Getting Lost

Getting Lost is the diary kept by Annie Ernaux during the year and a half she had a secret love affair with a younger, married man, an attaché to the Soviet embassy in Paris. Her novel, Simple Passion, was based on this affair, but here her writing is immediate and unfiltered. In these diaries it is 1989 and Annie is divorced with two grown sons, living in the suburbs of Paris and nearing fifty. Her lover escapes the city to see her there and Ernaux seems to survive only in expectation of these encounters. She cannot write, she trudges distractedly through her various other commitments in the world, she awaits his next call; she lives merely to feel desire and for the next rendezvous. When he is gone and the moment of desire has faded, she feels that she is a step closer to death.
Lauded for her spare prose, Ernaux here removes all artifice, her writing pared down to its most naked and vulnerable. Translated brilliantly for the first time by Alison L. Strayer, Getting Lost is a haunting record of a woman in the grips of love, desire and despair.

SKU: 9781913097004 Categories: Books, English Books, Literature & Fiction Author: Annie Ernaux

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Getting Lost

Getting Lost Book Description

Getting Lost is Annie Ernaux’s raw diary, now translated into English and available at Kalimat Bookstore Online. The story follows a secret love affair with a younger, married Soviet embassy attaché in Paris. Readers travel with Ernaux through a year‑and‑a‑half of passion, longing, and self‑discovery, feeling each heartbeat as she writes.

Set in 1989, the entries capture Ernaux at fifty, newly divorced and living in the Paris suburbs. Meanwhile, her lover crosses borders to meet her, turning every rendez‑vous into a decisive moment. Fans of intimate memoirs will sense her yearning and the fragile hope that sustains her between meetings.

Throughout the diary, Ernaux wrestles with daily duties while waiting for the next call. She lives for desire, and each missed encounter pushes her toward an emotional brink. Moreover, her prose stays spare, stripped of artifice, revealing a vulnerable voice that speaks directly to the reader.

Key Features of Getting Lost

The book offers a candid look at a woman’s inner world during a clandestine affair. Additionally, Alison L. Strayer’s translation brings Ernaux’s subtle nuances to English readers for the first time. Readers can explore themes of love, desire, aging, and identity in a clear, engaging style.

Because the diary form is immediate, the narrative feels like a conversation with Ernaux herself. Furthermore, the text reflects her famous spare prose, making each sentence powerful yet accessible. The story also provides insight into the cultural backdrop of late‑1980s Paris and the tension of a Soviet connection.

Why Read This Book?

Many readers find Ernaux’s honesty refreshing and deeply moving. This book invites you to uncover how longing can shape daily life and choices. It also offers a rare glimpse into the writer’s life before she turned the affair into her acclaimed novel Simple Passion.

Moreover, Getting Lost provides a unique reading experience. The diary format lets you travel alongside Ernaux’s hopes, doubts, and moments of joy. It is perfect for anyone who enjoys memoirs that balance personal revelation with broader social themes.

About This Book

For more details about Getting Lost and its author, visit the Goodreads page. Explore additional English titles in our store through the Best English Books Online collection.