En finir avec Eddy Bellegueule

Eddy Bellegueule grows up in a poor, working-class village in Picardy, northern France, in a family where masculinity means toughness, and where being different is dangerous. Gentle and effeminate as a boy, he is bullied at school, insulted by neighbours and made to feel shame. Édouard Louis, who changed his name after leaving, tells this autobiographical novel in short episodes, describing the violence, racism and homophobia he saw at home and the poverty that shaped his family. At the end, he escapes to a new school and a new life.

Readers who like raw autobiographical fiction about class and sexuality will find an honest, painful book. It is a way into understanding how social conditions shape what people can become.

Deep and inward-looking; a moderate read.

Best for readers like The Empathetic Explorer. Which reader are you?