“at this time, no inventory could be made of the girl’s abstract knowledge”

later though, annie ernaux made an inventory. the result is buzzing earnest expression of a working class woman’s confrontation with the midcentury intellectual cool, wartime, modernity, generational disparity, motherhood and five decades of politics, trends, and technology. the novel sings the familiar tune of finding one’s identity in a seemingly abstract and meaningless world. without being trite, ernaux reminds her readers that we are not alone through palpable imagery and self expression feels like eye-contact.

I also especially enjoyed the English translation which was beautifully formed and felt well suited for the writing style and Franco-centric content.