Annie Ernaux books

Annie Ernaux is a French author and Nobel Prize laureate known for her autobiographical works that examine memory, class, and personal experience.

Non-Fiction

Title Published Buy on Amazon
A Frozen Woman 1981 Buy
A Man’s Place 1983 Buy
A Woman’s Story 1987 Buy
Simple Passion 1991 Buy
Positions 1991 Buy
Exteriors 1993 Buy
Passion Perfect 1993 Buy
I Remain in Darkness 1996 Buy
Shame 1997 Buy
Happening 2000 Buy
The Years 2008 Buy
Things Seen 2010 Buy
A Girl’s Story 2020 Buy
Getting Lost 2022 Buy
Look at the Lights, My Love 2023 Buy
The Young Man 2023 Buy
I Will Write to Avenge My People 2023 Buy
The Use of Photography 2024 Buy

Standalone Novels

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Cleaned Out 1974 Buy
Do What They Say or Else 1977 Buy
The Possession 2003 Buy

Annie Ernaux is a French writer who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2022 for her work exploring memory, class, and the lived experiences of women. She has been publishing since 1974, and her books draw almost entirely on her own life and observations. A Man’s Place and A Woman’s Story are portraits of her parents, while The Years uses photos and memories to map the social changes France went through over half a century.

Her writing style is spare and direct, often closer to sociology than traditional memoir. Books like Shame, Happening, and Simple Passion deal with specific moments in her life with a frankness that has made her one of the most respected living French writers. Her recent works include Getting Lost, A Girl’s Story, and the Nobel lecture I Will Write to Avenge My People.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Annie Ernaux written?

Annie Ernaux has written 21 books across two series.

What was Annie Ernaux's first book?

Annie Ernaux’s first book is Cleaned Out, published in 1974.

What is Annie Ernaux best known for?

Annie Ernaux is best known for The Years, a collective autobiography that traces French life from the postwar period to the 2000s, and for winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2022. Her work blends memoir with social observation, and books like A Man’s Place and A Woman’s Story examine her working-class origins.

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