zeitgeisty and relatable - glad to know every generation before us was also consumed by political dread

Me and the Nobel prize committee will recommend Annie Ernaux to anyone.
I know this is the peak of her collective history/autofiction thing BUT personally I prefer her shorter books that focus on a specific thing more. Passion simple, l’événement, la femme gelée, regarde les lumières mon amour all do this incredible cultural-history-through-her-own- life in a way that feels more precise. They offer her perspective on having a crush, being a slut, supermarkets, the inevitable trap of domesticity etc, in a way that feels raw and relatable. But this one felt less accessible and more indulgent in boomer exceptionalism.
I just didn’t love it as much so I’m more recommending the others than hating on this one.

one of the most amazing books i’ve ever read. this lady won the nobel prize for a reason.

After inhaling Simple Passion, this book took me what seemed like absolute ages to get through. There's no doubt in my mind that this is an impressive feat that has its moments of beauty, but more often than not it felt so cold and emotionless.