The Use of Photography was a quick and easy to listen audiobook by Annie Ernaux. It was interesting and made me think.

Recently diagnosed with cancer, Annie Ernaux and Marc Marie immortalise piles of their hastily discarded clothes before sex. With mortality looming large, these pictures and their accompanying passages become an urgent defiance of death even as they are shaped by its heightened presence.

Such an emotional and strong journey that unites the most artistic and relatable elements of Ernaux's writing. The narration is really good and brings all the emotions within the book.

Thanks to the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read it on Netgalley.

Thank you Dreamscape Media for allowing me to read and review The Use of Photography by Annie Ernaux and Marc Marie on NetGalley.

Narrator: Tavia Gilbert

Published: 10/01/24

Stars: 4.5

Speechless. I spent my listening/reading experience with my mouth open, expressing audible ewws and awws, furrowed brow, and smiling. Some of the exchanges between Annie and Marc left me embarrassed as if I was invading their personal space. This is a love story told through photography. The writing along with the narration was beautiful.

I found this to be romantic and sexy, while also being sincere.

I recommend to mature readers.

A short memoir by the award-winning memoirist Annie Ernaux. This book reflects on the time in which she lived with the photographer Marc Marie and was being treated for breast cancer. Ernaux and Marie started taking photographs of their clothes and shoes that were left strewn on the floor after passionate disrobing, and later adding captions or thoughts about what they saw. In a similar, straightforward way she describes her biopsy, surgery, and subsequent chemotherapy including the wig she wore and her IV ports.
Her writing style is not graceful nor lyrical. After a while I feel rather battered down and bruised by it all. 3.5 rounded up.
My thanks to the author, publisher, producer, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook for review purposes. Publication date is October 1, 2024.

An absolutely beautiful memoir. I loved the writing style and I also really liked how the stories were told in reference to the photos. Also really enjoyed the writing style and will definitely read more from this author.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with the advance listening copy of ‘The Use of Photography’, as expected, I loved it!

As you might imagine this is another fantastic addition to the Annie Ernaux body of work. This collaborative piece documents the love affair between herself and journalist Marc Marie in 2003 and is written in their own words. Their style is surprisingly similar in its candid directness and alongside their individual musings on photography, music, writing and art (in general) embodies their compatibility as a couple. Struck but the “aftermath” of their lovemaking, strewn clothes in the morning after, Annie wants to photograph the scene. Marc agrees he had thought the same. During this time in Ernaux’s life she has been diagnosed with breast cancer and has undergone treatment. She navigates the world seeing symbols of death, and is entranced by the living of life.

If you are familiar with her other work you might gather it is intimate, beautiful, blunt and mesmerizing (as always). Always a gift to read her observations and allow myself to be changed by them.