The Years is, of course, Virginia Woolf’s 1937 novel. The Years (Les Années) (2008) is also a memoir by 
French novelist Annie Ernaux. Intrigued—coincidence or connection?—and enticed by reviews, I read Ernaux’s memoir and was captivated.
She tells her story without using the pronoun “I,” yet her voice is clear and consistent throughout. And her recollections are my own too. Relating her life by means of “we” and “they,” the narrative stands as a collective memoir of a generation, hers and mine. I also found several links, both direct and implied, between Ernaux and Woolf.
I’m grateful to the editors of Bloom, who gave me an enthusiastic go-ahead on this project and provided it with a home. You can read my essay, “The Years by Annie Ernaux: Memoir of a Generation.”
Alice Lowe
Catherine
Kaylee Baucom
Paula Maggio
Stefano Rozzoni
seanmcphail
suzannebellamy1
veronikakra
Vara Neverow
William Patrick Wend
Zoe Wolstenholme
Well done, Alice!
Thank you, Alice, for this very detailed and informative article about Ernaux and her writing, particularly the sections in which you discuss her work in relation to that of her contemporaries and older writers. Now you have me wanting to read all of Ernaux’s books AND those of the other writers. Help! I’m drowning in books!!
Oh, and please do read “The Overstory”, by Richard Powers, winner of the National Book Award and finalist for the Booker Prize. I promise you, you’ll never think of trees the way you used to do. For me, it’s a lifechanging book.
Thanks again, Alice!
Ellen