genius
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The cleverest man who ever died, bit doesnt make you feel stupid- only more aware of the things and words around you. A great accompanyment to "A Void" and "Life..." and a reasonable introduction to Oulipo.
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Question your teaspoons!
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I'm a big fan of Mr Perec and other Oulipo writers, and I reckon this is a fine introduction to his range and vitality as a writer. I return to the different pieces again and again, they are thought-provoking and insightful by turns. Especially good are Think/classify, the title-piece and his thoughts on fashion. In these short works, his interest in penetrating the world we inhabit through the things around us often termed mundane is really refreshing. Sociology is made accessible here and distilled with literary and linguistic knowledge to make a quite unique mix. For such a technical master, Perec also manages to move on an emotive level - Rue Vilin is a piece about periodic returns to the street where his ma lived before she was taken by the Nazis. Also, the analysis of his psycho analysis is revealing without ever saying too much. Finally, the translations manage to keep the readability of the selections very well I thought. One criticism is that there were not more pieces included, perhaps some more Oulipo related work might have been put in - there is not much of this translated into English, although it is maybe not the easiest of tasks to do well.
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Thought-provoking if characteristically erratic collection
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Originally commissioned by his architect friend, Species of Spaces is a meditation on the spaces which we occupy and the ways in which we order them. Forming the main section of this book, it is also one of its highlights: original, informed and often witty. It's a piece which takes a fresh look at what surrounds us, offering a refreshing perspective on how we live. The rest of the book is taken up with a collection of pieces ranging from the autobiographical to the surreal. Some of these pieces are extremely compelling pieces of storytelling, while others give you an insight into the oblique perspective of Perec. Occasionally, however, there is a weaker piece which, being a completist text, it is naturally hard to avoid. But this considered, as a whole the book is a special collection which should form part of any Perec fan's bookcase.
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