First in the list of recent French novels is the far-famed JULES JANIN'S _Gaieties Champetres_ ("Rural Gaieties"), which all Paris is eagerly devouring. The scene is laid in the era of LOUIS XV., and the story (alas!) is worthy of the period, and must not be recited here. More innocent are _Les Derniers Paysans_ ("The Last Peasants"), by EMILE SOUVESTRE, a cycle of graphic, and, for the most part, gloomy stories, meant to embalm the superstitions, which still linger among the peasantry of Brittany, soon to be dispelled by the march of civilization. ARMAND BARTHET'S _Henriette_, though a touching tale, is not to be recommended. ALPHONSE KARR, a writer scarcely so well known out of France as he deserves to be, promises _Recits sur la Plage_ ("Stories from the Sea Shore"). KARR is the only living French novelist who reminds one at all of THACKERAY, of whom he has some of the caustic bitterness, but none of the light playfulness. He first became known by his _Guepes_ ("Wasps"), a periodical consisting of little, sharp, sarcastic, and isolated sentences, aimed at the quacks and quackeries of the day. With all this, he has a true feeling for nature, which is sometimes, however, carried to an absurd length. A recent number of the official _Moniteur_ contains a long report to the Minister of Public Instruction, by M. VATTEMARE, on the "literary exchanges" which have recently been effected between France and the United States. It is not, perhaps, generally known that the governments, universities, colleges, scientific societies, literary establishments, medical and legal bodies, borough municipalities, and commercial associations of the two countries, have for years past been in the habit of making exchanges of books. They have thus got rid of duplicate copies which were rotting on their shelves, and have received in return works which it would have cost vast sums to purchase. A more useful arrangement could not possibly be conceived; and at the same time it has the advantage of spreading knowledge, and of increasing the friendly relations between the two peoples. * * * * * M. Ch. Pieters has published the "_Annales de l'Imprimerie Elzevirienne_," giving copious details on the life and exertions of the famous printers, the ELZEVIRS. This book is the result of very extensive researches on this subject, as there were fourteen members of that family who were printers and publishers during a period of 120 years. M. Pieters's book contains quite new data obtained from authentic sources; to which he has added a list of all the works issued from the Elzevir presses, followed by one of those which have been erroneously attributed to them, and another of such as are the continuation of works published at that celebrated establishment. * * * * *