I have read some French literature, especially poetry and novels with strong atmospheres, imaginary worlds, and inspiring characters, particularly female heroes. I also improved my understanding of style, imagery, and literary language.
These are the books I finished reading : Charles Baudelaire: Les Fleurs du Mal, Arthur Rimbaud: Poésies, Une saison en enfer, Guillaume Apollinaire : Alcools, and Arthur Rimbaud: Cahiers de Douai.
These poets have very different styles: Baudelaire works a lot on images and symbols, Rimbaud on intensity and rupture, Apollinaire on modernity and freedom of form, Éluard on emotion and simplicity, and Michaux on inner worlds and strange mental landscapes.
I also read these novels and imaginary worlds : Pierre Bottero : La Quête d’Ewilan (fantasy, female hero), and René Barjavel : La Nuit des Temps (science fiction).
While reading, I paid attention to vocabulary, rhythm, narrative voice, and the way authors create atmosphere and meaning. I read regularly, alternating between poetry and narrative texts. For poetry, I did not just read quickly, I tried to understand the images, the tone, and sometimes the rhythm of the text.
For novels, I paid attention not only to the story, but also to how the world is built, how characters are introduced, and how atmosphere is created. For example, in La Quête d’Ewilan, I was interested in how the author builds a fantasy world that feels so alive. In La Nuit des Temps, I focused more on the emotional and philosophical atmosphere.
La nuit des Temps
