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The Years (Ernaux book)

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The Years
Image
Collection Blanche cover (first edition)
AuthorAnnie Ernaux
Original titleLes Années
TranslatorAlison L. Strayer
LanguageFrench
GenreMemoir
PublisherÉditions Gallimard
Publication date7 February 2008
Publication placeFrance
English publication date
2017
Media typePrint
Pages256
ISBN978-2-07-077922-2
OCLC192081505
Dewey Decimal843/.914 B
LC ClassPQ2665.R67 Z46 2008

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]

Synopsis

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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

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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

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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]

References

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  1. ↑ Schwartz, Madeleine (13 April 2020). "A Memoirist Who Mistrusts Her Own Memories". The New Yorker. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  2. ↑ Elkin, Lauren (22 June 2018). "The Years by Annie Ernaux review – a masterpiece memoir of French life". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 White, Edmund (19 January 2018). "Reclaiming the Past in the Internet's 'Infinite Present'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  4. ↑ Laurin, Danielle (3 April 2008). "Autobiographie : Les années: le livre d'une vie" (in French). Radio-Canada. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  5. ↑ Peras, Delphine (11 February 2010). "Les Années par Annie Ernaux". L'EXPRESS (in French). Archived from the original on 29 October 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  6. ↑ "Prix Marguerite Duras". Association Marguerite Duras (in French). Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  7. ↑ "Premio Strega Europeo, la scrittriceAnnie Ernaux vince la terza edizione". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). 5 July 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  8. ↑ "Past Winners: Alison L. Strayer's translation of The Years by Annie Ernaux". French-American Foundation. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  9. ↑ "Annie Ernaux | The Booker Prizes". thebookerprizes.com. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  10. ↑ Oosterling, Elisabeth (6 November 2022). "In 'De jaren' laat de tijd vlekken achter". NRC (in Netherlands Dutch). Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  11. ↑ Çolak, Ela (6 November 2022). "De gedurfde toneelregie van 'De jaren' doet recht aan Ernauxs caleidoscopische meesterwerk". de Volkskrant (in Netherlands Dutch). Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  12. ↑ Schmitz, Jowi (7 November 2022). "'Gewone vrouw' Annie Ernaux vormt broodnodige aanvulling op mannelijke theatercanon". Trouw (in Netherlands Dutch). Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  13. ↑ Kleuver, Esther (8 November 2022). "'De jaren' toont aan hoe episch een gewoon vrouwenleven kan zijn". De Telegraaf (in Netherlands Dutch). Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  14. ↑ Lems, Marijn (4 November 2022). "Recensie De jaren door Eline Arbo / Het Nationale Theater". Theaterkrant (in Netherlands Dutch). Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  15. ↑ https://www.theaterkrant.nl/nieuws/het-nederlands-theater-festival-maakt-selectie-bekend-van-drie-jurys/
  16. ↑ Beeckmans, Joke; van den Berg, Simon (17 September 2023). "Theo d'Or voor Mariana Aparicio, Louis d'Or voor Eelco Smits". Theaterkrant (in Netherlands Dutch). Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  17. ↑ Armitstead, Claire (14 July 2024). "'Each time I read one of her books, I wanted to read more': five actors on bringing Annie Ernaux's memoir to the stage". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  18. ↑ Khomami, Nadia (31 July 2024). "London play paused after theatregoers felt faint during abortion scene". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  19. ↑ Akbar, Arifa (2 August 2024). "The Years review – Annie Ernaux's faint-inducing masterpiece roars into devastating life". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  20. ↑ Cosslett, Rhiannon Lucy (3 January 2025). "This play's abortion scene made grown men faint – and I'm thrilled it's about to get a bigger audience". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  21. ↑ Cooke, Rachel (19 January 2025). "Director Eline Arbo: 'Theatre is very fake. You have grown up people pretending to die in front of you'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  22. ↑ "Olivier awards 2025: complete list of nominations". The Guardian. 4 March 2025. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  23. ↑ Oganesyan, Natalie (6 April 2025). "John Lithgow, Lesley Manville, Imelda Staunton Among 2025 Olivier Awards Winners". Deadline. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
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