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Enhance your French reading skills with this primer for premium results! Easy French Reader is based on the premise that the best way to learn a language is to start reading it, immediately. Suitable for raw beginners to intermediate-level language learners, this bestselling title features engaging readings of progressive difficulty that allow you to rapidly build comprehension. Part I describes the adventures of two friends, an American and a Parisian, as they learn about their respective cultures; Part II describes episodes from the colorful history of France; and Part III contains four abridged short stories by famous French authors. New to the Premium Third Edition are accompanying materials in the McGraw-Hill Language Lab audio recordings (totaling 120 minutes) require Internet access.
Enhance your French reading skills with this primer for premium results! Easy French Reader is based on the premise that the best way to learn a language is to start reading it, immediately. Suitable for raw beginners to intermediate-level language learners, this bestselling title features engaging readings of progressive difficulty that allow you to rapidly build comprehension. Part I describes the adventures of two friends, an American and a Parisian, as they learn about their respective cultures; Part II describes episodes from the colorful history of France; and Part III contains four abridged short stories by famous French authors. New to the Premium Third Edition are accompanying materials in the McGraw-Hill Language Lab audio recordings (totaling 120 minutes) require Internet access.
240 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1984
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454 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
June 15, 2016
I bought this book years ago, right when I had decided to try to learn French. Unfortunately, it sat on my shelves for a long while, as I then decided to use an online learning tool (Duolingo, which is surprisingly good) to begin with. In fact, I almost forgot about this book completely; I’m very glad I didn’t.
I think this is actually a remarkably good pedagogical text. It begins with simple dialogues, moves on to a short history of France, and ends with four short stories. The difficulty increases slowly enough to be imperceptible, but quickly enough so that the student has made great progress by the end. The dialogues in the first part are often witty; the history presented in the second part was interesting for me—benighted as I am; and the short stories in the final part—by Daudet, Theuriet, Zola, and Maupassant—were delightful.
But there are great disadvantages to learning, as I am doing, purely through reading. At present, I can read surprisingly well, I can write very poorly, and I can speak even worse. French is especially difficult to teach yourself through texts because, unlike, say, German or Spanish, it isn’t strictly phonetic.
This is all neither here nor there, however, as de Sales’s only goal is to get you to be able to read French. And does he? Admirably.
I think this is actually a remarkably good pedagogical text. It begins with simple dialogues, moves on to a short history of France, and ends with four short stories. The difficulty increases slowly enough to be imperceptible, but quickly enough so that the student has made great progress by the end. The dialogues in the first part are often witty; the history presented in the second part was interesting for me—benighted as I am; and the short stories in the final part—by Daudet, Theuriet, Zola, and Maupassant—were delightful.
But there are great disadvantages to learning, as I am doing, purely through reading. At present, I can read surprisingly well, I can write very poorly, and I can speak even worse. French is especially difficult to teach yourself through texts because, unlike, say, German or Spanish, it isn’t strictly phonetic.
This is all neither here nor there, however, as de Sales’s only goal is to get you to be able to read French. And does he? Admirably.
July 31, 2011
This book is best used as a supplement to a beginning French language instruction program or course. It is in three sections, each section containing several chapters, and each section more challenging than the prior section. The first section is a running dialogue, a play, between two young friends, an American girl and French boy, as they tour their French locale and develop their relationship. The second section is a history of French leaders from Vercingétorix through Jacque Chirac. The third section contains abridged short stories by deceased, famous authors of French literature, ending in dramatic fashion with a story by Guy de Maupassant.
I had two years of French in High School and am taking the Rosetta Stone computer course in French. Considering I have no one with which to share my French skills, this book has been effective in improving my French reading skills. It anticipates improvement in grammar, beginning with only the present tense, and by the end of the book using additional tenses. Most of the French words (or their roots) are listed in a French-English dictionary ("Vocabulary") in the back of the book, so there is little need to consult another dictionary. A great feature is that the author translated many new French words in the margins, removing much inconvenience in referring to the "Vocabulary."
To challenge the reader, the author finishes each chapter with a quiz or test in French, with answers given in the back of the book. There are also several subsections and tests to refresh and review the reader as he works through the book.
In conclusion, I was very happy with this book. Given that I have no outlet to test my French, This book helped me improve my French reading skills, giving me positive feedback as I read through it.
I had two years of French in High School and am taking the Rosetta Stone computer course in French. Considering I have no one with which to share my French skills, this book has been effective in improving my French reading skills. It anticipates improvement in grammar, beginning with only the present tense, and by the end of the book using additional tenses. Most of the French words (or their roots) are listed in a French-English dictionary ("Vocabulary") in the back of the book, so there is little need to consult another dictionary. A great feature is that the author translated many new French words in the margins, removing much inconvenience in referring to the "Vocabulary."
To challenge the reader, the author finishes each chapter with a quiz or test in French, with answers given in the back of the book. There are also several subsections and tests to refresh and review the reader as he works through the book.
In conclusion, I was very happy with this book. Given that I have no outlet to test my French, This book helped me improve my French reading skills, giving me positive feedback as I read through it.
April 28, 2016
This book provided an enjoyable way to brush off my high school French. The three sections present short readings that build in difficulty, starting with the first section about two young students in Paris, one French and one American. Vocabulary words are highlighted for each short chapter, and comprehension questions are also included. The second section features vignettes giving an overview of French history up to the present, and the third section includes four short stories: La Derniere Classe (Alphonse Daudet), La Grand Michu (Emile Zola), Les Peches (Andre Theuriet) and La Parure (Guy de Maupassant).
Although the Kindle edition unfortunately did not indicate this, there is a free McGraw-Hill Language Lab app so you can hear the vocabulary and readings in French, a very useful supplement to the written text. I would recommend getting a paperback version of this book, since using the glossary in the back was so cumbersome on the Kindle that I gave up and used a paperback French dictionary instead.
Although the Kindle edition unfortunately did not indicate this, there is a free McGraw-Hill Language Lab app so you can hear the vocabulary and readings in French, a very useful supplement to the written text. I would recommend getting a paperback version of this book, since using the glossary in the back was so cumbersome on the Kindle that I gave up and used a paperback French dictionary instead.
January 10, 2016
A very useful book for someone at the beginning to intermediate stages of learning French. This book grows with the reader, so she can read more advanced passages as she advances in the language. I enjoyed all three sections, the first about an American girl and a French boy, the second about French history, and the third with well-known short stories by famous French authors. The stories that Sales selected for the third part are entertaining and offer a glimpse into specific aspects of French life during the time of the authors.
I highly recommend this book to people who want to feel more comfortable reading French and who want to continue learning vocabulary and style as they go.
I highly recommend this book to people who want to feel more comfortable reading French and who want to continue learning vocabulary and style as they go.
September 26, 2021
This starts out really easy (and boring) but moves quickly into more interesting material on famous people, and then into simple literature excerpts. I thought this book was an excellent review of French for people like me, who learned it years ago but are pretty rusty.
December 8, 2025
A solid read for someone at CFER A2 French. I enjoy that the book doesn't ramp up much, which allows you to gain confidence by increasing your reading speed as you progress, rather than getting bogged down with a book that has too steep of a learning curve. Also, by maintaining A2 level, you gain confidence by seeing the same "new" words frequently enough to remember them. The stories are engaging enough and it the questions at the end of each chapter aren't challenging in and of themselves, but it makes you revisit the text and really work to understand what you've just read.
May 9, 2023
This collection of short texts is pedagogically structured, starting out with real simple dialogues and getting progressively more advanced, going through a section on French history and ending with four short stories by French masters. Serves its purpose very well.
May 13, 2021
الكتاب جيّد مجملًا، وسعيد بأول كتاب أقرأه بالفرنسية.
June 11, 2017
This was a great starter book for reading in French. It's important to note, though, that the change in reading level between the beginning and end is pretty dramatic, so if you're actually A1 when starting Chapter 1 ... this book may take a while to finish.
My favorite story in the final section was "La Dernière Classe," although reading "La Parure" in French was a treat. About halfway through I realized it was the same story I read in English ("The Necklace") a long, long time ago in school. :)
My favorite story in the final section was "La Dernière Classe," although reading "La Parure" in French was a treat. About halfway through I realized it was the same story I read in English ("The Necklace") a long, long time ago in school. :)
May 16, 2022
Given my desire to further my knowledge of the French language by reading texts — and not solely by studying the grammar — I find this book to be well suited for my present wants. I will nonetheless pursue my learning further by reading more books that can both relate to grammar and linguistics and primordially to matters of culture and literature.
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February 23, 2010This book is so wonderful for folks that are interested in beginning to read short literature in French, but need to build confidence. I would say it is perfect for an advanced beginner - intermediate level. Highly recommended so far!
August 15, 2017
This is a nice beginner book to practice reading, vocabulary, comprehension, and pronunciation (since I think it's most useful to read aloud when learning a language.) It's also a primer on French history, certainly not complete, but plenty to get you started.
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August 15, 2022A good review. Needed a refresher
June 19, 2018
Three distinct sections in this reader, at different levels of difficulty.
1. Beginner French, with very simple grammar, but school vocabulary assumed. Progresses through the chapters. Not overly interesting.
2. History. Written in present tense. I enjoyed reading about the ancient history more than the modern. I had read some of these before in Roussy de Sales's earlier publications, where these were separate books. Again, there is quite a bit of vocabulary here.
3. Famous short stories. These include perfect and imperfect tense, so grammatically suitable for the intermediate student. For some reason I don't really enjoy these stories, though I think I understood more of them in my most recent reading than when I read them over 10 years ago in other editions.
There is still quite a vocabulary burden when reading these, so their suitability will depend on how comfortable people are with unknown words, and the size of their current vocabulary.
1. Beginner French, with very simple grammar, but school vocabulary assumed. Progresses through the chapters. Not overly interesting.
2. History. Written in present tense. I enjoyed reading about the ancient history more than the modern. I had read some of these before in Roussy de Sales's earlier publications, where these were separate books. Again, there is quite a bit of vocabulary here.
3. Famous short stories. These include perfect and imperfect tense, so grammatically suitable for the intermediate student. For some reason I don't really enjoy these stories, though I think I understood more of them in my most recent reading than when I read them over 10 years ago in other editions.
There is still quite a vocabulary burden when reading these, so their suitability will depend on how comfortable people are with unknown words, and the size of their current vocabulary.
September 20, 2017
This book has been very effective toward improving my French reading skills.
It starts off with very simple stories (assuming you already have a beginner vocabulary to work with), which gradually increase in length and complexity.
Throughout the book, in the margins of each page, you will have translations for new words and expressions that are introduced.
I highly recommend this book to students of the French language!
It starts off with very simple stories (assuming you already have a beginner vocabulary to work with), which gradually increase in length and complexity.
Throughout the book, in the margins of each page, you will have translations for new words and expressions that are introduced.
I highly recommend this book to students of the French language!
March 8, 2025
At first I thought: wow, too simple. But hold on and have patience - the path is steep and by the end you'll be reading complex little passages in which you've forgotten you're not in your native language while still processing copious amounts of information. The running marginal glossary is a wonderful little touch. I'd recommend this to someone wanting to expand their vocabulary or practice especially at the high beginner or low intermediate level.
February 13, 2022
Would definitely recommend as an early reader, though I do have some reservations. I skipped along through the first section, but stalled, heavily, in the second--I didn't care much for the rather dry history lessons, especially the ones on various kings. The third section, which was based on famous French short stories, was probably the most difficult to read, but also the most rewarding.
July 22, 2022
A really good reader. Don't be fooled by the "easy" part--the book starts of really basic and ends up amping up the difficulty so by the end you're reading short stories by famous French writers with little sidebar vocab help.
January 9, 2023
Les conversations entre Julie et Marc dans la première partie de ce livre j'ai trouvé assez intéressants. La troisième section qui s'appelle <> est la meilleure dans le livre entier mais la deuxième partie qui contient l'histoire de la France, je me sens qu'elle est très simplifiée, c'est pourquoi je donne ce livre ne plus que trois étoiles.
May 6, 2023
It’s good; knock two birds with one stone: learn French and history. Definitely need to do a reread
September 19, 2023
The app has audio
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January 23, 2026This was perfect for my level (A2/B1). I wish there were more just like it.
December 13, 2018
J'ai fini mon premier livre en français!
J'aime ce livre parce que le texte est assez simple pour moi. Le livre m'a aidé apprendre du vocabulaire et des structures de phrases communes. J'ai aimé la deuxième partie le plus.
J'aime ce livre parce que le texte est assez simple pour moi. Le livre m'a aidé apprendre du vocabulaire et des structures de phrases communes. J'ai aimé la deuxième partie le plus.
March 12, 2017
I started this book god knows how many years ago and just never finished it. If you are starting to learn French this is a decent resource to use. The stories start out very easy and build, culminating in short stories written by well-known French authors.
November 13, 2016
This book was excellent for practicing reading and listening comprehension in French. The progression of difficulty over the three sections was challenging but not overwhelming and the definitions in the margin and glossary at the back made it fairly easy to comprehend the texts while learning new words and grammatical constructions. However, this book is definitely not for absolute beginners. I had about 5 semesters of college French before starting this book and found it appropriate for my level without needing a dictionary or referring to the glossary too often. Someone with less French background would likely need to spend more time looking up words and making notes in the book to get the full benefit.
My only complaint about this book is that positive female representation in the second and third parts of the book was noticeably lacking. Joan of Arc was the only female historical figure featured, none of the four short stories were written by a female author, and only one contained a female main character and she was not portrayed that positively. So at one point I found myself thinking, "Wow, have French women ever done or written anything important?". The book is still great for language practice, just be aware of the gender bias in its presentation of French history and literature.
My only complaint about this book is that positive female representation in the second and third parts of the book was noticeably lacking. Joan of Arc was the only female historical figure featured, none of the four short stories were written by a female author, and only one contained a female main character and she was not portrayed that positively. So at one point I found myself thinking, "Wow, have French women ever done or written anything important?". The book is still great for language practice, just be aware of the gender bias in its presentation of French history and literature.
May 16, 2018
This is by far one of my favorite language books for learning how to effectively read in French.
Reading has been a struggle for me in especially French - and I would like to focus on correctly using and identifying the grammar and vocabulary used and this book helps a lot.
I love the set-up and format. It's so easy to read and so easy to follow! I love the questions at the end - because for me, even in my native language - comprehension has been a struggle. So the basic, simple and repetitive questions asked after reading is very helpful to make me really think about what I read.
I love love love how it starts off super easy, getting more advanced, longer and longer each time. This is effective. No doubt. Adding a bit more each time and advancing the questions as well is just so easy for me to follow and stay focused!
It is sectioned off so that I can organize my time, setting off each chapter for each day - so I don't get too overwhelmed or bored.
All in all, this is perfection. If you are A2 or B1-B2, I recommend this book. This combined with my dictionaries in French are my babies. <3
Reading has been a struggle for me in especially French - and I would like to focus on correctly using and identifying the grammar and vocabulary used and this book helps a lot.
I love the set-up and format. It's so easy to read and so easy to follow! I love the questions at the end - because for me, even in my native language - comprehension has been a struggle. So the basic, simple and repetitive questions asked after reading is very helpful to make me really think about what I read.
I love love love how it starts off super easy, getting more advanced, longer and longer each time. This is effective. No doubt. Adding a bit more each time and advancing the questions as well is just so easy for me to follow and stay focused!
It is sectioned off so that I can organize my time, setting off each chapter for each day - so I don't get too overwhelmed or bored.
All in all, this is perfection. If you are A2 or B1-B2, I recommend this book. This combined with my dictionaries in French are my babies. <3
June 26, 2012
A good beginner/intermediate French reader to go along with a French course or independent work on French grammar. It's not quite easy enough for someone who hasn't done any work on the language before, but it's great for someone who knows the grammar basics or who is a little rusty and wants to work on their reading skills.
The selections are kinda patchy in terms of interest - the first section, about an American girl and French boy living in Paris, is rough going for a while, but sections two and three are much better. Section two has nice, short biographies from French history, and section three has some abridged short stories, mostly from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
I'd also recommend having a dictionary handy when reading it if your vocabulary is as patchy as mine. There is a small dictionary in the back, but it's definitely not comprehensive.
The selections are kinda patchy in terms of interest - the first section, about an American girl and French boy living in Paris, is rough going for a while, but sections two and three are much better. Section two has nice, short biographies from French history, and section three has some abridged short stories, mostly from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
I'd also recommend having a dictionary handy when reading it if your vocabulary is as patchy as mine. There is a small dictionary in the back, but it's definitely not comprehensive.
March 27, 2016
If you would like to teach yourself French, this is a great place to start. There's a French/English dictionary at the end of the book, and English words are included in the margins throughout the book to help you along. The dialogues were cute and sometimes humorous, and I enjpyed learning the story of the country. The book gave me a great feeling of achievement to start with simple dialogues and by the end to read great French authors. Now I have the confidence to think I could do more, which may be the best compliment for a textbook.
March 13, 2016
La première partie était un peu ennuyeux mais utile pour comprendre les parties suivantes. La seconde, l'histoire de la France, était assez intéressante et facile de comprendre. La troisième et dernière partie était la meilleure, particulièrement l'histoire de Maupassant, La Parure.
Ce livre n'utilise pas le passé simple, donc on peut immédiatement commencer le lire avec sa connaissance actuelle.
Ce livre n'utilise pas le passé simple, donc on peut immédiatement commencer le lire avec sa connaissance actuelle.
April 17, 2007
*this periodically goes on and off my currently reading list because I pick it up and put it back down when I've got time to do my french.
this is a great book for those who are already familiar with french and are in the beginning/intermediate level. It's kept me inspired and reminds me that I have fun with french!!!
this is a great book for those who are already familiar with french and are in the beginning/intermediate level. It's kept me inspired and reminds me that I have fun with french!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews