Deborah Levy’s Living Autobiography series is a fascinating blend of memoir, essay, and narrative reflection. Comprising three books—Things I Don’t Want to Know, The Cost of Living, and Real Estate—the series offers a deeply personal and philosophical exploration of Levy’s life, writing, and evolving sense of self. These books are not traditional memoirs; they are fluid, poetic, and intelligent works that examine the intersections of personal experience, politics, and creativity.
Levy’s Living Autobiography series is a rare literary project—one that refuses to adhere to genre definitions, blending memoir, philosophy, and narrative in a way that feels organic and deeply authentic.
Each book is concise yet expansive, full of poetic insight and keen observations on the personal and political forces that shape us.
Things I Don’t Want to Know: Childhood & Complicity
The first book in the series, Things I Don’t Want to Know, is Levy’s response to George Orwell’s Why I Write, though the connection is not necessarily direct or explicit. Instead, it becomes an exploration of Levy’s own reasons for writing, woven through memories of her childhood in apartheid South Africa. The book captures the pain of growing up in a deeply divided society, reflecting on themes of complicity, agency, and the forces that shape a writer’s voice.
Levy seamlessly moves between past and present, childhood and adulthood, offering an intimate portrait of formative experiences that shaped her both as a person and as a writer. The book is compact yet profound, addressing questions of identity, displacement, and the emotional weight of history. It is a deeply thoughtful meditation on how our past lingers within us, influencing the stories we tell and the ones we choose to leave unspoken.
The Cost of Living: Reinvention, Resilience & The Artist’s Life
The Cost of Living shifts focus from childhood to adulthood, specifically the aftermath of Levy’s divorce. This book is a beautifully composed reflection on transformation—on what it means to rebuild a life, navigate solitude, and find a new rhythm amidst change.
Levy’s voice is direct yet lyrical as she describes carving out a new space for herself—literally and figuratively. Her makeshift writing studio in a shed, her encounters with different people, and her observations on the societal roles imposed upon women all contribute to a rich, textured reading experience. There’s humour here, as well as pain, and a deep appreciation for the power of simplicity and kindness in the midst of upheaval.
Beyond her personal experiences, The Cost of Living also serves as a wider commentary on gender, creativity, and independence. Levy’s reflections on her writing process provide a fascinating glimpse into the mind of an author, making this book especially compelling for those interested in the artistic life.
Real Estate: Space, Desire & A Room of One’s Own
The final installment, Real Estate, continues Levy’s exploration of identity and belonging. In this book, she contemplates what it means to own space—not just in a physical sense, but also in terms of personal freedom and self-expression. As she moves through different locations, observing houses and apartments, she questions what “home” really means and what it represents in terms of stability, aspiration, and legacy.
Levy explores the importance of home, of owning or having a home, of how to use items and space to curate a life. As a writer and a divorcee, Deborah is very open and porous in her way of thinking as she figuratively and almost literally dismantles herself. The way she interacts with her daughters and their young friends is so heartening and says a lot about intergenerational bonds.
Real Estate serves as a fitting conclusion to the trilogy, bringing together the threads of her past and present into a final meditation on space, independence, and the stories we construct around our lives. It is probably a deliberate echo of Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own, a concept all women writers are very familiar with.
These books have been very enjoyable for me to read. Not necessarily always wholly relatable, they are beautiful, satisfying, and full of poignant observations and vignettes of adult relationships. I’ve been fascinated to follow Levy’s journey through separation and divorce over three books.
If you enjoy writing that is both introspective and socially-aware, personal yet universally resonant, this series is well worth exploring. Levy’s reflections on life, art, and reinvention offer a powerful, thought-provoking reading experience that lingers long after the final page.
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