Édouard Louis grew up in a village in northern France where many live below the poverty line. His bestselling debut novel about life there, The End of Eddy, has sparked debate on social inequality, sexuality, and violence.
It is an extraordinary portrait of escaping from an unbearable childhood, inspired by the author's own. Written with an openness and compassionate intelligence, ultimately, it asks, how can we create our own freedom?
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From my childhood I have no happy memories.
- AN ENCOUNTER
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(@PenguinUKBooks, 2 February 2017, e-book, 208 pages, borrowed from @GlasgowLib via @BorrowBox)
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I loved The End of Eddy. This is a short book but so much happens I felt like I was reading a full-length novel. The book spans many years of Eddy's life from his childhood until the moment he gains acceptance to the college of his dreams. Eddy does not have the best life, plagued by poverty, everyday violence, and the knowledge that his exaggerated, effeminate ways make him a target for hatred. This is a dark but ultimately beautiful book.
