This generous selection of Georges Perec's nonfiction, the first to appear in English, features ingenious contemplations on the ways in which we occupy urban and domestic space, engrossing accounts of his experiences with psychoanalysis, depictions of the Paris of his childhood, thought-provoking examinations of the "infra ordinary" -- the commonplace items of our lives eluding our attention -- and a short story executed with a Borges-like finesse. Species of Spaces and Other Pieces puts us in the presence of a virtuoso writer, whom Italo Calvino called "one of the most significant literary personalities in the world".
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About the Author
One of the most important post-war French novelists, Georges Perec was only 42 when he died in 1982. He is the author of LIFE, A USER'S MANUAL. THE WINTER JOURNEY has been published as a Penguin Syren. John Sturrock is an editor at the London Review of Books.
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
Format:Paperback
As the author of the world's longest palindrome and other literary feats, Perec's phenomenal linguistic skills and imagination remain incomparable. His works, however, on not merely experiments within the constraints of language; I am not as impressed with his ability to write a 300-page novel without a single letter "e" as much as his endearing sense of humor and humanity. "Species of Spaces" stands as a critical piece of his oeuvre in that it serves as a primer of sorts for his other major works, like a meta-text or map of his other works. Beyond this function, though, lies a vision of what literature can be, beyond genre. Perec explores the spaces we inhabit, beginning with the most evident, the page itself on which he writes (and you read), and "zooming out" into ever grander scales: the apartment, the street, the city, the country, and the universe itself. He does not cease to inscribe himself in each of these spaces, for the crisis that drives this book is that Perec does not exist except in language, on the page, in the apartment, in the street, etc. Every act of writing is an existential re-affirmation, made poignant by the author's circumstances (Perec was the son of Holocaust victims). The darkness of his own history is mitigated, however, by these attempts to capture the here-and-now in writing.
This is a perfect book for the writer seeking inspiration, since the way Perec does not use language as a clunky tool but rather plays with it, tests its limits. Literature seems then not a struggle for self-expression but an exercise in creativity. Perec's approach is refreshing, original, and terribly underappreciated.
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
A welcome addition to the under-translated oeuvre of an incomparable writer. Species of Spaces is a collection of essays, fictions, and verbal bagatelles showcasing a Parisian who "never wanted to write the same thing twice." Perec fuses quotidian concerns with psychological imperatives, and takes you to places you've never been before. Perec's work is the infra and ultra of literature's spectral continuum. And he's gut-busting funny, too.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars
9 reviews
51 of 53 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
uncategorizable and wonderful
April 16 2001
By Alessandro M Angelini
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
As the author of the world's longest palindrome and other literary feats, Perec's phenomenal linguistic skills and imagination remain incomparable. His works, however, on not merely experiments within the constraints of language; I am not as impressed with his ability to write a 300-page novel without a single letter "e" as much as his endearing sense of humor and humanity. "Species of Spaces" stands as a critical piece of his oeuvre in that it serves as a primer of sorts for his other major works, like a meta-text or map of his other works. Beyond this function, though, lies a vision of what literature can be, beyond genre. Perec explores the spaces we inhabit, beginning with the most evident, the page itself on which he writes (and you read), and "zooming out" into ever grander scales: the apartment, the street, the city, the country, and the universe itself. He does not cease to inscribe himself in each of these spaces, for the crisis that drives this book is that Perec does not exist except in language, on the page, in the apartment, in the street, etc. Every act of writing is an existential re-affirmation, made poignant by the author's circumstances (Perec was the son of Holocaust victims). The darkness of his own history is mitigated, however, by these attempts to capture the here-and-now in writing.
This is a perfect book for the writer seeking inspiration, since the way Perec does not use language as a clunky tool but rather plays with it, tests its limits. Literature seems then not a struggle for self-expression but an exercise in creativity. Perec's approach is refreshing, original, and terribly underappreciated.
9 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
humane and intimate
Feb 18 2006
By Alfred Jensen
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
Perec's work reminds me of a potted plant on a windowsill of an old apartment, a free-growing natural form set in an urban environment. It's like seeing that one tree outside your apartment window, the one that reminds you that not everything has to hold to the grid. His style reminds me somewhat of Glenn Gould's interpretations of Bach.
The best two pieces are a review of an old 19th century travel guide to London and an interview where Perec describes his experience serving as a paratrooper during France's Gaullist period.
Lyrical, measured, and humane; a great read.
The best two pieces are a review of an old 19th century travel guide to London and an interview where Perec describes his experience serving as a paratrooper during France's Gaullist period.
Lyrical, measured, and humane; a great read.
20 of 28 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
All hail the Wondering Boy Poet
Sep 14 1998
By A Customer
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
A welcome addition to the under-translated oeuvre of an incomparable writer. Species of Spaces is a collection of essays, fictions, and verbal bagatelles showcasing a Parisian who "never wanted to write the same thing twice." Perec fuses quotidian concerns with psychological imperatives, and takes you to places you've never been before. Perec's work is the infra and ultra of literature's spectral continuum. And he's gut-busting funny, too.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
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