When you have a relative who is simply a bomb waiting to go off, their death is both complicated and almost nothing at all. This is what Louis exposes with his brother. Delving into the details of compassion and violence from others’ perspectives, it doesn’t take long to realize his trajectory was a painfully common one. Instead, it is the approach and awareness Louis has of his own emotion, and lack thereof, that make this a meaningful read. This is not a title to open up lightly, not if you aren’t prepared to hear what is both a poetic and distant unraveling of a troubled life. The trauma of his brother doesn’t justify his mistakes though; it can only help to better understand them. Instead of excusing or even solely blaming his brother for the abuse and addiction, Louis allows the question of responsibility to linger even far past the final page, acknowledging there is no possible clean answer for a life that is fraught.
Collapse by Édouard Louis, (List Price: $26, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 9780374616830, June 2026)
Reviewed by Oliver, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina