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A French philosopher’s ‘virtuosic’ memoir

Oct 7, 2026, 10:52am EDT
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Semafor Recommends Returning to Reims

Returning to Reims, by Didier Eribon.

After his father’s death, French philosopher Eribon’s trip to his hometown catalyzes a profound meditation on the socioeconomic tensions and disillusionment felt by many young French people. As an academic now living in Paris, he reflects on the role of class in the country’s educational system.

The book is a “virtuosic memoir of sexual awakening and of childhood within a French working class that now seems to have deserted the left,” The Guardian wrote. Buy Returning to Reims from your local bookstore.

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