Ilya Erenburg (1891–1967) - writer, poet, journalist, translator from French and Spanish, public figure. Of all the countries in Europe, he was most closely associated with France - both because he lived there the longest and because , who knew and felt its language, culture, and history best of all. “French Notebooks,” written in 1957, created a sensation in literary circles - Ehrenburg’s famous Aesopian language, sharp statements and deep reflections aroused great interest among readers. Why Hugo and others Were the writers of that time skeptical about Stendhal's work? How did Picasso come from academicism to cubism, becoming an innovator? Why did the impressionists love and hate each other? And what is French culture and its heritage in world civilization? Ehrenburg answers these and many other questions, rediscovering France and its most prominent representatives.