Returning to Reims

'There was a question that had come to trouble me a bit earlier, once I had taken the first steps on this return journey to Reims . . . Why, when I have had such an intense experience of forms of shame related to class, shame in relation to the milieu in which I grew up, why, when once I had arrived in Paris and started meeting people from such different class backgrounds, I would often find myself lying about my class origins... why had it never occurred to me to take up this problem in a book?' Returning to Reims is a breath-taking memoir of return, a family story of class, sexuality, gender and of the shifting political allegiances of the French working classes. A phenomenon in France and a huge bestseller in Germany, Didier Eribon has written the defining memoir of our times. Translated by Michael Lucey.

About the Author :
Didier Eribon is Professor of Sociology at the University of Amiens. His previous books include the biography Michael Foucault, Insult and the Making of the Gay Self, and numerous other books of critical theory.

Review :
A brilliant little book...a touching memoir of sexual awakening, and a gallery of philosophical ideas and characters A deeply intelligent and searching book, one that makes you re-consider the narrative of your own life and reframe the story you tell yourself... Didier Eribon understands how deep the roots of inequality go Returning to Reims played a capital role in my life... I was overwhelmed by this book. I felt I was reading the story of my life. This is a self-excoriating memoir... [Eribon] writes as someone who has scrubbed hard at the markings of destiny A stunning book -- vital and important Hypnotic ... a gripping read Eribon's memoir is fascinating: full of fretful honesty, battling with shame around his background and shame at being ashamed Eribon offers up a magnificent example of an enlightened life liberated by theory, written in a style that deftly moves between the intimate, the social and the political A powerful book and one that I enjoyed immensely This is a beautiful book about suppression, losing touch with your roots, and regaining balance An honest and moving personal narrative that is skilfully threaded through sociological and political analysis. I was captivated from beginning to end This intensely personal account of Didier Eribon's family is a fascinating and compelling read...The book is beautifully written (and as beautifully translated). It is at once pleasureable and edifying to read Retour à Reims could be a novel. It has all the allure and attraction of one