#Non-fiction Georges Perec

by Claude Burgelin no photo

Finished: 17.05.2023
Genre: biography
Rating: C
Review:   Georges Perec (ISBN: 9782072763953)

Good news: Important insights… After losing both parents in WW II (father was killed in battle and his mother in Auschewitz) Perec never mentioned his mother died…she just disappeared. Perec also had distortions of memory about the concentration camps in his books. He wanted to avoid speaking about the unbearable.

The author goes ago great length in the preface to describe Perec as always laughing. But after reading this book one realises how tormented Perec was by the loss of family connections…he felt excluded…he felt himself rushing into a void. #SoSad…

Personal:

Every time I start a new French book…I get depressed. I feel after 10 years trying to grasp this language there are so many words/expressions I do not know. What to do? Just go to the fridge… grab a cold Heineken pour it into a glass and take a gulp. Then…”keep calm and carry on.”

Emphasis 30% biography and 70% analysis of Perec’s books. I found it difficult to appreciate the insights about Perec’s writing b/c I haven’t read any of his books. This was probably the wrong book to start with to learn more about the author…it is geared more towards scholars and avid readers of Perec’s writings. Skimmed 50% of the book but did try to absorb some facts and of course increase my French vocabulary.