Product Description

A biography of Georges Perec, one of France's great 20th-century writers, who drew both on his Jewish cultural heritage and "l'esprit gaulois", with its undercurrent of subtle mockery and non-conformism.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #275406 in Books
• Published on: 1999-04-29
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 832 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Georges Perec was one of the finest writers of the 20th century and yet his work remains relatively obscure. He is probably best known for Life: A User's Manual a book he dedicated to his fellow avant- gardist Raymond Queneau (who, along with Harry Matthews, Italo Calvino, Perec and others, was a member of OuLiPo-- an important group of experimental writers and mathematicians). He wrote the wonderful lipogram A Void a book in which the letter "e" never appears and the world's longest palindrome (in the form of a two-and-a- half page story.) He is seen by many as a true literary genius. Bellos traces the sadness behind Perec's prodigious wordplay, his confused and tragic lineage (including his mother's demise in the death camps), his entry on to the literary scene with the anti-materialist Things, his Jewish (non-)identity. Without Bellos's translations Perec would probably have remained unknown outside of France. Without this readable, compelling, exhaustive biography his often autobiographical, highly structured fiction would be far less approachable. Georges Perec: a Life in Words is a fitting testimony to a writer we should all know better. --Mark Thwaite

Customer Reviews

Spread the word, Perec is the greatest
The world is a much more interesting place with writers like George Perec and David Bellos. If you havent read a George Perec book then just buy one and be prepared to wonder how someone could come up with one of the novels he devised nevertheless several mind blowing ideas. He is one of the most interesting writers around and this book captures the essense of being a French writer in the Left Bank during the 60's and 70's. It documents Perec's struggle to live his dream of supporting himself through his writing and is an inspiration for any wannabe writer. I am indebted to David Bellos who compiled this excellent biography and who, without his contribution, the English speaking world would never have had the chance to marvel at the creativity and brilliance of Perec.

An indispensable, fascinating work
David Bellos has translated many of Perec's novels and this biography displays the qualities of sensitivity and erudition which make those translations so excellent. The sections on 'Life, a User's Manual' and 'W: or the memory of childhood' are worth the price alone for shedding light on the mysterious and intricate inner processes of those classic works.
It's also a beautiful and well-produced book, and one which it is possible to dip into at any time. A pure delight for anybody interested in Perec.