A Woman's Story
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Book Overview
WINNER OF THE 2022 NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE A New York Times Notable Book "A deeply affecting account of mothers and daughters, youth and age, and dreams and reality" (Kirkus Reviews) Upon her mother's death from Alzheimer's, Ernaux embarks on a daunting journey back through time, as she seeks to "capture the real woman, the one who existed independently from me, born on the outskirts of a small Normandy town, and who died in the geriatric ward of a hospital in the suburbs of Paris." She explores the bond between mother and daughter, tenuous and unshakable at once, the alienating worlds that separate them, and the inescapable truth that we must lose the ones we love. In this quietly powerful tribute, Ernaux attempts to do her mother the greatest justice she can: to portray her as the individual she was. She writes, "I believe I am writing about my mother because it is my turn to bring her into the world."
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:1583225757
ISBN13:9781583225752
Release Date:May 2003
Publisher:Seven Stories Press
Length:104 Pages
Weight:0.30 lbs.
Dimensions:0.4" x 5.5" x 8.2"
Related Subjects
Arts & Literature Authors Biographical Biographies Biographies & History Biography & History Contemporary Contemporary Women Fiction Foreign Language Fiction History & Criticism Humanities Literary Literature Literature & Fiction Memoirs Specific Groups Women Women's Fiction World LiteratureCustomer Reviews
2 ratings
A daughter's story about her mother
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
Ernaux has fashioned a compelling tribute to her mother by telling the story through her eyes as a child but now filtered through her analysis as an adult. As children we experience life, especially the relationships of our parents, as they happen without much ability to synthesize the deeper meanings. As adults, sifting through the past, we can often see what those moments really meant. A deeper understanding can be gained by trying to inhabit our mother's shoes as we age and discovering not only what kind of person she was but what kind of person we are because of her influence of in spite of it. Ernaux is first an honest writer adding no more words than are necessary to give the reader a full understanding of the events that shaped her life. She is second a writer of beautiful prose.
The universal is in the details
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
A Woman's Story is an account of Ernaux's mother from her beginnings on a Normandy farm, through working in a factory and running a store with her husband, to trying, as a widow, to live with her educated daughter and her family. Mother was a woman of thwarted ambition who hoped to fulfill her ambition through her daughter. Ernaux captured well the friction that arose between them both as a result of the ambition and the resulting class conflict its fulfillment brought. In contrast to Positions, Ernaux's portrayal of her father, this book spends more time on the relationships of her mother to her husband and daughter. As in most of Ernaux's work her ability to use a direct style and very specific details to reflect human nature as a whole is the prime reaason for reading the book.
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