Synopses & Reviews
In this brilliant and sobering self-portrait, Edouard Levé hides nothing from his readers, setting out his entire life, more or less at random, in a string of declarative sentences. is a physical, psychological, sexual, political, and philosophical triumph. Beyond "sincerity," Levé works toward an objectivity so radical it could pass for crudeness, triviality, even banality: the author has stripped himself bare. With the force of a set of maxims or morals, Levé's prose seems at first to be an autobiography without sentiment, as though written by a machine--until, through the accumulation of detail, and the author's dry, quizzical tone, we find ourselves disarmed, enthralled, and enraptured by nothing less than the perfect fiction . . . made entirely of facts.
Synopsis
In this brilliant and sobering self-portrait, douard Lev eacute; hides nothing from his readers, setting out his entire life, more or less at random, in a string of declarative sentences.
Autoportrait is a physical, psychological, sexual, political, and philosophical triumph. Beyond "sincerity," Lev works toward an objectivity so radical it could pass for crudeness, triviality, even banality: the author has stripped himself bare. With the force of a set of maxims or morals, Lev 's prose seems at first to be an autobiography without sentiment, as though written by a machine-until, through the accumulation of detail, and the author's dry, quizzical tone, we find ourselves disarmed, enthralled, and enraptured by nothing less than the perfect fiction... made entirely of facts. Shortlisted for the Best Translated Book Award in 2013.
Synopsis
A brilliant and sobering self-portrait made up entirely of facts, and a companion to the harrowing book
About the Author
Edouard Levé was born on January 1, 1965 in Neuilly-sur-Seine. A writer, photographer, and visual artist, Levé was the author of four books of writing--Oeuvres, Journal, Autoportrait, and Suicide--and three books of photographs. Suicide, published in 2008, was his final book.Lorin Stein is former senior editor at Farrar, Straus, and Giroux where he worked closely with many notable authors. He has also worked on translations of Roberto Bolaño, as well as personally translating the fiction of Grégoire Bouillier. He is the editor of the Paris Review.