The End of Eddy: A Novel

The End of Eddy is a first-time novel by now twenty-four year old French writer Édouard Louis (2014; translated into English by Michael Lucey, 2017). The End of Eddy chronicles approximately five years in the life of a ten-year old awkward, lonely boy who does not fit in because of his effeminate mannerisms which cause him trouble both at home and at school. The novel is made extraordinary by the age of its author and his splendid, personal style of writing and by the fact that Louis tackles topics other than just Eddy’s individual coming out story.Eddy Bellegueule narrates the story of his childhood in a poor, working class, blue-collar family in rural Hallencourt within the Picardy region of northern France. It is a childhood from which he has “no happy memories” because “suffering is all-consuming: it somehow gets rid of anything that doesn’t fit into its system.”What begins as a typical coming of age/coming out story rapidly becomes much, much more. The book’s short chapters take on a very episodic nature, each constructing numerous, thoughtful revelations.Louis repeatedly focuses upon bullying (both its physical as well as emotional toll) and violence and how both are or can be a part of a family as well as a village’s tradition. The author spends a lot of time examining Eddy’s relationship with his father and his father’s own personal history since the father is representative of the masculine posture of nearly all of the working class males in the village.Eddy’s father’s life, like that of the other men in the village, is devoted to being manly… a trait most inherit from previous generations. Being “tough” is the most essential part of a man’s life. The more vulgar, the more violent, the more hard-nosed, the more slovenly, the more racist and sexist, the more liquor a man can consume, the better. Crucially, “a father reinforced his own masculine identity through his sons, to whom he was duty-bound to transmit his own virility,” and Eddy grows up knowing “my father was going to make me do it, make me into a tough guy, his pride as a man was at stake.” Eddy also readily admits, “All too soon I shattered the hopes and dreams of my father.”Equally important is that all males will “go straight from junior high to the factory and they spend their whole life in the village or they move a couple of towns over but never too far.” The “experiences that the people living in the village reproduced exactly from generation to generation, [along with] their resistance to change.” It isn’t just Eddy Bellegueule that suffers in rural Hallencourt, but because he is different from the others in his family and village, he appears to be the only one who realizes it. Every generation is a prisoner of the pervious generation’s values and economic status. There is no expectation or acceptance of being different from the norm.Males must be the bread-earners and the females subservient, ones who are expected to perform sexually at their spouse’s whim, have babies, and yet also be the ones who truly hold the family together; the ones who provide explanations to their children when no one else will. Any further aspirations a young woman might have are mocked and squelched by the society around her.Because gossip and bad mouthing of others runs rampant throughout the community, secrets are a part of every family and in every home, especially in the Bellegueule house, and conversations are replaced by the ever present, always playing television set. “Television was something, like language or the ways we dressed, which was just taken for granted.”Through vignette after vignette about his family, Eddy reveals the traits of life in rural France. There is never a feel of stereotyping and the characters are distinctly true to life as is their dialogue (frequently inserted in the middle of Eddy’s own musings)—so much so that readers quickly and seamlessly step into and are surrounded by Eddy’s world.As the reader becomes more and more absorbed in Eddy’s story, another thought comes to mind and it is an obvious, but unnerving realization: this is the France of the late 1990s to the early 2000s. Indeed, it could be rural America today. These are modern traditions, cultural beliefs, philosophies, and lifestyles which Édouard Louis is describing. Suddenly, the vote of rural Britain to exit the European Union and the rural vote of America that helped elect Donald Trump President begins to make harrowing sense. Not all people, not even the majority of people, live lives as do those in the suburbs and cities or like those with better educations, incomes, and aspirations. The End of Eddy is much like a time machine whisking readers back to the late 1880s.Sprinkled throughout all of the book’s revelations about life in rural, working class France and Eddy’s family are elements of Eddy’s increasing struggle with his sexual identity: the pains he suffers as well as the pains he goes to and the attempts he makes to deny the truth from himself through his interactions with others of both sexes, with heterosexual pornography, and most of all in his own head. The fact that Eddy’s journey begins at the age of ten makes his tale all the more heartbreaking.During the last chapters of The End of Eddy Louis focuses more upon his protagonist’s plight, returning the book to its roots as a coming out story. Unlike many gay coming out stories written and published in years past, Louis makes clear that it is Eddy’s differences, his sexual orientation, that helps him grow up to break with tradition. “Being attracted to boys transformed my whole relationship to the world, encouraging me to identify with values that were different from my family’s.” It is also a difference that, instead of being a curse, becomes an opportunity for Eddy Bellegueule so that he can end one life and begin another.The End of Eddy is filled not only with insight, but with practicality, a lack of false sentimentality, no preaching, and remarkable clarity about the human psyche. Because of these traits and Édouard Louis’ surprisingly concise writing style (the translation appears to be extraordinarily good), most readers will correctly conclude that this notable piece of fiction is autobiographical and Édouard Louis is a writer to watch. The End of Eddy is a fine literary novel not to be missed. [NOTE: Louis’s second novel, Histoire de la Violence, continues Eddy’s story and is yet to be translated and published in English].

"The End of Eddy" by Édouard Louis is a piercing and profoundly human exploration of identity, societal expectations, and the relentless pursuit of self-authenticity. Set against the backdrop of a small French town, the narrative unveils the raw and emotional journey of the protagonist, Eddy Bellegueule, as he grapples with the complexities of his own existence. Louis's writing is both intense and emotional, immersing readers in the challenges faced by Eddy with a level of empathy that feels deeply authentic. The novel's power lies in its ability to capture the nuances of personal struggle, making it a compelling and thought-provoking read. While the narrative can be emotionally intense (which as an empath made me have to take a few breaks), it serves as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Having read this book for a course, I found it to be a compelling exploration of the universal quest for authenticity, leaving a lasting impact on anyone who embarks on this reading journey!

If you are thinking about purchasing this book I strongly recommend you to do so. I had to purchase this book for an English class for school and I was very happy with my choice. This book has a lot to digest and analyze when you read which always makes reading more enjoyable for the reader. The End Of Eddy written by Edouard Louis is a very honest, impactful, serious, and painful story to read of a young boy living in a town outside of France who goes through life hiding the fact that he is homosexual. Edouard creates the character, Eddy, as a mirror image of himself and makes Eddy the narrator of his story and goes through the days of his life and sees how much turmoil, trauma, and abuse he has to go through. It hurts to know that this isn’t a fictional story and that Edouard had to go through all of the events that happen throughout the book. Edouard tells the story of his life to show society and the people that read his book the difficult and hurtful struggles that young people who are either coming out as being homosexual or feel like they have to hide it within themselves because they are scared of how the world will react. Typically the world doesn’t react well to someone saying that they are a homosexual. But, times are changing, and luckily the younger generations are realizing that they have power behind their words and they can stand up to stereotypes, oppression, and negative mindset about being “different”. This book leaves you with a sense of appreciation for the world you live in if you have people who support you and who are always in your corner because Eddy doesn’t have that in this book. Throughout the book, there are times when you want to jump into the page and give Eddy a hug. He has to stay strong and hide his true self the entire story and no person should ever have to feel that way but sadly, it happens more often in this society than it should. Edouard Louis is such an amazing writer and I hope he continues to write such emotional and compelling works. The only part of the book that I would say was a little confusing was the way that Louis writes dialogue. It was sometimes tough to tell who was speaking in the book, but the book doesn’t have that many characters in it and Eddy being the narrator of the book makes it somewhat easier to understand.Kaylie Ruggles

El libro llego en buenas condiciones y realmente disfrute leyendolo. Gracias..

The author reveals his feelings of inadequacy and rejection in a direct manner, raw and honest. His pain is obvious, and you hope for his release. It’s hard to believe he’s only in his thirties - the manner in which his family lives seems unbelievable in this day and age. He does his best to fight against his nature, but it’s an impossible battle. Will he escape?

This autobiographical novel which has taken the world by storm is shattering in its detail of village life in Northern France... the most shocking aspect of the poverty and family life is that this isn't set in Dickens' time but just a few years ago.Not an easy read, the atrocities a gay child had to endure from family and other children, but thankfully he has come out the other side to become a well-regarded author. A brave and disturbing book about cruelty and someone who struggles against it. Unsensational writing which empowers everything he reveals. Brilliant.

Very emotional and amazing. Very nice to read. I recomend. 5 ⭐️.

It's a really important book for so many reasons. Also, the way the author writes is really cool. It felt like I was watching a movie.