Hallencourt, a commune in Hauts-de-France, would vote for Marine Le Pen in the run-off election on May 7. Édouard Louis wrote what was it like to grow up in poverty, racism, and alcoholism in "The End of Eddy", his debut novel. It was published in 2014, becoming a bestseller. The young author didn't anticipate the growing popularity of his book, but it wasn't hard to figure out his hardship resonating with the plight of hundreds of thousands of French citizens. It also alluded to the rise of populism in many parts of the world, which Louis would describe as the conservation of violence.
"The End of Eddy" wasn't too different from the classic French films featuring teenagers on the brink. "Wild Reeds" (1993) depicted a small group of teenagers who were going through a phase, but André Téchiné chose the French-Algerian War as the backdrop of this unusual coming-of-age story. The youngsters were teetering on what could have been an explosive phase of their young lives, but a string of American pop hits managed to restrain the tone of the movie. Several members of Louis's family questioned the accuracy of the book, and this would pique the curiosity of readers. After all, Louis vividly recalled the contradicting features of his parents, which would mirror the values espoused by his town mates. The author became a victim of this vicious cycle, but there seemed to be a Stockholm syndrome of sort (between the author and his hometown).
Louis didn't have a love-hate relationship with his town mates, as he described Hallencourt's appeal when autumn revealed the explosive colors in the nearby woods. The post-industrial decline could be reminiscent of Sheffield, England (in "The Full Monty"). But Louis wasn't interested in British-French relationship. It wasn't about the British sense of humor either. Jobs were hard to find. Children would leave school at an early age. Women have kids at a younger age. Let's not forget about the expensive dental care, which the author described in one chapter. He stopped short of calling it an ideal setting for the rise of the Fourth Reich, as his (young) story, was a testament that dissatisfaction could be a recipe for success.
What would make Louis endear to readers was the down-to-earth tone in his book. Think of Norman Podhoretz, who was ashamed of his motivation for money, power, and fame. His peers shunned him after revealing in "Making It" that they felt the same thing. Both Louis and Podhoretz wrote about the people they knew too well. Most people don't want to read an account of themselves unless they gave their nod (to let someone pen about it) or they were writing it to sell themselves. Louis was far from promoting Hallencourt as a must see in the upper part of France, as "The End of Eddy" showed that what he went through wasn't an uncommon thing. However, recent political events turned the book into a warning of sort. If Emmanuel Macron won't be elected as the next French president, then France (and the rest of the world) would be one step closer to the point of no return. It may be music to Donald Trump's ears.
