The publisher of the online audio magazine La Guinguette has launched a new series of intermediate/advanced French audiobooks about contemporary France called Sur le vif (Real Life). The first three are reviewed here.
Audio book components
Each of the three (so far) French audio books in the Sur le vif series contains an audio CD with more than an hour of interviews and recordings from France. In addition, the package contains a small book which includes the full French transcript and English translation, as well as footnotes explaining the more complicated phrases and concepts.Book topics
The publisher's goal is to introduce French students to contemporary French life and culture, and each of the books is an in-depth look at one aspect of this.1. Au fil de la soie (The French silk industry), by Julie Stauber, recounts the history of silk production, beginning with the smuggling of silkworms into Marseilles in the 13th century and continuing through to the use of fibrer optics today.
2. Paroles d'artistes (On being an artist), by Sophie Mandrillon, consists of interviews with five contemprary French artists who talk about their lives and work.
3. Il n'y a rien de plus beau que mon village (Life in the French countryside), by Richard Good, is a charming look at life in a French village: both the traditional ways and the effects of modern technologies.
