Ask frenchs

[Mikula]

Hm it seems all the french members here are from South Eastern France, or at least they all live there currently. I don't know where Melki lives BTW. Enflamme is living in Northern France and all the reste are Normans.

You wanted to ask something about Franche-Comté ?

Did I forget someone ?

I asked about Franch-Comté because from the area came in 1770 settlers to one Czech area (south-eastern Moravia),
respective Domain of Hodonín, what was in property of Francis I.

He decided to re-settle the deserted area and therefore asked for several families from his domains at Lorrain and Franche-Comté
for it. Big number of them came from Déservillers (Domain of Dorna)

The French colonists settled at villages of:
Čejč
Čejkovice
Kobylí
Vrbice
Terezín
Mutěnice

Lastnames of the families were Petit, Pernet, Masson, Loth, Coglie, Jaillot, Bizot, Donne Quiot, etc.

Second and third genearations, asimilated and lost knowledge of French language.
Nevertheless, I read that in 1805 when Napoleonic troops operated at Moravia (Battle of Austerlitz), the farmers of French origin
were used by them as interpreters.
Descendensts of the families live in the wine-blessed area of my country until today.
But their French lastnames were during the centuries mispelled (czechized), for example Bizot became Biza.
I am just curious whether in Franch-Comté appears the mentioned lastnames until today.

[Catholic Riffs]

What do you think of Belgium?

[Melki]

What do you think of Belgium?

We used to tell a lot of jokes about them (not so much now), and in fact we are good friends.

[Marusya]

I was wondering whether you could recommend some books by contemporary French authors? I like reading translated novels from authors of a country. I think reading could help me understand the French way of thinking!

Which authors are popular in France? And do you think any of them are translated into English? What English language books are popular in France? (American, UK authors)

******************

Please explain the French cultural personification called “Marianne.” Was she a real person? Is she still relevant to French culture today?

[Jehan]

I was wondering whether you could recommend some books by contemporary French authors? I like reading translated novels from authors of a country. I think reading could help me understand the French way of thinking!

Which authors are popular in France? And do you think any of them are translated into English? What English language books are popular in France? (American, UK authors)

******************

Please explain the French cultural personification called “Marianne.” Was she a real person? Is she still relevant to French culture today?

French autors I enjoy are Bernard Werber and Maxime Chattam. Guillaume Musso is good too but I only read one of his book (Central Park). I think you can find some of their books in english.


Stefen King, Harlan Coben and JK Rowling are popular here. I think they are the most well know writters.

[Dandelion]

We used to tell a lot of jokes about them (not so much now), and in fact we are good friends.

How about Dutch-speaking Belgium (Flemish Region)? Probably 'neutral'. Jokes about us from Dutchmen is that we be slow-witted yokels.

[Melki]

I was wondering whether you could recommend some books by contemporary French authors? I like reading translated novels from authors of a country. I think reading could help me understand the French way of thinking!

I warmly recommend you The Stranger, by Albert Camus and Journey to the End of the Night, by Louis-Ferdinand Céline, the Alpha and the Omega of French litterature, which Golden Age is gone forever.

The Stranger even inspired a famous song to the Cure: Killing an Arab

Please explain the French cultural personification called “Marianne.” Was she a real person? Is she still relevant to French culture today?

Marianne is meant to be an allegory, like Uncle Sam or Батьківщина-Мати, personifying the French Republic (probably inpired by the young woman bearing the French flag in Eugène Delacroix' famous painting Liberty Leading the People
. I feel too lazy to check on Wikipedia tonight.

How about Dutch-speaking Belgium (Flemish Region)? Probably 'neutral'. Jokes about us from Dutchmen is that we be slow-witted yokels.

We make fun of ALL Belgians, with no distinction of geography or language...Wallonia, Brussels, YOU !!!

[Tchek]

How about Dutch-speaking Belgium (Flemish Region)? Probably 'neutral'. Jokes about us from Dutchmen is that we be slow-witted yokels.

The French are usually not aware of how deeply divided Belgium is. I think the French project their "une et indivisible" centralist vision, they can't conceive that a country could be so opposite in every way in its institutions. "The Belgian", the archetype, doesn't actually exist.

Most French believe Belgium is a francophone country (Francophones are only 40% of the country), and that the basal culture is "flemish". Frenchified Flemish that is (think Jacques Brel), some kind of Nord-Pas-de-Calais culture. Walloon culture is completely unknown.
In the french movie "Rien à déclarer", the Belgian character (who was obviously Wallonian), was named Ruben Vandevoorde, a Flemish name; because that's a how the French view Belgians: Francophones with unpronounceable Flemish name, with a Flemish kind of culture.

Another thing: I was looking at a reportage about the Franco-Belgian border on French TV, and they were crossing the Givet (France) to Dinant (Belgium) border, and when they entered Dinant (you can't get more Wallonian than that), the French voiceover said "And when you enter Dinant, what is striking is the change of architecture into a Flemish one". Lol what?

[LouisFerdinand]

Will the House of Orléans be restored to the throne of France?

[Jehan]

Will the House of Orléans be restored to the throne of France?

No, they represent nothing in term of political power. Nobody know them or support them.
I don't see that coming.
It's already very unlikely to see a restauration of monarchy in France, but even if it's took place it's not sure it would be the house of orleans who get the throne. There are some others pretenders and a part of the monarchists pray for a "providential man".