The Years (Ernaux book)
2008 book by Annie Ernaux
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The Years (French: Les Années) is a 2008 non-fiction book by Annie Ernaux. It has been described as a "hybrid" memoir, spanning the period of 1941 to 2006.[1][2][3] Ernaux's English publisher, Seven Stories Press, described it as an autobiography that is "at once subjective and impersonal, private and collective."[3]
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Collection Blanche cover (first edition) | |
| Author | Annie Ernaux |
|---|---|
| Original title | Les Années |
| Translator | Alison L. Strayer |
| Language | French |
| Genre | Memoir |
| Publisher | Éditions Gallimard |
Publication date | 7 February 2008 |
| Publication place | France |
Published in English | 2017 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 256 |
| ISBN | 978-2-07-077922-2 |
| OCLC | 192081505 |
| 843/.914 B | |
| LC Class | PQ2665.R67 Z46 2008 |
Synopsis
In the book, Ernaux writes about herself in the third person (elle, or "she" in English) for the first time, providing a vivid look at French society just after the Second World War until the early 2000s.[4] It is the social story of a woman and of the evolving society she lived in. With this feature of book, Edmund White described it as a "collective autobiography", in his review for The New York Times.[3]
Reception
The Years was well received by French critics and is considered by many to be her magnum opus.[5]
It won the 2008 Françoise-Mauriac Prize of the Académie française, the 2008 Marguerite Duras Prize,[6] the 2008 French Language Prize,[citation needed] the 2009 Télégramme Readers Prize,[citation needed] and the 2016 Premio Strega Europeo Prize.[7]
Translated by Alison L. Strayer, The Years won the 31st Annual French-American Foundation Translation Prize in the non-fiction category.[8] Alison L. Strayer's English translation was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2019.[9]
Stage adaptation
A Dutch stage adaptation written and directed by Eline Arbo, titled De jaren, premiered at the Het Nationale Theater in The Hague on 3 November 2022. It featured a multi-generational cast of five women who all played the central character. The actresses included Mariana Aparicio, Nettie Blanken, Tamar van den Dop, Hannah Hoekstra and June Yanez.[10] The production received rave reviews from critics.[11][12][13][14] The play was selected for the 2023 Nederlands Theatre Festival.[15] For her performance, Aparicio won the prestigious Theo d'Or in 2023.[16]
An English adaptation, also directed by Eline Arbo, started performances at London's Almeida Theatre on 27 July 2024, starring Deborah Findlay, Romola Garai, Gina McKee, Anjli Mohindra and Harmony Rose-Bremner.[17] A preview performance on 29 July 2024 drew strong reactions due to a graphic backstreet abortion scene featured halfway through the play. Some theatregoers, who were reportedly "mainly male", complained of feeling faint and requested medical assistance.[18] The play, which ran until 31 August 2024, was adapted into English by Stephanie Bain and featured several narrations of the book's passages whereas other passages were turned into dialogue.[19] After its sold-out run at the Almeida Theatre, the play transferred to the Harold Pinter Theatre in London's West End from 24 January 2025, continuing through 19 April 2025.[20][21] At the 2025 Laurence Olivier Awards, it received five nominations,[22] winning Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Garai and Best Director for Arbo.[23]
