a man's place
first edition, 1992.
the story of annie ernaux’s father, written in a detached, unsentimental tone, traces his life as a working-class french countryman. born in the normandy countryside in 1899, he started working as a farmhand at twelve, later served in the military, and eventually became a factory worker. he was a grocer during ernaux’s childhood. in a man’s place, ernaux sifts through the ambivalence formed within her paternal relationship after she left the french countryside and became a writer. she transforms her personal story into a broader portrayal of the social and political transformations in working class life within early 20th-century rural france.
"ernaux understands that writing about her parents is a form of betrayal. that she writes about their struggle to understand the middle-class literary world into which she has moved makes that betrayal all the more painful. but still, she does it—and it is thrilling to read ernaux working out, word by word, what she deems appropriate to include in each text." - ellen pierson-hagger, new statesman
the english title, “a man’s place”, is not a direct translation of the original "the place", or “la place” in french. the article, in the french title, adds a feminine touch within the story of a man and emphasizes the importance of origin in the story of ernaux’s father and, ultimately, her own identity. however, the english title was chosen to align with ernaux’s complementary portrait of her mother, “a woman’s story”.
a man’s place was awarded the 1984 renaudot prize. ernaux was awarded the 2022 nobel prize for literature. translated by tanya leslie.
new york: four walls eight windows. isbn: 0941423751. hardcover. book condition: fine. jacket condition: unclipped ($15.95). fine. Item #414
Price: $200.00
