Middle-brow novels set in France?

[Lovage]

I'm off to France for my hols and I'd love to read some novels set in France while I'm there. Not high-brow stuff, because I just know I won't fancy it while I'm away. So no Zola or Victor Hugo, thanks. I like chick lit when I'm on holiday, as well as it's reasonably well-written and not too formulaic. But something a bit more challenging than that kind of thing would also be fine too.

Can anyone recommend anything?

I second Suite Francaise and The Paris Wife.

I second Trespass. Quite dark though.

I've just looked at Labyrinth, by Kate Mosse and it's not the book I had in mind. The one I read was about a man growing a labyrinth, and it's set in contemporary times. I'm not sure it is even set in France. There are soooo many books with labyrinth in the title.

Brilliant, thanks all. Any more recommendations? (I'm not going til July so I've got plenty of time to stockpile / load onto Kindle)

'Madam will you talk' by Mary Stewart.

And thunder on the right, and nine coaches waiting. I love mary Stewart.

Madame Bovary is not too much hard work is it? (vague memories from uni)

I was also going to recommend The Paris Wife.

You could try the Cleaner of Chartres, by Salley Vickers. I didn't finish it but that's because I skipped to the end as usual and spoiled it for myself

Ah, contemporary man growing a labyrinth sounds fun, clearsommespace - if you remember the title, let me know!

I think I've read all the Mary Stewarts there are, although I like the Arthurian ones best (some of which are in Brittany, I now remember, but I think I've read them too many times to want to give them holiday baggage room)

Bonjour Tristesse or A Certain Smile (both by Francoise Sagan)

Trespass by rose tremain

the best of our spies is a really good WWII female spy book

night rainbow also very good

Not chick lit at all and I've recommended it to friends who have all loved it.

Another Rose Tremain, The Way I Found Her. I love this book - it's narrated by a young boy living in Paris; all sorts of unexpected and amusing things happen to him, but it's serious at heart.

It does tend to divide people, though. Some I recommended it to also loved it, some didn't!

Thanks, Hallsal I've read 'The Way I Found Her' and can't remember whether I loved or hated it! I find I tend to be either love or hate with Rose Tremain in general. Loved Restoration and Music and Silence, mostly forgotten the names of the ones I hated.

Have you tried Marcel Pagnol's Water of the Hills series? I.e. Jean de Florette and Manon of the Springs.

Sybille Bedford's ' Jigsaw: An Unsentimental Education' is wonderfully evocative of the south of France. It's a mixture of autobiography and fiction and captures the crazy carefreee world of artists, writers and dilettantes in the 1920s. I found it to be intelligent, highly accesible and a fascinating read.

'The House of the Hanged' by Mark Mills is set on the french riviera - I didn't think it was anywhere near as good as the enthusiastic cover blurb told me it would be.

The Chateau

How about fair stood the wind for France (can't remember who wrote it) love story set in ww2

Muskey - H E Bates. I read it ages ago - was very good. May read again

Not sure if they're too low-brow for your tastes but Anna Maxted writes above average chick lit, often set in France. I find her books have a great holiday feel.
Also Super Cannes by JG Ballad?

Actually thinking about it might read it again myself also mistral's daughter.

Definitely The Paris Wife - sounds a bit highbrow what with the Ernest Hemingway connection, but it really isn't at all, it's a stonkingly good read and hugely touching. One of the best books I read last year. It has really stayed with me.

The 'Year in the Merde' etc books by Stephen Clark aren't novels exactly, but are quite funny adn novel-esque and give a good insight into the reality of moving to France as a Brit.

Someone above mentioned HE Bates 'Fair Stood the Wind For France' which is a beautiful novel, I very much second that.

If you've read any of Nancy Mitford's books (particularly 'Love in a Cold Climate') you might like 'Don't Tell Alfred' which is set in the diplomatic world of Paris.

Last year I read a more modern novel set in Paris, 'The Left Bank' by Kate Muir. I suppose is pretty much middle-brow. It was OK, and very Parisien - not as good as any of the books I've mentioned above though.