Deborah Levy Things I Don't Want to Know (Paperback) /anglais

This is the best book I've read in a long time. I immediately bought the next two books in the series. It is a memoir — what the author calls "living autobiography" — but it reads almost like a stream of consciousness, picking up interesting moments in a life and exploring them. Those moments might be small, many of them are, and yet full of implied (or written!) meaning.

A finely written and somewhat mysterious book, split between the present when the author has returned to Majorca to escape (or figure out) her present, and a series of relatively short memories of the author’s youth in South Africa and then England. Per the title, the book claims to be about the things the author doesn’t want to know, but these are indeed the things it seems she actually needs to know / remember, if she wants to keep going.

This book and its companion Cost of Living is a wholly different approach to memoir writing. Very inspiring.

The making of a creative writer is recounted in an inspiringly beautiful sincerity. I connected with Deborah Levy's literary autobiographical work and thoroughly enjoyed her observations of people, life, identity, womanhood and writing.

A very small book that meanders about the world without much insight into writing. I found some of the errors irritating proof that she was making it up as she went along. For example the girl at the Chinese restaurant wearing an 'I Love NY' teeshirt in England 1974 when that campaign wasn't even devised until '77.

You get the feeling of apartate. And discrimination the great majority of the population lives thru this sad situation Hesh

Lovely and true and unlike any book on writing I've read. About why more than how. It was too short! I wanted to keep reading on...

My second purchase of Deborah Levy's work. This is deeply moving, painful at times, but I would not have missed reading it.

Book is good PRINTING QUALITY IS TERRIBLE

She opens up a whole world, a whole mind of memories. Such glorious prose. I completely love her now and want her as my friend.

A must read!!!!!

Excellent

For some reason, I was so appealed by this book that I bought the whole series on a whim. I do not regret it - the book is a great autobiography, but also asks necessary questions about knowledge and, even if the character is still young is this beginning piece, writing. It's nice to read it from a woman writer point of view. If you're very much into reading and writing, it will be an interesting but short read, I would recommend it to everyone since it is a simple yet profound piece. I might become a Deborah Levy fan :)