Customer Reviews

Le Petit Larousse Illustre (French Edition)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is the best selling French language "dictionary" in France. It is an exceptional resource for any serious student of French.

It is NOT a good resource for the average high school, college or continuing education student who is taking French either to fill a school requirement, as a lark, or prior to taking a trip to France.

This book is far more than a dictionary as known to most speakers of English. It is more of a combination between a dictionary and an encyclopedia, as it contains not only routine definitions of words, but also explanations of various topics.

I have owned a copy for years and find myself referring to it more and more as time goes by, and referring less and less to my English-French-English translation dictionary. Le Petit Larousse gives the true nuances of the words through the French-speaking brain, rather than a straight English translation, which often has a slightly skewed meaning, slanted by the English-speaking brain's prejudice and unconscious connotations.

Le Petit Larousse Illustre is a great French dictionary for any serious student or admirer of the French language and/or French culture. This is a French/French dictionary so it is not for someone who is searching for a good English/French dictionary. However, for the serious francophile whose interest goes beyond a general definition of a word in French, this dictionary is invaluable---it will give you the precise nuances of the word in question, not just a vague definition. I would say the only fault I can find with this dictionary is that it does not give pronunciations of the words themselves---so it presupposes that you already know how the word would be pronounced, which, for a non-native speaker, is not always the case. The dictionary also contains many pictures, maps, drawings, and a whole section in the second half of the book dedicated to famous people, like an encyclopedia of inventors, heads of state, mythological heros, writers, etc. I can (and do) spend hours pawing through this gem of a book---I love it and I would recommend it to anyone who loves French and French culture.

My 30+ year old Larousse French-English dictionary was becoming increasingly less helpful in translating modern terms and phrases (for some unknown reason...). So I purchased this as a worthy successor to my trusted resource lo these many years.

Not only does this dictionary (and historical encyclopedia) have many beautiful illustrations, but its definitions are complete and some also contain very useful grammatical notations. While it is heavy, and is a French-only resource, it is invaluable for helping to find "le mot juste".

I also recommend (the equally heavy and beautiful) Larousse Advanced French-English Dictionary as a companion volume for translation assistance. It does not have the definition depth of Le Petit Larousse, but serves its purpose well.

These are not light or inexpensive volumes. But if you seek to translate words or phrases fully/accurately, they are indispensible, fun to peruse, and beautiful to behold.

This was the required dictionary (a much earlier version, of course) when I went to (French) high school. It soon became my bedside book and I read it avidly. I became an excellent speller in French, Spanish and English and I attribute it to Le Petit Larousse. I misplaced my copy in the course of our many travels later in life, and I am delighted to have it again. It is an excellent source of reference, but I simply can't wait to read it!

I purchased this dictionary for my college age daughter taking French as a minor. She needed something more than the average French-English dictionary we could find at the local bookstore. After some research, this was our choice and a good one at that. Well printed and bound. Good color and a legible font. This may be the poor cousin to the "Grand Larouse", but it is more than adequate for every day use at a cost one can afford and at a weight one can pick up.

The Larousse is a great small encyclopedia. I had one when I was a child and used it quite a bit. I enjoy the short descriptions, the maps etc. - all in a small package. It's a great source for brief overviews. If someone wants more in depth information, the internet is the next step.

As a French native, I always have a dictionnary, and the Larousse is the best.