In this brilliant and sobering self-portrait, douard Leve 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," Leve 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, Leve'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.
About the Author :
douard Leve(1965-2008), born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, was a writer, photographer, and visual artist. Leve was the author of four books of writing Oeuvres, Journal, Autoportrait, and Suicide and three books of photography.
Lorin Stein is an American critic, editor, and translator. He was the editor in chief of The Paris Review until 2017.
Review :
[A] small gem from a writer of great talent and originality. -- Scott Esposito The Quarterly Conversation Autoportrait is a delight the first time around and only gets better upon rereading or being read alongside Lev 's other works. Words Without Borders An unflinching self-portrait. -- Jason DeYoung Num ro Cinq Simultaneously brilliant and banal... This is an autobiography to be read slowly, piece by piece, savoring the sensory details and fragmented stories, all the while pondering what parts of our own lives we would use to tell our own self-portrait. Publishers Weekly Lev 's text is a fluid, absorbing -- and often beautiful -- read. A fascinating piece of work. The Complete Review
