Written by authors from Quebec as well as France, the majority of these stories have been published in the last decade and reflect a rich diversity of styles and themes. From Daniel Boulanger's exploration of revenge and the desire for recognition in The Hunter's Cafe, to Alain Gerber's brief and poetic You Never Die, and the sardonic tales of Frederic Fajardie and Sylvie Massicotte, these stories make excellent reading in any language. Complete with notes. This new volume of twelve short stories, with parallel translations, offers students of French at all levels the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of contemporary literature, without having constantly to refer back to a dictionary.

Learning how to live / Frédéric Fajardie (1947- ) -- All lights off / Frédéric Fajardie -- David / Jean-Marie-Gustave Le Clézio (1940- ) -- The occupation of the ground / Jean Échenoz (1947- ) -- The third-rate film / Sylvie Massicotte (1959- ) -- The objet d'art? Jean-Paul Daoust (1946- ) -- The hunters' café / Daniel Boulanger (1922- ) -- Accursed notebooks (an extract from La Déconvenue) / Louise Cotnoir (1948- ) -- Héloïse / Sylvie Germain (1954- ) -- The character / Gloria Escomel (1941- ) -- Self-destruction / René Belletto (1945- ) -- You never die / Alain Gerber (1950- ).