The End of Eddy

Published in French in 2014 and translated into English in 2017, The End of Eddy is an autobiographical novel by Édouard Louis. Born Eddy Bellegueule, the novel details the events that prompted him to change his name and assume a new persona. In 2014, Louis was awarded the Pierre Guénin Prize against homophobia and for equal rights for his book.

Eddy grows up in a small, impoverished village in Northern France. He is effeminate and odd, even in middle school, which leads to him being bullied by other students. Eddy comes from a family with a history of violence. His alcoholic grandfather used to beat his grandmother before abandoning the family. Frequently criticizes him for being gay, Eddy’s father makes him take soccer to toughen him up.

Eddy’s father dropped out of school to work in the local brass factory; he married Eddy’s mother very young after he got her pregnant. This is a common story in their small town, though Eddy enjoys school and has no intention of dropping out. Seeing his father in chronic pain from the factory work, Eddy equates it to his own pain when bullies beat him up.



There are several other children in Eddy’s family, and all of them become part of the cycle of violence. Eddy’s father punches the wall when he is angry so that he won’t beat his wife and children. Eddy believes the violence exhibited by men in the village is second nature to them because it is what they have learned over generations.

Eddy’s mother is also often angry and frustrated; she vents her anger by yelling at the TV. When she gets a job that allows her to make more money than Eddy’s father does at the factory, Eddy’s father makes her quit because he believes he should be the provider for the family. Sometimes, Eddy stays home from school to help his mother with chores, and she tells him stories about her difficult and painful life, which she feels she has wasted.

Eddy’s family is desperately poor, but he does not realize this for some time because his family is so proud about not being on government assistance. Eddy’s grandmother cannot afford heat for the house, and Eddy often has to buy groceries on credit.



Though he generally likes his classes, Eddy’s grades in school are not good. His sister dreams of becoming a doctor or a teacher, but the guidance counselor steers her towards becoming a sales clerk instead. His family never encourages him to do homework, allowing him to roam the streets until late at night. Eddy makes friends with Aurelie who is from a bourgeois family that encourages her academically. Jealous of her, Eddy ends the friendship when Aurelie calls his family slackers.

Eddy’s older cousin Sylvain, considered tough in the village, is admired by many of the boys Eddy’s age. He is a petty criminal who is arrested for dealing drugs and drunk driving. While out on probation, Sylvain is arrested again for drunk driving and flees from the police. He is jailed again, where he dies after refusing treatment for cancer. This is not uncommon, as Eddy knows several other men who have ignored doctor’s advice and died or become crippled.

One day, Eddy views pornography with several of his friends. The boys experiment with homosexuality until they are caught by Eddy’s mother, who says nothing. Eddy’s cousins spread a modified version of events that make is seem as if Eddy instigated the experimentation. This leads to more severe bullying, though Eddy cannot understand why his cousins seem to be immune to it. He assumes it is because his cousins have reputations as tough guys, and so Eddy sets out to consciously make himself seem tougher. Looking back on it, he realizes that he was deluded to think it would be easy to change a fundamental part of himself.



Eddy begins to go out with Laura, an unpopular girl, though he feels no arousal when kissing her. Nevertheless, he believes he is “cured” when he is able to achieve an erection. After Laura breaks up with him, Eddy begins dating Sabrina, who tries unsuccessfully to arouse him. Eddy breaks up with her, and Sabrina cries. The only time Eddy achieves sustained arousal is after a man rubs up against him at a concert.

Finally, Eddy has a chance to leave his town behind. He has been acting in local theater productions, and his director encourages him to apply to art school. Eddy is accepted, though his father hides his acceptance letter for several days in order to torment his son. In spite of this, his father seems to approve of what Eddy is doing with his life.