Customer Reviews

Le Petit Nicolas (French Edition)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It would be hard to overstate the charm of these wonderful stories. Like many others, I picked up this book to help with my project of trying to teach myself French. Not only does it serve that purpose, but it is so engaging that it has held me on course when the inherent difficulty of the language and some cross-cultural exasperation has tempted me to chuck the whole project. No way could I ever write this little dude and his copains out of my life.

Although hilarious, the Nicolas stories also touch you in a much deeper place. He is a little boy full of life and good humor, but he and his friends are also filled with every possible anxiety about growing up and finding their manly places in the world. They are charmingly obsessed with their status and their dignity.

One of my favorite stories is "Louisette," which recounts the visit of a young girl who comes with her mother for tea. Nicolas is pouty from the beginning as his mother dresses him up, in his view, like a clown. And maman assures him that if he doesn't show that he is well raised, he will have an affair with her!

Although Nicolas is always filled with explanations that burst forth in run-on sentences, this traumatic visit brings him close to tears more than once. In Nicolas's world, not crying is one of the main imperatives. Another is assuming a male's naturally dominant [irony] and superior role over young girls, who, after all, cry all the time.

Louisette starts off telling Nicolas that he looks like a monkey and things go downhill from there. She is so much more quick-witted, not to mention athletic, that she repeatedly leaps ahead and distracts him just when he is deciding whether to give her a punch in the nose or to pull her hair. And it is Louisette who is landing all the successful coups on Nicolas. Meanwhile, Louisette is always batting her eyelashes at the mamans and impressing them with what an adorable innocent she is!

As with the "Louisette" story of a young boy having to deal with a very formidable young girl who does not fit into his template defining his superior place in the world, all these stories are filled with such very real anxieties of male childhood. Let me say again, though, they are very, very funny! You love this kid.

How easy/difficult is this book for a student of French. My feeling is that previous reviews have made it seem a little easier than it is. There are definitely difficult bits such as when Nicolas is playing cowboys and describes all the various cowboy accoutrements that he and his friends have hung on themselves. Often, too, sentences are very run-on, mimicking Nicolas's overflowing emotions and self-justifications. And the mannerisms of his speech are realistic and more difficult than the dry dialogue of textbooks. But this is worth a little difficulty - I just want to caution against expecting a child's book to be extremely easy. It is manageable, but not in the first few weeks of studying French.

I also have a two-CD set of these stories read in French which I ordered from Amazon.fr. The CD set is a dramatic reading and it is an absolute delight. But it is considerably more difficult than the book. Those run-on sentences are read in rapid bursts, as intended. The reading wonderfully captures the charm of the book but definitely does not make it any easier.

My only exasperation with the Nicolas books is that I can not share them with my English-only friends. They touched me so much and made me laugh so hard. I hope I have inspired someone here.

Being an intermediate french student, I was searching for easy to read french books and stumbled upon le petit nicolas. This is one of the most hilarious books I have read. The adventures of petit nicolas and his "copains" are very enjoyable. The french in this books is very easy to read something that even a beginner level french student can read. Nothing like a fun book like petit nicolas to boost your confidence in reading french.

There is no better way to improve your French than by reading this book (and the entire series). Shortly after meeting my fiancee (a French speaker) I began learning French. We would read this book together...it was a wonderful experience. The story is hillarious and it is not too difficult (I read it without too much trouble after having lived in Geneva for about a month). This series is written in every day language, so you will pick up lots of phrases that you wouldn't learn in a class or in an "adult" book. If you like to laugh, I am sure you will love this book.

Like most non-Fench people I was introduced to "Le Petit Nicolas" in my French class. It sounded strange for a bunch of adults to read a book that is for 9-12 year-old kids. But, alas, it is not strange. On the contrary! That is a great idea, for many reasons. To begin with, the text has an easy vocabulary and uses words that are used in the everyday language -- different to the highbrow literature that would be impossible to a debutant read.

"Nicolas" is also great because it is funny. Even for those who aren't French, who don't understand French Culture, they can laugh with this boy and his peers. These characters somehow make we believe that being a child is the same everywhere.

On a deeper level, "Le Petit Nicolas" can be an effective sociological portray of being a child in the early 60s in France. The garçon's life shows a middle-class family dealing with `problems' --ok, not very serious one, this a book for children, after all-- like not having a TV, or when the kid has low marks. But, everything is dealt with a funny approach.

With his peculiar vision of the world --everything is seen through Nicolas' eyes-- and his `problems', this little boy shows to the grown-ups who delightful it can be to be a child. Even if we have forgotten that.

A collection of stories told from the perspective of a young French boy, Le Petit Nicolas is charming and extremely hilarious! I have not read this book in many years, but I never forgot the stories and cartoon drawings that cracked me up so much. The chapter where he smokes cigars, entitled "Je Fume," comes to mind as one of my favorites. Also, for me it was not just the stories themselves, but the way he tells them that make it so funny. I'd had a couple of years of French in high school and in college before I read this, and while that was more than enough background to enjoy it immensely, there were parts that were difficult to understand. Many phrases, like "un coup de poing sur le nez," are easy enough to figure out, and usually the context is enough to clarify things if one gets stumped. In many ways Nicolas reminds me of Calvin, from Calvin and Hobbes. There are not as many pictures (although the ones included are excellent), and while Nicolas has a cleaner haircut, he is no less the rebel for it. This is highly recommended reading for anyone with any ability whatsoever in the French language.

Le Petit Nicolas is an excellent book. The stories are memorable and adorable. Readers of all ages can enjoy this book to its fullest extent. As a french student, I have often despised french books geared towards American students with corny simplified french containing close to no plot line. This book is perfect for all learners of french no matter what level, because though it is simple, learners can experience genuine french writing. This book is wonderfully written, capturing the true tone and essence of youth and childhood and the stories will be remembered, reread and loved forever.

Rene Goscinny is a wonderfully talented author who has blessed the world with a timeless classic in Le Petit Nicolas. Jean Jacque Sempe's fabulous illustrations add a hilarious twist to an already entertaining book. The funniest chapter is one called "Je suis malade." In this chapter, Nicolas gets sick from eating too much candy. He must stay home from school the next day to recover but he sure can cause a lot of trouble from his bed! This book reminds me of Beverly Cleary's Ramona and it also reminds me of the little prince. I read this book to my brothers every night before they go to bed. The grammar and vocabulary are simple and easy to read. I highly reccommend this book for anyone and everyone who like French and to anyone who simply enjoys a great book!

The author who cowrote the Asterix series once again transcends cultural barriers with his innocent, warm, boyish humor.

This book is an absolute delight. While it seems to be marketed to mature kids, I think that the older the reader, the more it will be liked, particlarly for those nostalgic for a bygone era. Anyone who speaks French at an intermediate level can get through it. However, you'll appreciate it more if you've achieved some fluency and if you've spent some time in France.

I challenge anyone reading it to refrain from smiling, or even laughing out loud. I can't wait to read the other books in the series.

Bought this to develop French reading skills. It's a kids' book, of course, and I'm a grown-up, but it absolutely cracks me up. Each chapter is a little short story following Nicolas and his gang of friends. Imagine Our Gang or Peanut, but in French, and ten times funnier because of the cultural incongruity. Nothing like reading a chapter before lights out and stumbling across, "Bouge pas, Oklahoma Kid!", "Tu le regretteras, Joe!" And the tiny little cartoons that go along with the story -- cracks me up!

ben, écoutez, il faut aimer les petits nicolas. toute la serie elle est super bien ecris pour tout les ages. A+