Access At CVUHS

This six-week discussion-based book club explores French history, culture, and place through three acclaimed works of fiction set in pivotal moments of France’s past. Readings span the French Revolution, 19th-century Paris, and World War II–era France, offering insight into how literature reflects political upheaval, architectural grandeur, and everyday life.

Through guided discussion and cultural context, participants will examine how setting shapes story and identity, from Revolutionary Paris to the Paris Opera House to occupied coastal France. An optional film screening will complement one of the readings. No prior knowledge of French language or history is required.  

*Sign-up for each session based on your interest and availability.  

Books include:
1. The Scarlet Pimpernel (Baroness Orczy)
2. The Phantom of the Opera (Gaston Leroux)
3. All the Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr)

The Scarlet Pimpernel (3/26 & 4/2)

Week 1 – Revolutionary France

The Scarlet Pimpernel (first half)
Discussion Focus:

• Historical overview of the French Revolution
• Class conflict, justice, and political violence
• How revolution is portrayed for an English-speaking audience
• Paris as a city under siege

Week 2 – Heroes, Myths, and Adaptation

The Scarlet Pimpernel (second half)
Discussion Focus:

• The construction of heroism and disguise
• Moral ambiguity during times of upheaval
• Optional screening and discussion of the 1982 film adaptation
• Comparing literary and cinematic portrayals of Revolutionary France

The Phantom of the Opera (4/9 & 4/16)

Week 1 – Paris and the Belle Époque

The Phantom of the Opera (first half)
Discussion Focus:

• Paris in the late 19th century
• The Palais Garnier as a symbol of culture and power
• Architecture, spectacle, and social hierarchy
• The city as both glamorous and shadowed

Week 2 – Obsession, Isolation, and Space

The Phantom of the Opera (second half)
Discussion Focus:

• Gothic elements and psychological themes
• The role of hidden spaces and underground Paris
• Art, obsession, and belonging
• Myth versus reality in cultural landmarks

All the Light We Cannot See 4/30 & 4/7)

Week 1 – Occupied France

All the Light We Cannot See (first half)
Discussion Focus:

• France during Nazi occupation
• Civilian life, fear, and survival
• Saint-Malo and coastal France as setting
• Parallel narratives and moral choices

Week 2 – Memory, Resistance, and Aftermath

All the Light We Cannot See (second half)
Discussion Focus:

• Resistance, complicity, and quiet heroism
• The long shadow of war on individuals and places
• Memory, loss, and rebuilding
• How literature preserves history and place

Please check your local library to reserve these books as they are well known and available.  

All ages and interests are welcome!