French writer Annie Ernaux won the 2022 Nobel Prize in literature on Oct 6. She is the first French female to win the prize. In the words of the Nobel committee, Ernaux was given the award for the courage and sharp insight of her writing.
Having spent over five decades as a writer, the 82-year-old winner has published more than 20 books to her name, including Cleaned Out, Shame, a 2008 memoir called The Years and A Girl’s Story. Rather than consider herself a writer of fiction, Ernaux has used the term “an ethnologist (民族学家) of herself” to describe herself.
Born in 1940 in a rural village in Normandy, France, Ernaux grew up in a working-class environment as her parents ran a combined grocery store and cafe. She worked as a teacher before becoming a full-time writer.
According to CNN her “upbringing and experiences navigating adolescence and adulthood” inspire many of her works. For example the book Shame explores the theme of childhood trauma while A Girl’s Story follows a young woman’s coming of age in the 1950s.
Though the matters Ernaux describes in her books are serious and even sometimes heavy, they are always written in plain language. Ernaux described her style as “flat writing” through which she aims to tell her stories objectively, “unshaped by florid description or overwhelming emotions.” noted Fox News.
“She writes about things that no one else writes about, for instance her jealousy, her experiences as an abandoned lover and so forth, I mean, really hard experiences,” Anders Olsson, chairman of the Nobel Committee for Literature said after the award announcement in Stockholm. He went on to say, “She gives words for these experiences that are very simple and striking. They are short books, but they are really moving.”
4. What can we learn about Annie Ernaux from the text?
A.She is the first French person to win the Nobel Prize. |
B.The Nobel committee described her as “an ethnologist of herself”. |
C.She was awarded for the bravery and observations shown in her writing. |
D.She started working as a full-time writer in 1974. |
5. Where did she get inspiration for her works?
A.Her students’ lives. | B.The stories of guests to her cafe. |
C.The history of her hometown. | D.Her personal experiences. |
6. Which of the following best describes Ernaux’s writing style?
A.Objective and easy to understand. | B.Plain and relaxing. |
C.Descriptive and serious. | D.Emotional and touching. |
7. Why is Annie Ernaux different from other writers, according to Anders Olsson?
A.She shares painful feelings through her writing. | B.She suffered a lot of hardships. |
C.Her works are about unexplored subjects. | D.Her works are short and moving. |