Héloïse Kolebka (2008). "Annie Ernaux: "Je ne suis qu'histoire" ". L'Histoire (332): 18. ISSN 0182-2411. Archived from the original on 4 May 2015 . Retrieved 18 April 2019. . Elkin, Lauren (22 June 2018). "The Years by Annie Ernaux review – a masterpiece memoir of French life". The Guardian . Retrieved 8 August 2023. The Years is a creative memoir, not only of an individual but of a generation and, indeed, an entire nation. Annie Ernaux". Auteurs contemporains. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022 . Retrieved 6 October 2022.

She will go within herself only to retrieve the world, the memory and imagination of its bygone days, grasp the changes in ideas, beliefs and sensibility, the transformation of people and the subject that she has seen The Years is a personal narrative of the period 1941 to 2006 told through the lens of memory, impressions past and present—even projections into the future—photos, books, songs, radio, television and decades of advertising, headlines, contrasted with intimate conflicts and writing notes from 6 decades of diaries. This is an autobiography unlike any you have ever read. The Years is an earnest, fearless book, a Remembrance of Things Past for our age of media domination and consumerism, for our period of absolute commodity fetishism.’ Ulin, David L. (21 January 2018). "Unorthodox snapshots of life". Los Angeles Times. p.F10. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022 . Retrieved 5 October 2022– via Newspapers.com.

L'Autre fille". theatre-cornouaille.fr. Archived from the original on 7 October 2022 . Retrieved 7 October 2022. a b c 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.

Over time, Ernaux becomes disillusioned with her marriage and wonders what would happen if she left her husband and children — something she ultimately decides to do. After her divorce, Ernaux's life becomes much more solitary. At the same time, France begins to descend into recession and sees right-wing politicians take power.A Woman's Story ( Une femme), A Man's Place, and Simple Passion were recognised as The New York Times Notable Books, [21] and A Woman's Story was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. [22] Shame was named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 1998, [23] I Remain in Darkness a Top Memoir of 1999 by The Washington Post, and The Possession was listed as a Top Ten Book of 2008 by More magazine. [24] In the next section, Ernaux explores her adolescence, during which time she has an opportunity to go to school (and later, college) away from her parent's house. During her journeys outside of her home, Ernaux has several epiphanies. First, Ernaux realizes just how poor her family really is. In college, Ernaux explores a side of herself that she was not previously allowed to explore, including her sexuality and sex in general. At the same time, Ernaux talks about her interest in journaling and interest in politics. Le prix Annie Ernaux 2003". signets.org. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022 . Retrieved 6 October 2022. a b c "Biography". annie-ernaux.org. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022 . Retrieved 6 October 2022. A) monumental account of twentieth- century French social history as refracted through the life of one woman. (...) The unremitting waves of social change recorded in Les Années, with particular attention to women’s lives, sweep away the collective narratives Ernaux recalls from her childhood." - Michael Sheringham, Times Literary Supplement

A book of memory, of a life and world, staggeringly and brilliantly original.” —Philippe Sands, author of East West Street The Yearsis an earnest, fearless book, a Remembrance of Things Pastfor our age of media domination and consumerism, for our period of absolute commodity fetishism.” —Edmund White, The New York Times Book Review a b Shaffi, Sarah (6 October 2022). "Annie Ernaux wins the 2022 Nobel prize in literature". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022 . Retrieved 7 October 2022.

Now, I will preface this review by saying that my one regret is that I didn’t read The Years in its original French. The English version was a lot easier on my work-exhausted brain so that was helpful, but there were certain passages (and honestly, it was beautifully translated by Alison L. Strayer) that I would have preferred to read in the original text. The moral of the story is that if you can, always read the original. But, love you Yas for the great book gift. The Years, Written by Annie Ernaux". The Booker Prize Foundation. 20 June 2018. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022 . Retrieved 7 October 2022. The author of one of the most important oeuvres in French literature, Annie Ernaux’s work is as powerful as it is de For once, the rumours have proved true. Annie Ernaux, the 82-year-old French writer, who for the last couple of years has been touted as a favourite, has been announced as the winner of the 2022 Nobel prize for literature – only the 17th woman out 119 laureates in the award’s history. Alison Fell, Ernaux: La Place and La Honte; Grant and Cutler, Critical Guides to French Studies, 2006.

Schwartz, Madeleine (13 April 2020). "A Memoirist Who Mistrusts Her Own Memories". The New Yorker . Retrieved 8 August 2023. Alison Fell and Edward Welch, "Annie Ernaux: Socio-Ethnographer of Contemporary France", Nottingham French Studies, June 2009. The films of the Official Selection 2020". Cannes Film Festival. 3 June 2020. Archived from the original on 4 June 2020 . Retrieved 7 October 2022.Though she taught literature at secondary school from 1974, Ernaux has never taught creative writing and claims to be baffled by the fashionable US export of writing-workshop culture. It’s a stance perhaps in conflict with her otherwise strong public posture of sharing and open-source creation (Ernaux doesn’t believe she “owns” her texts and views her Nobel win as a collective effort). “I suppose these workshops help people not to make obvious faux pas,” she says now. “And, of course, there are writers who really need to know whether something’s good or not . But at the end of the day it’s only you who knows…” Reynolds, Susan Salter (30 September 2001). "Discoveries". Los Angeles Times. p.11-Book Review. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022 . Retrieved 6 October 2022– via Newspapers.com.