Compared to Marcel Proust’s Combray, I had a much more enjoyable time this week reading Paris Peasant by Louis Aragon. Nevertheless, the unique structure of the text did take some time to get used to. Even at first glance, the physical copy of the book is oddly shaped compared to other novels. Instead of conforming to the classic 5 x 8″ dimensions of most books, the copy of the book I have has a wider width. However flipping through the pages, the outer margins were disproportionately wider than the inner margins which resulted in the texts being uncentered. I initially thought that this could have been a publishing error, but the uploaded PDF copy on the course site had the same format. However, when I got over this initial confusion and started to read, I realized that the distinctive formatting of the book may also be reflective of what the novel is trying to say.
To start, the reoccurring theme of being unalike other novels is clear from the first chapter. Although it was a fairly easy to read, Paris Peasant doesn’t follow the narrative structure of most novels. As mentioned in the lecture, the text doesn’t follow a “sequential series of events” that leads to a certain plot point. Instead, the novel focuses on the narrator’s thoughts and observations as he wanders through Boulevard Haussmann. Hence, while I was reading, I found that this format, or there lack of, gives a dreamlike and whimsical feel to it.
On a last note, just as I finished typing everything above, I realized that there might be a simpler reasoning for the way the book was published. While I was flipping through the pages of the book to find certain quotes, I had the thought that I wish the copy of the text was mine so I could highlight some lines that stood out. Then it hit me. The wider margins probably just serve the purpose of giving more space for annotations. Whoops.
Anyways, this post clearly shows that I am an overthinker, but I also have a few questions for everyone else who read this text:
What did you think about the format of the book? Do you think that the publishing choices of the book are for practical reasons or if it could be a reflection of how this novel takes a unique approach from other books. Do you like reading books with a firm plot structure or do you prefer this whimsical approach?