Book Group Reflections: The Years by Annie Ernaux

For April’s Book Club, nine of us gathered at Hanami to discuss The Years by Annie Ernaux. Lorna introduced it by telling us about Ernaux’s life and her remarkable achievement of being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2022. It was a fitting way to frame the conversation about a book that can be described as both a personal memoir and a social history of France during her lifetime (although some important episodes in her life—the subjects of her other books—are omitted here).

Ernaux’s story, while told chronologically, doesn’t follow a simple linear narrative. Her aging is mainly marked by descriptions of photographs of her at different times, and throughout the text, she includes lists of thoughts and ideas, which are quite enigmatic and seemingly random. These fragments give texture to her account but also make it quite hard to summarise!

Our reactions were, perhaps unsurprisingly, varied. Some of us found it gripping, especially those among us who know France best. Others struggled to engage with parts, especially when grappling with the nuances of French politics and culture. The lists, in particular, divided opinion—some found them evocative, others unhelpful.

Still, there were some themes we all agreed on. We were struck by the account of Ernaux’s development from a fairly humble background to become a member of the French literati/intelligentsia (and you can’t get more intelligentsia than that!). Her reflections on this transition, often laced with both pride and guilt, felt familiar to several in the group who shared similar experiences.

Our discussion also branched out into broader ideas sparked by the book: the nature of collective memory—what is it, how does it vary across cultures or countries, and indeed does it exist?—as well as issues of identity and selfhood through our lifetime. Religion, tribes and the rapid pace of technological change all surfaced too (James particularly enjoyed the sequence of her cars).

In the end, whether we were captivated or challenged by the book, Ernaux stimulated a lively and thought-provoking discussion. And no one, it’s fair to say, regretted reading it.

Coming up: our next meeting is on Wednesday, 14th May when we will be discussing “Yellowface” by R.F. Kuang.