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A review by serendipitysbooks
The End of Eddy by Édouard Louis
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
The End of Eddy is a heartbreaking autobiographical novel about the tough realities of growing up poor and homosexual in rural France. Eddy’s home life was blighted by violence and addiction, on top of the mocking he received for his effeminate behaviours. At school he was subject to demeaning gut-churning bullying which he chose to endure alone rather then report and risk being mocked.
The novel unfolds episodically or thematically rather than chronologically. The narration is mostly matter of fact and dispassionate. Scenes from childhood Eddy are interspersed with comments from adult Edouard meaning the book often reads like a series of essays rather than a more traditional work of fiction.
As well as recounting his childhood Louis also paints a picture of his village. It’s a picture full of economic depression and resentment, low literacy levels, violence, alcoholism, racism, machismo and homophobia. It may be a rather depressing picture but it is an important one to understand, linked as it is with the rise of right-wing politics. And not just in France.
The subject matter of this book is such that enjoy is not an accurate word to describe the reading experience. It was hard going in places. But the writing style and short charters make it very accessible and I’m definitely the richer and wiser for having read it.
The novel unfolds episodically or thematically rather than chronologically. The narration is mostly matter of fact and dispassionate. Scenes from childhood Eddy are interspersed with comments from adult Edouard meaning the book often reads like a series of essays rather than a more traditional work of fiction.
As well as recounting his childhood Louis also paints a picture of his village. It’s a picture full of economic depression and resentment, low literacy levels, violence, alcoholism, racism, machismo and homophobia. It may be a rather depressing picture but it is an important one to understand, linked as it is with the rise of right-wing politics. And not just in France.
The subject matter of this book is such that enjoy is not an accurate word to describe the reading experience. It was hard going in places. But the writing style and short charters make it very accessible and I’m definitely the richer and wiser for having read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism and Racism