I felt that this title is somewhat deceptive. By the title and the blurb I was expecting to have more information on the author's writing process, but it's really a book with four short stories. The first one effectively talks a bit more about her thoughts on writing, and I really wanted to say that she writes quite in the same fashion of Murakami's "What I talk about when I talk about running", but... she doesn't really. She does talk about what she thinks about when she's writing, but nothing of the process itself. She also seems to be one of those authors that put up the front that "writing is pain and suffering", which I don't really appreciate. But that's me.

As for the other tales, they're... fine, I guess? They have that noir/Lana Del Rey vibes of stories told by the sunset as you drink whisky or cognac. Some people may like it, but it isn't my cup of tea.

”Pääni on täynnä huimausta, huutoa. Täynnä tuulta. Ja silloin voi syntyä näitä sivuja, näettehän, tätä kirjoitusta. ”

”Kirjailija on outo olento. Hän on ristiriita ja mielettömyys. Kirjoittaminen on myös sitä, ettei puhu. Se on huutamista ilman ääntä.”

Durasin rakastajalleen sanelema ”kirjallinen testamentti” on maagisella tavalla koskettava, kirjailijan vimmaista, omistautunutta ja hillitöntä, henkilökohtaista elämäntyötä avaava pieni teos, joka jättää jäljen, liikuttaa, ja tulee sanoneeksi minimalistisesta sivumäärästään huolimatta myös paljon kirjoittamisesta ja kirjailijuudesta.

Not the best place to start with Duras, but if you're familiar with her writing this is a cache of jewels. The last piece (of five) was the only one that didn't leave an impression on me, but it's so short that it hardly matters.

Un des textes les plus puissants que j’ai lu. Tout est là, simplement, sans un mot de trop.