Annie Ernaux recounts her father's life, from his childhood as a Norman farm laborer to his job in a factory and later running a café and grocery. She writes soon after his death and describes how her own education took her into a class that he looked at with both pride and distance. She uses plain language and avoids fiction, refusing to treat him either as a victim or a hero.
Readers who value short, precise memoir about class and family will find it a compact work. It suits those who want to see how a writer deals with shame and love at once.
Deep, inward-looking and contemplative; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Empathetic Explorer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1983
- Language
- EN
