Report an issue
Tell us what's wrong and we'll take a look.
Thanks – we got it. We'll review and follow up if needed.
She strikes a pose and the camera shutter clicks... A child playing in the debris of the Second World War. Click. A student discovering parties and men's bodies. Click. An activist fighting for the right to choose. Click. A wife picking out a velvet sofa. Click. A mother taking her eldest to judo. Click. A lover, seducing a younger man. Click. A grandmother presenting her granddaughter to the camera. Click.
The Years/Les années is Annie Ernaux's critically acclaimed "masterpiece" (Guardian), charting a woman's personal and political life against the backdrop of a rapidly changing post-war Europe.
Stephanie Bain
Translated by
Stephanie Bain is a writer and dramaturg. She has worked in London theater for a decade and was the head of programming and literary at the Almeida Theatre. Her English language version of the stage play The Years, adapted and directed by Eline Arbo, and based on the book by Annie Ernaux, premiered at the Almeida Theatre in July 2024 and transferred to the West End in 2025, earning her a joint Olivier Award nomination for Best New Play. Wits is her first novel.
Why Readwise Books?
Readwise Books is an ebook & audiobook platform that automatically logs how much you and your friends read, making it fun and easy to read more. Learn more →