French · English · B1–B2

Intermediate French short stories, side by side with English (B1–B2)

Real literature at a reachable level: O. Henry, Saki, Oscar Wilde, Chekhov and Maupassant in French, with the English original beside every paragraph.

191 intermediate stories in French, 189 of them free

Each one opens in your browser with no account, the French and the English side by side, paragraph by paragraph, shortest first. Every free story is also a free French–English ebook for Kindle, Kobo or any e-reader: downloading needs a free account, no payment (which file to pick).

Besides the classics, this level has stories from Histoires simples, original French stories written for the library.

Besides the classics, this level has stories from Philosophes de l'Antiquité, original French stories written for the library.

Besides the classics, this level has stories from Lettres à saint Nicolas, original French stories written for the library.

Besides the classics, this level has stories from La Boulangerie de nuit, original French stories written for the library.

Besides the classics, this level has stories from Le Marché de la place, original French stories written for the library.

Open the intermediate French–English stories in the library, where you can search them and switch to another level or pair.

To listen as you read, see the French stories with audio.

What intermediate French stories are like

Intermediate stories are where reading gets rewarding. They are written for adults, with twists and irony (The Gift of the Magi, The Necklace, The Open Window), but short enough to finish in twenty minutes to half an hour.

The vocabulary is wider and the sentences longer than in a fable, and dialogue brings in everyday phrases that textbooks leave out. With the English next to each paragraph, none of that has to stop you.

How to read French at B1–B2

Read in French, check in English

At B1–B2 you can usually follow the French on its own. Keep your eyes on it and look across only when a sentence doesn’t land, rather than reading both sides line by line.

Let the plot pull you

These stories were written to be enjoyed. If you want to know how it ends, you will read faster and remember more, so pick the one whose first page grabs you.

Notice the tenses

Stories are told in the past, and the French past tenses carry meaning the English sometimes flattens. Comparing the two sides is the quickest way to feel the difference.

More on the method in how to read a parallel text.