The Years - by Annie Ernaux (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"Memory pairs the dead with the living, real with imaginary beings, dreams with history."

She strikes a pose and the camera shutter clicks... A child playing in the debris of the Second World War. Click. A student discovering parties and men's bodies. Click. An activist fighting for the right to choose. Click. A wife picking out a velvet sofa. Click. A mother taking her eldest to judo. Click. A lover, seducing a younger man. Click. A grandmother presenting her granddaughter to the camera. Click.

The Years/Les années is Annie Ernaux's critically acclaimed "masterpiece" (Guardian), charting a woman's personal and political life against the backdrop of a rapidly changing post-war Europe.

Review Quotes

"A remarkable stage adaptation that leads to a special catharsis through nostalgia, sadness and lots of humour."

--Volkskrant

"An extraordinarily profound and yet playful drama...Eline Arbo's adaptation celebrates the multitudes contained within a single life...devastating...joyous... shatteringly raw...There is so much emotional depth, surprise and theatrical virtuosity here that it holds you rapt...What an accomplishment."

--Guardian

"Stunning...a swoon-worthy smash...joyous...a real eye-opener."

--The Times

"A unique, profoundly moving experience...manages the extraordinary feat of intricately telling the story of a whole life in less than two hours...finds laughter in tragedy and devastating detail in mundanity. It moved me in ways theatre often tries to but rarely achieves...utterly remarkable."

--Independent

"A vivid, moving memoir play that celebrates the astonishment of being alive."

--Time Out

"Unforgettable...strangely magnificent...full of roaring life."

--WhatsOnStage

"Fascinating, funny and moving."

--Daily Mail

"Startling and enthralling...a perfect dramatic extrapolation of Ernaux's slippery narrative...I absolutely loved it."

--Evening Standard

"Brilliant...visceral...Ernaux speaks eloquently for for anyone with an open mind and a pulse."

--Financial Times

"Vivid and profound...a superlative two hour."

--iNews

"A brave and ambitious take on Ernaux's book that leans into its themes of female emancipation and the circular nature of history and memory."

--Telegraph

"Powerful...a must-see for its poignant, thought-provoking, and ultimately affirming portrayal of a woman's life."

--West End Best Friend

"Captivating, funny and harrowing...a wonderfully literate and totally absorbing piece of storytelling."

--Reviews Hub

About the Author

Annie Ernaux is a French writer who was awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Literature. Her works include the 2008 historical memoir Les Années (The Years), which won the Marguerite Duras Prize and the 2016 Strega European Prize. Translated by Alison L. Strayer, The Years was nominated for the International Booker Prize in 2019, and won the 2019 Warwick Prize for Women in Translation.

Eline Arbo is a theatre director. She has been Artistic Director at Internationaal Theater Amsterdam since 2023.

Stephanie Bain is Head of Programming and Literary at the Almeida Theatre, London.