In Annie Ernaux’s Simple Passion, translated by Tanya Leslie (Fitzcarraldo Editions, £8.99; Tablet price £8.09), the French narrator recalls the all-consuming love affair she had with a married man. In 40 pages, Ernaux offers a detailed examination of obsession, conveying a woman paralysed by indecision as she waits for her lover’s next visit: “I had no future other than the telephone call fixing our next appointment.” The woman’s intense journey concludes with the comforting realisation that the only trace of her passion is the book in our hands. To be devoured in one sitting.