French Literature Reviews - 2026

A. Desarthe, How I Learned to Read
Writers: Biography, Letters and Memoirs

How I Learned to Read
Agnès Desarthe

PUBLICATION DATE: 02/05/13 PUBLISHER: Stock ISBN: 978-2-234-07166-7 EAN: 9782234071667

"For me, learning to read was both one of the easiest and one of the most difficult things. It happened very quickly, in a matter of weeks; yet also very slowly, over several decades.
Deciphering a sequence of letters and translating them into sounds was child's play, but understanding what it was all for was an often arduous journey, and, until the writing of this book, deeply enigmatic."

How do we learn to read? How can our desire to read be hindered? How can writing make us better readers? Journeying through her memories, Agnès Desarthe conducts a fascinating investigation, drawing from the heart of a secret: that of not having liked reading for a long time.

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An article about this book can be read on the nonfiction.fr website:

Agnès Desarthe is a well-known French novelist and translator whose diverse literary output often explores themes of transmission, memory, and language. In this autobiographical essay, she reflects on her complicated early experiences with books, questioning the mechanisms that either foster or stifle a genuine passion for literature. Rather than presenting a straightforward pedagogical guide, the author uses personal introspection to examine how literacy evolves from a mechanical skill into an essential tool for self-understanding and emotional survival.

This thoughtful work appeals to educators, literary critics, and general readers interested in the psychology of reading and the creative process. It serves as a valuable resource for anyone pondering how childhood frustrations with texts can eventually transform into a lifelong vocation. By sharing her journey from initial reluctance to deep literary appreciation, Desarthe offers a reassuring perspective on the often arduous path toward finding personal meaning through written expression.

"Reading, from Anxiety to Self-Fulfillment," by A. Coudreuse.