In December 2020, after a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, and then more tears, I took the DELF B2 exam (for upper-intermediate French learners). Happy to say that I passed with 80%, including 25/25 for the reading section (Go team me! Yeah!).

I read quite a few books to get myself up to required standard. I'd like to share recommendation number 1 of my top 3 intermediate-level French books to help you in your language learning journey.

L'Étranger (The Stranger) by Albert Camus

This is by no means an original choice, but it's a very approachable read by a Nobel prize-winning author.

What's it about?

Brutally honest, socially awkward, and certainly-on-the-spectrum main character Meursault is sensually engaged with the world, but estranged from society and its values.

The day after his mum's funeral, he decides to go on a trip to the seaside (as you do). The outing is somewhat tarnished when, possibly for self-defence, or possibly because he's just feeling a bit hot, he shoots the brother of his pimp-next-door-neighbour's girlfriend.

This leads to his incarceration and trial for murder, where he is tried as much for "not playing the game" as far as society is concerned (not crying at his mum's funeral, not loving the 9 to 5 as much as his boss wants him to) as for actually killing someone.

Why read it?

• The language is clear and simple.

• The amount of new vocabulary is pretty manageable, with much of it being useful words concerning nature and the senses.

• It's a fairly short novel (160 of your French pages), so finishing it is totes achievable.

• "The Cure" wrote a song about it ("Killing An Arab"), so it must be good.

• Brandishing this about your person while staring thoughtfully into the middle distance will get you instant recognition as an intellectual.