I absolutely adored the concept of this book by Perec and I thoroughly enjoyed every chapter whether it made sense or not. The themes of fantasy and reality are really expressed here and it shows that the author may be contemplating the choice of W over the realism of his memories. The “real” portion of his book comes straight home his childhood memories or memories from other sources to explain where he came from and try to unravel the mystery of his parents. Even then, what he is pulling out may not be the entire truth, but being able to bring about his past and trying to comprehend what he has experienced is a feat in itself. I think adding the elements of the fictional storytelling go hand in hand as both are stories regardless of the genre. It does not matter if one is verbatim from one’s experiences or inside the mind, the story progresses itself and both share their own fantasy or realistic values. I believe this is the best way to deal with fragmented memories, especially ones that come from the earliest childhood. it definitely showcases how difficult it is to have a recollection n of the past and that every flashback will be very hazy and confusing in some way. So, by adding a fantasy alternative in the book we can see that we should treat these memories with care and not fully believe in the author’s words. Furthermore, just as a fantasy novel, we should thoroughly enjoy and create an image of the author’s life and family and be a part of that journey. Memory is beautiful and looking back at nostalgia will always be a fantasy since the past cannot be lived again, so the authors way of utilizing it was very unique and made it a must read.
Another thing to add involves the setting it took place and the disturbing events that occurred during the timeline. Maybe the author purposely structured it in a way where he doesn’t actually want to truly remember his entire history just as the world is trying to forget the horrors of the 1930s-1945s.
Overall, It was indeed a very pleasant read.
My question for the week is what would your autobiography be like? Would it just be a strict story regarding your entire life or are you gonna spice it up and add a unique flavor to it? I personally think mine would include a lot of quotes and song lyrics cause its easier to express myself that way.