The YearsThe Years
Score Modern
What it's about
Annie Ernaux tells the story of her life from 1941 to 2006, but not quite as a memoir. She writes as 'we' and 'she', mixing her own memories with the songs, slogans, products, politics and family meals of postwar France, so that one woman's life and a whole generation's are told together.
Why it's worth reading
The New York Times named it one of the best books of the 21st century, and Ernaux won the Nobel Prize in 2022. It's an original kind of book, a collective memory that makes you rethink your own past.
You'll love it if you liked
The Year of Magical Thinking
A Manual for Cleaning Women
Essays of Michel De MontaigneGood to know
There's no plot and few names; it flows from image to image. It's short but best read slowly.
By the numbers
- Readers73 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics70 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller18 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz10 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #211 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #414 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
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Quick answers
Is The Years worth reading?
Yes. The New York Times named it one of the best books of the 21st century, and Ernaux won the Nobel Prize in 2022. It ranks #414 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 79.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Years about?
Annie Ernaux tells the story of her life from 1941 to 2006, but not quite as a memoir. She writes as 'we' and 'she', mixing her own memories with the songs, slogans, products, politics and family meals of postwar France, so that one woman's life and a whole generation's are told together.
How long does it take to read The Years?
About 6 hours (256 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Years?
If you liked it, try The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin or Essays of Michel De Montaigne by Michel de Montaigne.