Books for Newlyweds
In 1972, the French Ministry of Education tried an unusual program to promote reading. It gave every newlywed couple five free books. Couples could choose one of the following two sets: Balzac's Pere Goriot Stendhal's The Charterhouse of Parma Chateaubriand's Memoires D'Outre Tombe Flaubert's Madame Bovary De Lafayette's Princess De Cleves Short stories by Voltaire Hugo's Les Miserables Balzac's Les Chouans Fromentin's Dominique Stendhal's Le Rouge et la Noir I can't find any follow-up about whether the program was deemed to be a success. I assume any effort to do something similar in the U.S. would get mired down in controversy over what books to pick. Dayton Daily News - Mar 26, 1972
In 1972, the French Ministry of Education tried an unusual program to promote reading. It gave every newlywed couple five free books. Couples could choose one of the following two sets:
I can't find any follow-up about whether the program was deemed to be a success.
I assume any effort to do something similar in the U.S. would get mired down in controversy over what books to pick.
- Balzac's Pere Goriot
- Stendhal's The Charterhouse of Parma
- Chateaubriand's Memoires D'Outre Tombe
- Flaubert's Madame Bovary
- De Lafayette's Princess De Cleves
- Short stories by Voltaire
- Hugo's Les Miserables
- Balzac's Les Chouans
- Fromentin's Dominique
- Stendhal's Le Rouge et la Noir
I can't find any follow-up about whether the program was deemed to be a success.
I assume any effort to do something similar in the U.S. would get mired down in controversy over what books to pick.
Dayton Daily News - Mar 26, 1972
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