Product Description

A fascinating exploration of the historical and cultural development of the French language from the bestselling authors of Sixty Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong.

Imagine a language that is watched over by a group of forty “Immortals,” a language with rules so complex that few people ever completely master it, whose status as the world’s lingua franca has been declining for two centuries, whose use in global institutions is waning and whose speakers are so insecure they pass laws banning the use of other languages and spend millions of tax-payers’ dollars to make sure it gets used in literature, music and film. Now imagine a language that is second only to English for the number of countries where it is spoken officially, surpassing both Spanish or Arabic, a language that is the official tongue of two G-7 countries and three European nations, that is employed alongside English in most international institutions and that is the number-two choice of language students across the planet – a language with two million teachers and 100 million students worldwide, and whose number of speakers has tripled in the last fifty years.

This paradox is the backdrop for The Story of French, in which bilingual Canadian authors Jean-Benoît Nadeau and Julie Barlow unravel the mysteries of a language that has maintained its global influence in spite of the ascendancy of English. Mixing historical analysis with journalistic observation, and drawing on their experiences living in and travelling to French-speaking countries, they explore how the French language developed over the centuries, how it came to be spoken in the Americas, Africa and Asia, and how it has maintained its global appeal.


From the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #74748 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-09
• Released on: 2007-10-09
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 496 pages

From Publishers Weekly
That major historical moments affect a language's development seems to be self-evident. But in the case of French, as Canadian authors Nadeau and Barlow (Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong) exhaustively illustrate, this notion shouldn't be taken for granted, since an insistence on linguistic purity influences how French is taught, spoken and written. What began as a loose confederation of local dialects became mired in a particularly French obsession with linguistic propriety. Despite the natural development of French over time, "[in] the back of any francophone's mind is the idea that an ideal, pure French exists somewhere." Nadeau and Barlow traveled the world to research what they call "the mental universe of French speakers" from its center in France to such places as Canada, Senegal and Israel. "French carries with it a vision of the State and of political values, a particular set of cultural standards," the authors write. They have managed to corral what could be an ungainly subject—both the history and the present day—in a clearly written, well-organized approach to the lingua franca of millions of people. Francophiles will be well-served by the care and detail with which the authors handle their subject, while English speakers will find an illuminating portrait of Gallic sensibility. (Nov.)
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From Booklist
There are more French-speaking people in Israel than there are in Louisiana. The number of French speakers in the world has tripled since World War II. Nadeau and Barlow's history of French is chockablock with these sorts of intriguing facts about the language and its evolution (contrary to common belief, English was a major influence on French, not the other way around). The authors also offer fascinating commentary on the politics of language: despite the best efforts of purists, French, like other languages, is constantly changing and not just cosmetically--new and unconventional words are being adopted, as are new spellings and new grammatical constructions. From its mysterious origins as a conglomeration of other languages to the current squabble over the need to preserve its integrity, French has led one heck of an event-filled life. Sure to please fans of such language histories as Nicholas Ostler's Empires of the Word (2005). David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
“Jean-Benoît Nadeau and Julie Barlow have in [The Story of French] written an excellent book on the history of the French language, stuffed with surprises, insight and humour.”
–The Independent (UK)

“A mind-altering experience. . . . Every Canadian should read this book.”
–The Gazette (Montreal)

“A well-told, highly accessible history of the French language that leads to a spirited discussion of the prospects for French in an increasingly English-dominated world.”
–The New York Times

“The Story of French is a riveting look at the history, culture and politics of the language, both in its European birthplace and around the world, including Canada. . . . [It] is an undeniably engaging narrative.”
–Ottawa Citizen

“The unique relationship between French speakers and their language is one of the grand themes of The Story of French, a well-told, highly accessible history of the French language that leads to a spirited discussion of the prospects for French in an increasingly English-dominated world.”
–The New York Times

" Nadeau and Barlow nimbly explore the spread of its usage through the Crusades, colonialism and affairs of court. They also extensively examine the ups and downs of its international influence. The essence of modern French remains strong in the face of competing languages, and the authors rather convincingly argue that it remains the language of intellectuals and gentlemen. Exceptionally told, a celebration of the lasting influence of la française."
–Kirkus Review

"The Story of French hums with the spirit of a novel, the heart of a travel book and the brains of an essay. Jean Benoit Nadeau and Julie Barlow have seized an ambitious theme and made it fascinating and easy to read. With a deft and energetic touch, the authors offer personality and wisdom in this wonderful tribute to the French language and the people who speak it."
–Lawrence Hill

Customer Reviews

FRENCH EXPLAINED MERCI
This is a brave book.
Jean-Benoit Nadeau and his partner Julie Barlow, a young couple from Canada, have written an excellent history of the French language that is both accessable and engaging even to a reader with only a passing knowledge of the language. They have done this in order to help "retrieve" French for the world, which increasingly is going globally unilingual English. In the face of such competition, Nadeau and Barlow have staked their ground and state clearly that French is still alive, useful, and important.
The development of French through history is explored and is full of surprises. French at one time was spoken by a minority of the population of France. Although French was long the universal language of diplomacy, it was the French Revolution that standarized the language for all school children in the country. The famous Academie Francaise is hardly the language police that most people believe it to be. Strangely, French speakers outside of France are given less importance by France than would be expected.
In terms of Speakers, French ranks only number 9 in the world. But in terms of countries with official status, it is in second place. Quebec is in many ways in the vanguard of a modern and vibrant French and many countries with a French status look to Quebec now for learning instead of the "home" country.
Nadeau and Barlow have done important work in writing this book. If nothing else the reader will finally learn the difference between the Francophonie and the francophonie and perhaps, even reactivate their high school French.