A Man's Place Author: Anne Erno Publisher: Shanghai People's Publishing House Original title: La Place

Contents:

Anne Erno uses the death of her father, two months after she passed her teacher qualification exam, as an opportunity to tell the life story of a man who was born at the turn of the century, had to leave school early, worked as a farmer, then in a factory, and then as the owner of a small grocery store in Normandy until his death in 1967. He was self-disciplined, hardworking, and careful in what he said and did, trying to maintain a man's place in society, but he could not shake off the fear of slipping back into the lower classes.

The author uses cold observation to reveal the shame that plagued her father throughout his life, and the alienation and pain between father and daughter caused by class restrictions. This biography of her father is also a story of betrayal by an intellectual daughter - betrayal of her parents, her upbringing, the split between family affection and shame, between belonging and alienation.

About the Author:

Annie Ernaux

A famous contemporary French female writer. Born in 1940 in a coastal town in Normandy, France. She was born into the poor class of France, and her parents ran a small grocery store there. In order to help her escape from the humble social class and the poor living environment, her parents did their best, working day and night, to send her to university to listen to "Plato". However, when she really realized her "dream" and rose to the so-called upper class, she had an irreconcilable gap with her parents and was forever separated from the world she came from. Erno fearlessly recorded her own experiences and her clear views on society and collective memory. Her works are written in a neutral style of plain description, which is very easy to resonate with readers.

Her work "A Man's Place" won the 1984 French Renaudot Literature Prize, and "The Long Days" won the 2008 French Duras Literature Prize. So far, she has published more than 20 works, which have been translated into more than a dozen languages. All her works have been awarded the "Marguerite Yourcenar Award" (2017), the Spanish "Formentor Literature Award" (2019), and the "Woerth European Literature Award" (2021).

Translator: Guo Yumei