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A review by casebounder
The End of Eddy by Édouard Louis
4.0
The End of Eddy, or En finir avec Eddy Bellegueule, has already proved wildly popular in France. Translated to English by Michael Lucey, this autobiographical novel captures a raw look at a poverty-stricken French factory town and the white underclass who populate it. France's recent election of Emmanuel Macron in opposition to Marine Le Pen stoked much attention to the populist movement supported by such towns, much like our recent American election highlighted rust belt areas. But The End of Eddy is even more pointedly about one young, effeminate boy's struggle with his sexuality within that climate. So you can imagine there's a lot to dissect here.
I would recommend Louis' book even if only for its open and honest depiction. Louis' somehow writes about his difficult childhood with very little judgment, and allows the reader empathy and understanding for even his most off-putting "characters." This is a community under the weight of class warfare, poverty, pride, shame, and masculinity. Louis reminds us the difficulty in faulting individuals under all that institutionalized pressure.
I would recommend Louis' book even if only for its open and honest depiction. Louis' somehow writes about his difficult childhood with very little judgment, and allows the reader empathy and understanding for even his most off-putting "characters." This is a community under the weight of class warfare, poverty, pride, shame, and masculinity. Louis reminds us the difficulty in faulting individuals under all that institutionalized pressure.