La Vie Mode d'Emploi (French Edition) [Paperback]

Georges Perec (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: French --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: French & European Pubns (October 1, 1980)
• Language: French
• ISBN-10: 0785931007
• ISBN-13: 978-0785931003
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,068,379 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The virtuoso plays with the micro roman, May 22, 2000

By 

Gil Garibi (Tel-Aviv Israel) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: La vie, mode d'emploi: Romans (POL) (French Edition) (Library Binding)

This is a tour de force of interwoven life fragments. George Perec was apparently always far a head in all Oulipo style games (Oulipo was some sort of bizzare literary group imposing on themselves impossible challenges) and this is the result of such a self imposing dare.

Well, what do you expect from a guy who wrote a long roman in French without a single instance of the letter e!

Anyway, the book at hand is mainly impressive. It tells about a zillion little stories, some parallel, some crossing. All along, you feel the craftmanship of the author, in designing the characters and giving them depth and interest.

Still, to me it was too post-modern to be considered a real sweeping read. If you're into a bit of experimental literature but won't give up concepts like narrative and characters, Perec is the author for you and this book (preferably in the original French) a good selection.