* "A word is a bud attempting to become a twig. How can one not dream while writing? It is the pen which dreams. The blank page gives the right to dream."
Gaston Bachelard (1884-1962), French scientist, philosopher, literary theorist.
French literature, one of the world's most brilliant, has been for centuries an impressive facet of French civilization, an object of national pride, and a principal focus for feelings of national identity.
Because the French are a literate people, passionately interested in questions of language and in the exploration of ideas, the influence of French intellectuals on the course of French history during the last three centuries has been great, and remains so today.
A high proportion of European literary trends have originated in France. The continuing prestige of literature in France is evidenced today by the innumerable private societies devoted to individual authors and by the large number of literary prizes awarded each year. A knowledge of French literature, in short, is the key to an understanding of the French people.
More - http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Literature/DF_literature.shtml
