A novel called life, French I believe

[Eternal]

The actual name of the novel my dad has forgotten, but translated into Chinese, its title was called "Life".

He doesn't remember much else other than the ending.

An old man was sitting in a chair with a little girl on his lap. The sun was setting down, symbolizing the death of the old man.

He thinks the novel was written before 1900 and that its originally french.

Can anyone tell me the english title of this book?

Thank you

[Emil Miller]

The actual name of the novel my dad has forgotten, but translated into Chinese, its title was called "Life".

He doesn't remember much else other than the ending.

An old man was sitting in a chair with a little girl on his lap. The sun was setting down, symbolizing the death of the old man.

He thinks the novel was written before 1900 and that its originally french.

Can anyone tell me the english title of this book?

Thank you

I am wondering if you are perhaps confusing the ending with that of Guy de Maupassant's 'Une Vie' ( A Life ) first published in1883 and which is usually translated into English as 'A Woman's Life'.
The ending has the heroine happily holding the new born baby girl of her son on her knees, after suffering some terrible tragedies in her life, and her last words are: "You see, life is never so good or so bad as we imagine."

Even if it's not the book you are thinking of, I urge you to read it. It's a wonderful story.