Paperback, 608 pages
English language
Published May 20, 1996 by Vintage.
I haven't read anything else like it. A pure, absolute delight. Human creativity knows no bounds! Saying anything more would spoil the fun.
I haven't read anything else like it. A pure, absolute delight. Human creativity knows no bounds! Saying anything more would spoil the fun.
Just one long book that describes every person and thing and story in one Parisian apartment building, and is very weird. There's a bit of a background story of a rich person and puzzles, but mostly just only tangentially connected bits and pieces from all over the place. Really a thorough attempt at grasping all the world at once. It's gripping and compelling and has changed the way I read the world, look at rooms, interact with things. I found the original French too difficult, but sometimes when a little chapter was particularly compelling I'd go back and read it in French, too, which was always a joyous experience.
Just one long book that describes every person and thing and story in one Parisian apartment building, and is very weird. There's a bit of a background story of a rich person and puzzles, but mostly just only tangentially connected bits and pieces from all over the place. Really a thorough attempt at grasping all the world at once. It's gripping and compelling and has changed the way I read the world, look at rooms, interact with things. I found the original French too difficult, but sometimes when a little chapter was particularly compelling I'd go back and read it in French, too, which was always a joyous experience.
Immense. A wonderful exploration through a fascinating fictional apartment block in Paris, guided by Perec's unyielding commitment to his own self-set Oulipean rules. A masterpiece.
Immense. A wonderful exploration through a fascinating fictional apartment block in Paris, guided by Perec's unyielding commitment to his own self-set Oulipean rules. A masterpiece.
