677. W, or the Memory of Childhood

W, The Memory of Childhood
Georges Perec
1975
Around 180 pages

The List is obsessed with this guy, and my library is obsessed with erasing his existence. So far I've been able to find copies online, which is not my preferred way to read, but you do what you have to do when you're on a mission like this. 

The novel contains alternating chapters of autobiography and a fictional story. Like all Perec novels, he uses wordplay extensively, much of which is probably lost in the English translation. For example, the title is a pun on "double ve/vie," referring to the two narratives of the text. It's probably much more rewarding to read this in the original French, but mon français est mal.

The best part of this novel for me was when he was gushing about how much he loves to reread. I always appreciate it when writers wax poetic about their love of reading, for obvious reasons. This was probably my favorite Perec so far. He does an excellent job capturing how scattered our memories of childhood can be. I wish he had just stuck with a more traditional autobiography, but then he wouldn't be Perec.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Perec's father died in World War II, and his mother died in the Holocaust.

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