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sammiseah's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
smukensommernat's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
steviejay1991's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
llau's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
dianacoco's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
valerisches_valbeing's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Es hat mir sehr wehgetan, dieses Buch zu lesen. Ich möchte sagen, dass ich das Buch schrecklich finde - nicht, weil ich denke, dass es schlecht ist, im Gegenteil.
Natürlich kann ich viele Erfahrungen von Édouard Louis nicht teilen und trotzdem spricht das Buch Gedanken, Glaubenssätze, dunkle Seiten in mir an, die ich nur zu gut kenne, und die durch das Lesen stärker spürbar geworden sind. ‘Mach etwas aus dir, sei jemand anders, schneller, und besser als alle anderen’ gespeist aus einem tiefen Gefühl von Scham; davon mit einer authentischen Existenz grundlegend falsch in der Welt zu sein. Nach dem Lesen habe ich das Gefühl, dringend wieder Distanz zu dem allem gewinnen zu müssen.
Aus welchen Intentionen heraus mache ich, was ich mache? Warum schreibe ich? Bücher schreiben, die anderen als Waffe dienen können, sagt Édouard Louis an einer Stelle. Das finde ich einen schönen Gedanken, will sagen, dass das doch besser ist als für Erfolg und Ruhm zu schreiben. Und dann denke ich mir wieder, dass mich an dem Buch gerade die schonungslose Ehrlichkeit (so scheint es) beeindruckt, mit der Édouard Louis schreibt. Wäre ich mit meinem autobiografischen Schreiben genauso bereit, alles Schreckliche, Unpopuläre auszusprechen, oder würde ich nicht viel eher Gefahr laufen, mein Innenleben viel nobler darzustellen, als es eigentlich vielleicht ist.
Wenn irgendetwas von dem, was ich schreibe, mit dir resoniert, würde ich empfehlen, das Buch nur zu lesen, wenn es okay ist, dass dadurch gerade emotionales Chaos ausgelöst wird.
Natürlich kann ich viele Erfahrungen von Édouard Louis nicht teilen und trotzdem spricht das Buch Gedanken, Glaubenssätze, dunkle Seiten in mir an, die ich nur zu gut kenne, und die durch das Lesen stärker spürbar geworden sind. ‘Mach etwas aus dir, sei jemand anders, schneller, und besser als alle anderen’ gespeist aus einem tiefen Gefühl von Scham; davon mit einer authentischen Existenz grundlegend falsch in der Welt zu sein. Nach dem Lesen habe ich das Gefühl, dringend wieder Distanz zu dem allem gewinnen zu müssen.
Aus welchen Intentionen heraus mache ich, was ich mache? Warum schreibe ich? Bücher schreiben, die anderen als Waffe dienen können, sagt Édouard Louis an einer Stelle. Das finde ich einen schönen Gedanken, will sagen, dass das doch besser ist als für Erfolg und Ruhm zu schreiben. Und dann denke ich mir wieder, dass mich an dem Buch gerade die schonungslose Ehrlichkeit (so scheint es) beeindruckt, mit der Édouard Louis schreibt. Wäre ich mit meinem autobiografischen Schreiben genauso bereit, alles Schreckliche, Unpopuläre auszusprechen, oder würde ich nicht viel eher Gefahr laufen, mein Innenleben viel nobler darzustellen, als es eigentlich vielleicht ist.
Wenn irgendetwas von dem, was ich schreibe, mit dir resoniert, würde ich empfehlen, das Buch nur zu lesen, wenn es okay ist, dass dadurch gerade emotionales Chaos ausgelöst wird.
stkieren's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
everynothing's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
2.75
Unfortunately, an interesting life does not necessarily make an interesting book. Having read other books by Louis, this one just feels like more of the same. It feels a bit like he wanted to write something like Kim de L'horizon's Blutbuch, but couldn't get the hang of it.
adoredwords's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
“I'm not nostalgic about poverty but about the possibility of the present.
Or rather: I hated my childhood and I miss my childhood.
Is that normal?”
•
“Am I doomed always to hope for another life?”
•
“It's strange, these publishers were so far removed from what I'd described that they thought such a reality doesn't exist, that the child I'd been had never existed, so much poverty and violence couldn't exist in France, they said.”
•
“No one could see my past beneath the surface of my disguise, at least that's what I wanted to believe.”
•
“Basically, in writing I was performing gestures that took me away from the past, I wrote in the same way I'd learned to laugh in front of a mir-ror, I wrote to fend off fate.”
— Édouard Louis, Change: A Novel (translation by John Lambert
•
Change, an autobiographical novel by Édouard Louis is a haunting and emotionally charged exploration of personal transformation, class struggle, and the lingering shadows of a painful past. Louis, known for his sharp social critique, goes into his own life with an unflinching gaze, chronicling the journey from a poverty-stricken childhood in a small northern French village to his grand reinvention in the intellectual circles of Paris.
The book, both very intimate and reflective, captures the tension between identity and escape. Louis writes with an intense honesty that exposes the contradictions of upward mobility. The yearning for a new life that’s always haunted by the old one. In recounting his evolution from Eddy Bellegueule, a boy shaped by the brutality of his working-class environment, to Édouard Louis, an intellectual and writer, he confronts the complex emotions of shame, guilt, and self-discovery. It truly excels in its portrayal of the internal struggle that accompanies change: the fear of not fitting into new spaces, the guilt of leaving behind those who cannot escape or choose to stay, and the persistent echoes of a past that refuses to let go. However, Louis shows that leaving behind one’s origins is never as simple as it seems. Even as he carves out a new life, the emotional toll remains. His acceptance into the intellectual world feels fraught with anxiety and imposter syndrome, and the specter of his past hovers over every achievement.
Louis' book made me reflect on the idea of social climbing. In many ways, he relies on those around him to help escape his past. He isn't unkind to them, but their presence and support propel him closer to the life he’s chasing. Louis himself wrestles with this, showing moments of guilt, though he also seems reluctant to fully confront it. As someone who relates to his desire to distance himself from his origins, I found myself wishing I had his charisma—the ability to draw people in and unlock new opportunities. But, honestly, I'm not charismatic at all and pretty terrible at anything social, lol. During my twenties, I forced myself out of my comfort zone in many ways and so glad I don’t have to anymore.
I hope that writing these autobiographical books has brought Édouard Louis some peace. I hope they’ve helped him find acceptance. Even by the end of this one, he seemed conflicted, still trying to outrun his past. But, as we all know, you can't truly escape yourself. Like that one Joan Didion quote we all know says: "I think we are well advised to keep on nodding terms with the people we used to be, whether we find them attractive company or not. Otherwise, they turn up unannounced, surprise us, come hammering on the mind’s door at 4 a.m. on a bad night, demanding to know who deserted them, who betrayed them, who is going to make amends."
Oh also really liked the way this book was written. The first part is written addressing his father and later on addressing his teenage best friend, Elena, who was the first to open up a new world to him. I teared up a bit with these parts. Made me wonder what the real life Elena would feel reading it.
Anyway, if you appreciate deeply personal stories that engage with larger social issues, you might dig this one and Louis’ first published work, The End of Eddy, which I myself have just started rereading. :)
Or rather: I hated my childhood and I miss my childhood.
Is that normal?”
•
“Am I doomed always to hope for another life?”
•
“It's strange, these publishers were so far removed from what I'd described that they thought such a reality doesn't exist, that the child I'd been had never existed, so much poverty and violence couldn't exist in France, they said.”
•
“No one could see my past beneath the surface of my disguise, at least that's what I wanted to believe.”
•
“Basically, in writing I was performing gestures that took me away from the past, I wrote in the same way I'd learned to laugh in front of a mir-ror, I wrote to fend off fate.”
— Édouard Louis, Change: A Novel (translation by John Lambert
•
Change, an autobiographical novel by Édouard Louis is a haunting and emotionally charged exploration of personal transformation, class struggle, and the lingering shadows of a painful past. Louis, known for his sharp social critique, goes into his own life with an unflinching gaze, chronicling the journey from a poverty-stricken childhood in a small northern French village to his grand reinvention in the intellectual circles of Paris.
The book, both very intimate and reflective, captures the tension between identity and escape. Louis writes with an intense honesty that exposes the contradictions of upward mobility. The yearning for a new life that’s always haunted by the old one. In recounting his evolution from Eddy Bellegueule, a boy shaped by the brutality of his working-class environment, to Édouard Louis, an intellectual and writer, he confronts the complex emotions of shame, guilt, and self-discovery. It truly excels in its portrayal of the internal struggle that accompanies change: the fear of not fitting into new spaces, the guilt of leaving behind those who cannot escape or choose to stay, and the persistent echoes of a past that refuses to let go. However, Louis shows that leaving behind one’s origins is never as simple as it seems. Even as he carves out a new life, the emotional toll remains. His acceptance into the intellectual world feels fraught with anxiety and imposter syndrome, and the specter of his past hovers over every achievement.
Louis' book made me reflect on the idea of social climbing. In many ways, he relies on those around him to help escape his past. He isn't unkind to them, but their presence and support propel him closer to the life he’s chasing. Louis himself wrestles with this, showing moments of guilt, though he also seems reluctant to fully confront it. As someone who relates to his desire to distance himself from his origins, I found myself wishing I had his charisma—the ability to draw people in and unlock new opportunities. But, honestly, I'm not charismatic at all and pretty terrible at anything social, lol. During my twenties, I forced myself out of my comfort zone in many ways and so glad I don’t have to anymore.
I hope that writing these autobiographical books has brought Édouard Louis some peace. I hope they’ve helped him find acceptance. Even by the end of this one, he seemed conflicted, still trying to outrun his past. But, as we all know, you can't truly escape yourself. Like that one Joan Didion quote we all know says: "I think we are well advised to keep on nodding terms with the people we used to be, whether we find them attractive company or not. Otherwise, they turn up unannounced, surprise us, come hammering on the mind’s door at 4 a.m. on a bad night, demanding to know who deserted them, who betrayed them, who is going to make amends."
Oh also really liked the way this book was written. The first part is written addressing his father and later on addressing his teenage best friend, Elena, who was the first to open up a new world to him. I teared up a bit with these parts. Made me wonder what the real life Elena would feel reading it.
Anyway, if you appreciate deeply personal stories that engage with larger social issues, you might dig this one and Louis’ first published work, The End of Eddy, which I myself have just started rereading. :)