HappeningIn 1963, Annie Ernaux, 23 and unattached, realizes she is pregnant. Shame arises in her like a plague: Understanding that her pregnancy will mark her and her family as social failures, she knows she cannot keep that child. This is the story, written forty years later, of a trauma Ernaux never overcame. In a France where abortion was illegal, she attempted, in vain, to self-administer the abortion with a knitting needle. Fearful and desperate, she finally located an abortionist, and ends up in a hospital emergency ward where she nearly dies. In Happening, Ernaux sifts through her memories and her journal entries dating from those days. Clearly, cleanly, she gleans the meanings of her experience. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - akblanchard - LibraryThingAnnie Ernaux was in her early twenties when she found herself pregnant with a child she didn't want. She turned her formidable intellectual powers to the best way of putting an end to her problem, but ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - AnthonyTFS - LibraryThingReading Annie Ernaux’s Happening. I am suspicious of its translation into English. Ernaux writes: “En regardent la silhouette frêle, en imperméable, du petit employé, ses humiliations, devant la ... Read full review
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Common terms and phrases
abortion afternoon asked become began believe blood body café called checked couldn't dark death diary didn't doctor door empty event everything experience eyes face fact fear feel felt gave girl given giving hand happened head helped hospital images imagined inside January Jean knew later leaving legs light lives looked lost Madame P-R memory mentioned mind months morning mother needed never night pain parents Paris Passage Cardinet past period person Place planned practical pregnant probe reached realized remember Rouen saved scene seemed sitting soon standing station stomach stood stopped story street student sure tell thing thought tion told took train turned voice waiting walked wanted week woman women wondered writing young
Bibliographic information
| Title | Happening |
| Author | Annie Ernaux |
| Translated by | Tanya Leslie |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | Seven Stories Press, 2001 |
| ISBN | 1583222561, 9781583222560 |
| Length | 95 pages |
| Subjects | › Biography & Autobiography / Literary Figures |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |