Review


I read you on the bus, so compartmental and engaging. You stick your neck out eschewing the classic novel, or even the semblance of plot. Instead of a circular plot around your conceptual hat you are a plaited cord, awkward but necessary. However, I jostle you, you say you're about style but, no, I replace the word "style" with "form" every time, stepping on your toes until you become enraged and escape, cowardly, to an empty seat, pouting. Well, little book, you can be about whatever you want to be about.

Two hours later I observe on Goodreads that another reader remarks as well upon your vocabulary insufficiency: just raise the word "style" to "form" and you would be the profoundest overcoat of them all, baring Gogol.

This has been on my list since 2009. Why was this on my list? (I now see Kristin recommended it. I will continue to happily devour her recommendations. This was an aberration.)

It was kind of an interesting exercise. It might have been fun to try this at a Writer's Group (suddenly I miss Writer's Group), but it was mostly a slog to read. It ended on the perfect exercise and then I skimmed the parts about Queneau. The whole thing was more academic than I'd really hoped.

A simple story told in so many ways that it certainly doesn't seem simple by the end. My favorite is the "unexpected" style.

So many wonderful reads yet to add to my shelves!
I have a copy of this book from my years spent in France.
I so loved being immersed in the language, studying, reading and discovering creative writing in another language.
This is such a clever book and wonderful learning tool.
Also worth checking out L'oulipo, a group of creatives which the author was part of.

Jednoduše a stručně řečeno: geniální!
Čím více variací jsem za sebou měla, tím víc jsem přemýšlela nad náhodností a absurdností situace, která je zde tolikrát popisována.

PS: dobrá inspirace pro hodiny slohu.

It is emblematic of Queneau’s prodigious ability and idiosyncratic approach to writing that the author was able to write exactly the same story 99 times over, in various differing style, but still keep the reader engaged throughout.

I also have to comment that the translator has done an incredible job with this book, beautifully capturing the ‘country’ style of speech despite translating from the French.

‘Abusive’ has to be my favourite style, if only for the sheer unbounded use of the term ‘bastard’.

Interest concept quick read very meta

Absolutely brilliant.