Premiers poèmes par Ruth Plaut Weinreb (review)

barbarismes, etc.), de grammaire et de ponctuation auxquels nous avons proposé des formes correctes assorties, au besoin, de notes explicatives” (1). As opposed to other French stylistic guides, information provided on common errors is not done in alphabetical order but in order of frequency of the errors, according to the survey conducted with the writing specialists. So that in the section“Dictionnaire,”the most common error—the confusion between “ballade (poème)” and “balade (promenade sans but précis)”(17)—is the first entry; while the contrast of “plus tôt [plus de bonne heure (s’oppose à plus tard)]”and“plutôt (de préférence)”(94) is the last one. It is also in this section that the authors give a concise explanation for each of the 500 identified errors and its correct usage. For example, #244: “Jules est *excessivement gentil/Jules est extrêmement gentil. L’adverbe excessivement s’emploie exclusivement avec des adjectifs à dénotation négative. Ex. René est excessivement hargneux quand il perd au billard”(59). Not to be overlooked are the eleven exercises.While the first three are the standard ones that require the identification of grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation mistakes in individual sentences, the other eight showcase a variety of texts of varying lengths (ranging in length from as short as one paragraph or sixteen lines to as long as five pages or 206 lines) and styles, so as to emphasize the correct usage of grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation in a more challenging manner. For example, the ninth exercise asks for a revision of “Un Super 7 avec ça? Un appel à la retenue” with the added instructions of “Quelle est la tonalité de ce texte qui serait publié dans un quotidien québécois? Cette tonalité est-elle appropriée pour ce genre de texte?”(110). Aide à la rédaction is an ideal companion text for intermediate- to advancedintermediate -level stylistic courses and beyond. Its clearly-presented format allows it to be used first as a method for reviewing specific grammar and vocabulary points, then as a means of self-evaluation via the exercises (and their answer key), and finally as a valuable reference manual. Canisius College (NY) Eileen M. Angelini Weinreb, Ruth Plaut. Premiers poèmes. 3rd ed. Yarmouth, ME: Wayside, 2013. ISBN 978-1-938026-58-4. Pp. 115. $22.50. Language textbooks and literary anthologies are notoriously short-lived, often failing to survive more than four or five years. The fact that this anthology has been available for thirty years, and is now entering its third edition, offers compelling evidence of its usefulness as a resource for students in the early stages of acquiring French. Virtually identical to the previous edition, with the exception of formatting and the selection of poems for the appendix (six of the original thirteen poems have been dropped), this slim volume is comprised of twenty-four units, each containing a short text, 4–5 comprehension questions, a vocabulary list, two brief follow-up exercises based on vocabulary from the poem or practice of a basic grammar point, and finally 286 FRENCH REVIEW 88.3 Reviews 287 a pronunciation exercise. The choice of poems represents considerable diversity, including well-known names (Prévert, Éluard, Desnos, Musset), along with several women and Francophone authors. The level for which the anthology is intended remains somewhat ambiguous. On one hand, some comprehension questions imply a certain degree of proficiency and sophistication on the part of the student: “Quels éléments créent l’atmosphère orientale du poème?” (49);“Pourquoi serait-on déconcert é par l’unité du tableau?” (58). On the other hand, many of the words included in the vocabulary lists are so basic that they do not appear to merit special attention: père/ mère (27), soleil (39), voyage (42), jour (45), aimer (69). Others are easily recognizable cognates: cousin (27), bicyclette (42), acteur (58), danser (58), liberté (62), innocent (62), désert (65).A more judicious selection of vocabulary would result in more useful lists, more closely correlated with the proficiency level of the student. The appendix, potentially a useful feature, containing a variety of annotated texts covering a wide chronological range, which...