Description

In this first critical study in English to focus exclusively on Annie Ernaux’s writing trajectory, Siobhán McIlvanney provides a stimulating and challenging analysis of Ernaux’s individual texts. Following a broadly feminist hermeneutic, this study engages in a series of provocative close readings of Ernaux’s works in a move to highlight the contradictions and nuances in her writing, and to demonstrate the intellectual intricacies of her literary project. By so doing, it seeks to introduce new readers to Ernaux’s works, while engaging on less familiar terrain those already familiar with her writing. Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations Introduction: Con/textualising the Corpus 1 The Early Years: Classifying Sexuality in 'Les Armoires vides' and 'Ce qu'ils disent ou rien' 2 The Adult Woman: Female Behaviour Pradigms in 'La Femme gelee' and 'Passion simple' 3 Writing the Auto/biographical Legacies of La Place and Une femme 4 Self/representation through the M/other in the Diaries of 'Je ne suis pas sortie de ma nuit', 'Journal du dehors' and 'La Vie exterieure' 5 The Return to Origins: 'La Honte' and 'L'Evenement' Notes Bibliography Index Acknowledgements p. vi List of Abbreviations p. vii Introduction: Con/textualising the Corpus p. 1 1 The Early Years: Classifying Sexuality in 'Les Armoires vides' and 'Ce qu'ils disent ou rien' p. 17 2 The Adult Woman: Female Behaviour Pradigms in 'La Femme gelee' and 'Passion simple' p. 49 3 Writing the Auto/biographical Legacies of L