A Man's Place

This was my first time reading Annie Ernaux, and perhaps her style isn't for me. "A Man's Place" explores her father's life after his death. She paints a portrait of a man who rose from farmer to laborer to shopkeeper in rural France. The book goes into the growing distance and insecurities between father and daughter as she moves into a higher social class. I found the writing style dry and unemotional. Ernaux's detached writing style offers interesting glimpses into her father's life. Yet, it lacked the emotional depth I was hoping for. The stream-of-consciousness approach made it hard for me to fully connect with the story. Maybe this is because she aims for neutrality, portraying his life without embellishment. 3/5 stars.

This classic French novel is a joy to read. It combines a perceptive analysis of French society with an enthralling plot-line. Sophisticated yet easy-to-red, this book is a must-read.

This book spoke to me! I am a dual national, French through my mother, and I lived many of my childhood years in France and have many French relatives and friends. I read this little book with so much interest. I actually sobbed at the ending of this memoir. It is magnificent in its sparseness and ability to reach the universal in those few and well chosen family anecdotes. The struggle of societal hierarchies has rarely been so lovingly described.