French Lessons
A Memoir
Book • 1993
In 'French Lessons: A Memoir,' Alice Kaplan recounts her life journey through her learning of the French language.
The daughter of a Jewish lawyer who prosecuted Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg, Kaplan grew up in the Midwest and found solace in the French language after her father's death.
The book details her experiences as a student in a Swiss boarding school and later in Bordeaux, where she honed her French skills and delved into French culture.
Kaplan's narrative explores her passion for French literature, her encounters with French fascist intellectuals, and her career as a professor of French at Yale and Duke universities.
The memoir intertwines themes of language learning, cultural identity, and personal growth, offering a unique blend of autobiography, intellectual history, and cultural critique.
The daughter of a Jewish lawyer who prosecuted Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg, Kaplan grew up in the Midwest and found solace in the French language after her father's death.
The book details her experiences as a student in a Swiss boarding school and later in Bordeaux, where she honed her French skills and delved into French culture.
Kaplan's narrative explores her passion for French literature, her encounters with French fascist intellectuals, and her career as a professor of French at Yale and Duke universities.
The memoir intertwines themes of language learning, cultural identity, and personal growth, offering a unique blend of autobiography, intellectual history, and cultural critique.
