heelturn2's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
beautiful flowing prose (& great translation) - i dislike reading aloud but i read some of this to my partner & it was really enjoyable to speak the words on the page/hear it spoken. so evocative of time & place & especially collective mindset in a way that was fascinating and very recognizable to me. the way events happen & you feel yourself experiencing them with others, experiencing events the same way at the same time with others like you - the way certain elections and protests are described here draws up moments i’ve experienced in this collective way, the panic surrounding the 2016 us elections, excitement & possibility around police brutality protests during covid lockdown, horror watching the siege on gaza from afar… idk. one of those pieces of art that conveys its highly specific thing so well and so clearly that it gives you sense of shared human experience, rather than that of an outsider looking in.
paulap's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
This is a recount of the main events in Annie ernaux life, and in the world at that time, from the 50-60s to early 2000s. It was an interesting and well executed literary exercise. However, I am not sure how impactful it is. Also, especially for the earlier parts, there were many references I didn’t get. Unless you were in the same time and place as her, most likely you will not get all the references to events and cultural phenomena.
So overall, a good read but not one that would have a deep impact on me.
So overall, a good read but not one that would have a deep impact on me.
luci_ja's review against another edition
4.5
An attempt to make sense of events past, current and those yet to be. A re-telling, reflection, and re-living, while showing that the personal is always political, even if we might feel distanced from or dissilusioned by it. Beautifully written, with some many snippets and thoughtful comments that I regretted listening to it in an audiobook form, unable to highlight entire passages. A compass, and a light (self-)ironic portrayal of someone looking back at their life, which can also serve as a navigation point to our present.
14aburachisa's review against another edition
3.0
Unlike any memoir I have ever read; a collective journey through the past several decades. I felt particularly attached to her description of the journey of women's rights and her description at the end on the passing of time. Worth the read.
isaplato's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
The set up of this autobiography is very interesting and innovative. However, it didn’t hood my attention like ‘Happening’ did. Still thought the writing was amazing
kimjay's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
4.0
I found this book puzzling - it didn't quite move me emotionally; intellectually, I can appreciate Ernaux's vast capability to track historical events throughout her life, and it's inspired me to consider keeping a journal of my own. I wonder if not being French and being unable to understand all these references is a reason why I've been handicapped, or if a great book (as this one is) should be able to reach me regardless.
Overall themes of Ernaux's are stretching beyond the personal "I" to situate herself (and women's lives) within the broader sociopolitical collective; the consumerization of society (contrast her rural upbringing with her urban adulthood), and increased secularization of France.
Overall themes of Ernaux's are stretching beyond the personal "I" to situate herself (and women's lives) within the broader sociopolitical collective; the consumerization of society (contrast her rural upbringing with her urban adulthood), and increased secularization of France.