RMST202-Literature Review

I found the concept of this novel really interesting. I’ve read other books that are similar in the way that they contain two books that eventually come together to form one narrative (for example, “The Starless Sea” by Erin Morgenstern), however, Perec’s novel is unique because it’s half biographical. 

A picture of a rose in the UBC rose garden, this was obviously not taken recently as there are no roses blooming in the garden as of right now.

Overall, I found Perec’s biographical narrative interesting because it was so fragmentary. He explains in the beginning that he has no memory of his childhood, but then proceeds to fill half the book with fragmented pieces of his past. This creates an interesting narrative because the reader doesn’t know what is true or just Perec’s imagination filling in the gap. As well, there are times in which he recites pieces of writing from his youth and then contradicts or amends what he has written. This fragmentary way of telling a story leaves the reader without much of a satisfactory conclusion and leaves a lot up for interpretation.

The other aspect of the novel is the mysterious island of “W” and the story that coincides with it. The island is somewhat of an enigma and it’s hard to interpret. I think on its own its a powerful metaphor for Nazi occupied Germany, as well as concentration camps. However, I find that the Island of “W” becomes more interesting when you remember that this story was something that Georges Perec came up with as a child and built upon in his adulthood. This adds a bit of context and nuance that is heartbreaking, as it shows a way in which Perec, as a child, was trying to understand the confusing and devastating world around him. Paired with Perec’s fragmented memory and his childhood made up story, you get a bigger picture of the trauma he endured. 

I took this photo last June when I went whale watching with my mom,

Question: What were the biggest parallels you found between Perec’s own story and his made up story, “W”?