snortingiggles 's review for:

Simple Passion by Annie Ernaux

challenging reflective sad tense medium-paced

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I started Simple Passion with high expectations—it’s an award-winning book, after all. But I’ll be honest, it took me a while to get through even half of it. The lack of plot, structure, and emotional pull made it difficult to stay engaged.

Midway through, though, something shifted. I began to see that the emotional distance was intentional—a reflection of the narrator’s obsessive detachment and how consuming yet isolating desire can be. It’s paradoxical, but that’s when the book finally started to make sense.

That said, I’m personally not a fan of this kind of writing—spare, detached, more introspection than narrative. But I’m glad I pushed myself to finish it. It was a step outside my usual reading zone, and that’s always worth something.

I also couldn’t help but feel that some of the book’s rawness and rhythm may have been lost in translation. That added to the struggle for me.

In a nutshell:

Emotionally distant, structurally sparse, but quietly complex. Not quite my style, but a thought-provoking detour.

Final words:

Not every book has to resonate to be worthwhile—and sometimes, it’s the discomfort that makes the read memorable.