coast Liners by Joanne Harris and of course Perfume. Once you start it you won't be able to put it down.

If you're going to read the Three Musketeers you should really read the translation by Richard Pevear. Apparently, the older versions leave out quite a bit of lewdness and innuendo, and after all, what's a French adventure sans innuendo!

Georgette Heyer wrote a historical romance--it's really a romantic adventure, but you'll find it in Romance--called These Old Shades. Roughly half takes place in the France of Louis XV, in the middle of the 18th century. It has scenes in small villages, in Paris, and at Versailles at its height. It's not a bodice-ripper, it's more like Jane Austen after a few beers and better access to the REAL high and mighty.

If history usually bores you, read The Sun King and Madame de Pompadour by Nancy Mitford. The first is about Louis XIV and the scandals and life at Versailles (be sure to read the part about the affair of the poisons--it's classic stuff) while the second is about the mistress of Louis XV. Mitford doesn't try to present a balanced account and isn't afraid to call a spade a spade. One doctor is a "killer of kings" and she admits Louis XIV lived "25 years too long" (so long, in fact, he outlived his heir to the throne, and the heir's heir as well).

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote some great short stories about medieval France, they're part of the collection The Body Snatchers and other Tales.

Enjoy your trip!

#36 Just wanted to chime in on Game of Patience by Susanne Alleyn, which I read and enjoyed, and also say that I'm going to be taking a vacation next week and plan to pick up Treasury of Regrets to take with me to read on the flight.

Fair Exchange by Michele Roberts is set in early 19th century France.

The Eight by Katherine Neville

The Devil's Queen is good

Just came across this thread - Thanks for bumping it back to life ElizabethBraggins! - and noticed Louis Bayad's book The Black Tower hasn't been mentioned yet.

Susanne Alleyn (an LT author) has a new book out: The Executioner's Heir: a Novel of Eighteenth-Century France (so new there's no Touchstone yet!) that is currently 99 cents for the Kindle version (http://www.amazon.com/Executioners-Heir-Eighteenth-Century-France-ebook/dp/B00EXPZQBG/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=). I haven't read it yet, but I read an excerpt of an early draft which I enjoyed a lot. Also, I love love love her Aristide Ravel murder mystery series set in France just before, during and after the Revolution. Anyway, her new novel is straight historical fiction about the Charles Sanson, the son of the reviled executioner of Paris. Can't wait to dive into it. Maybe today, since I can't go anywhere (I think it's now hailing outside after days of the heaviest rains in Colorado since before I was born, anyway).

Before Versailles by Kathleen Koen is a novel about the Sun King but in a very short period of time very early in his reign. In fact, here he is a virile, attractive young monarch.

Marianne is the first of a series set in Napoleonic France.

The ghost of Monsieur Scarron by Janet Lewis, which is set during the reign of Louis XIV.

I would also throw in Scaramouche and Quentin Durwood. Surely Les Miserables has been mentioned.

well if you are into wars fought on French soil

Bernard Cornwell has several books .... the Battle of Crecy and Edward III the Archer's Tale....also Agincourt is King Henry V's and the Battle at Agincourt.....both books are very detailed and you will understand how amries of that day integrated various fighters (the Long Bow especially) to make them a fearsome force. Good story line also...you will be right in the tick pf the battles.

In Cornwell's "Sharpe series" there are several books that take place on French soil during the Napoleonic war....eg Sharpe's Waterloo, Sharpe's Revenge and Sharpe's Seige

Judith Rock has a new mystery series featuring a young Jesuit scholastic who teaches at the school of Louis le Grand during the reign of Louis XIV. The titles so far are The Rhetoric of Death, The Eloquence of Blood, and A Plague of Lies. I have really enjoyed visiting a time and place I know little about; the character of Charles du Luc is very appealing, too.

I have read that agents and publishers tend to shy away from novels set in France (or elsewhere in continental Europe, as a matter of fact). What's wrong with them.

Once I hope to reread the complete Angelique-series by Sergeanne Golon (Angélique: Marquise of the Angels) etc., Louis XIV France.

I enjoyed L'Allée du Roi by Françoise Chandernagor, about Mme de Maintenon's time at Versailles (The King's Way in English).

Large Parts of The Eight by Katherine Neville take place in Revolutionary France, but also moden times.

It has occurred to me that The Surgeon's Mate, one of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series, is set at least partly in France, notably a Parisian prison. Less sailing and more espionage, I seem to recall.

Two or three of Patrick Tremayne's Sister Fidelma mystery series are set in medieval France.

Just finished The Girl at the Lion d'Or by Sebastian Faulks, the second in temporal order of a trilogy that includes Birdsong (WWI) and Charlotte Gray (WWII).

My book, Patriot's Revenge, is set in France during WWII. Not an ad; just a response to a request.

Judith Rock, ELOQUENCE OF BLOOD; Louis-Ferdinand Celine, NORTH; Fernand Pouillon - THE STONES OF THE ABBEY. And not fiction, but recommended nonetheless: Eric Jager, BLOOD ROYAL: A TRUE STORY OF CRIME AND DETECTION IN MEDIEVAL PARIS