Let me start by saying I apologise for the late post. I was caught up in another assignment and completely lost track of time.

About the novel, I found it to be a very interesting and even somewhat appealing read in small degrees. I am well aware that I use the word ‘interesting’ about almost every book in we have read thus far in this course however it doesn’t diminish that it holds true, in various ways for each narrative of course.

Perec’s narrative style combined with historical experiences post World War Two create quite an engaging read that draws the reader in. Time seems to expand and contract as we follow the protagonist to the island of W and see the way he tries to connect with a past he has no memories of. In any world, we would find it strange that someone could exist with no remote idea of a past but I feel it is especially true of the present world we live in where one’s identity is brought under sharp scrutiny.

What I found more intriguing was that the author had no particular intention in creating the ambiguity surrounding W. Maybe it is just me, however I find that any mystery the reader might feel surrounds the island is accidental rather than purposeful, unlike in most other novels where there is an active effort on the author’s part to create some character or thing whose truth is hidden in order to build up suspense.

Peres merely seems to document the details of his voyage to the island of W, each story melding into the other and building his narrative in the same way his journey helps him piece together a past he has never truly had.

My question is; is it possible to ever really reconnect with a part of you that wasn’t really yours to begin with? Can that sort of past really be reclaimed?