Student Blogs

Georges Perec’s postmodern novel W, or the Memory of Childhood is a very interesting story about the author’s life in Nazi-occupied France. Other than being a very interesting semi-autobiographical recount of the main character’s memories (or lack thereof), I really … Continue reading → read full post >>

This novel had me spiralling fro numerous reasons; however, for the purpose of this blog post, I shall focus on the contrasting chapters alone. It is rare that I come across a reading that I relate to so closely and envy the author for their ability to encapsulate a rare feeling so vividly. The feeling […] read full post >>

    “W, or The Memory of Childhood” by Georges Perec is a unique tale, for it really presents two intertwined. Half autobiography, half boyhood fantasy, the author utilizes this interesting dynamic as a kind of symbiotic storytelling—as without one, the other cannot exist. In this he reveals the importance of imagination for the development of the […] read full post >>

The fantastical imagery used throughout the book when transitioning, or barely so, between the memories made me feel as though... read full post >>

As I was reading W or the Memory of Childhood by Georges Perec, I found myself really interested in the form of the story as well as the content. At first it was very confusing and I had some trouble understanding it. However, in the end the whole story comes together in a way that […] read full post >>

‘W, or the Memory of Childhood’ by Georges Perec is one of the only postmodern texts I have read. I have to say, I love the premise of many of his books from the complete absence of the letter ‘e’ to the 500-palindrome long poem. While some may... read full post >>

‘W, or the Memory of Childhood’ by Georges Perec is one of the only postmodern texts I have read. I have to say, I love the premise of many of his books from the complete absence of the letter ‘e’ to the 500-palindrome long poem. While some may... read full post >>

Hey everyone! This week I will be reflecting on my reading of Georges Perec’s novel, W or The Memory of... read full post >>

Georges Perec’s novel, “W, or the Memory of Childhood” is an interesting mix of reality and imagination. I found the writing style to be quite similar to Proust’s and Aragon’s as Perec often jumped between different memories and thoughts. Something I found intriguing was how Perec describes the relationship between writing and the people from … Continue reading Week 8: Perec’s “W, or the Memory of Childhood” → read full post >>

For reasons that are not entirely within my grasp, W or the memory of childhood was one of my favorite reads this semester. The duality of the narratives and the two parts of the books had a unique sense of … Continue reading → read full post >>

 I love world-building in fiction. This doesn't necessarily mean the grand scope of Martin or Tolkien, or excruciating detail in location and set pieces, but rather the attention to the broader world that a story is set, and the development of systems within this world that echo our own. What most interested me in these two stories that Perec tells, was the specifics of W, and the sport-nation which he describes there.

I'd like to highlight some of the interesting things in this idea of a sport-obsessed world. First, there is a fantastical, mythical element about it: a secluded island where this athletic way of life is the only one. It is not far from our own way of living, where it is not only sport that is incredibly important (though it is often referred to in a religious sense, from the "Temple of Speed" at the Italian Grand Prix, to the "Hockey Gods" which are so often referenced by NHL media and fans), but also this sense of competition. Much of Western society is set up to compete by these same principles--for money, status or wealth. 

On the topic of capital, the sporting organization in W revolves around sport and makes it seem as bureaucratic and boring as finance and modern capitalism, where low-ranking officials of the Central Authority, divy up the national organization. The way the sport is described is so organized and rule-driven, it echoes the numeric quality of the capital denominations, rather than the creativity and brilliance that drives our own love of sport in reality oftentimes. 

I feel like this world borrows heavily from our own, but in a twisted sense, in that it takes something so beloved, but shows much of the less appealing sides of it, which ultimately also deliver to the reader some of the less appealing aspects of the remainder of society as well. It feels so capitalistic, bureaucratic, and dull, as opposed to romantic and glorious like the Olympiad we read about in myths. In terms of sport, I think this shows the beauty of the game itself, which as we move forward becomes more and more obscured by money. In terms of life, I think it highlights the competitive climate which our society builds in general.

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 I love world-building in fiction. This doesn't necessarily mean the grand scope of Martin or Tolkien, or excruciating detail in location and set pieces, but rather the attention to the broader world that a story is set, and the development of systems within this world that echo our own. What most interested me in these two stories that Perec tells, was the specifics of W, and the sport-nation which he describes there.

I'd like to highlight some of the interesting things in this idea of a sport-obsessed world. First, there is a fantastical, mythical element about it: a secluded island where this athletic way of life is the only one. It is not far from our own way of living, where it is not only sport that is incredibly important (though it is often referred to in a religious sense, from the "Temple of Speed" at the Italian Grand Prix, to the "Hockey Gods" which are so often referenced by NHL media and fans), but also this sense of competition. Much of Western society is set up to compete by these same principles--for money, status or wealth. 

On the topic of capital, the sporting organization in W revolves around sport and makes it seem as bureaucratic and boring as finance and modern capitalism, where low-ranking officials of the Central Authority, divy up the national organization. The way the sport is described is so organized and rule-driven, it echoes the numeric quality of the capital denominations, rather than the creativity and brilliance that drives our own love of sport in reality oftentimes. 

I feel like this world borrows heavily from our own, but in a twisted sense, in that it takes something so beloved, but shows much of the less appealing sides of it, which ultimately also deliver to the reader some of the less appealing aspects of the remainder of society as well. It feels so capitalistic, bureaucratic, and dull, as opposed to romantic and glorious like the Olympiad we read about in myths. In terms of sport, I think this shows the beauty of the game itself, which as we move forward becomes more and more obscured by money. In terms of life, I think it highlights the competitive climate which our society builds in general.

read full post >>

Georges Perec's W, or the Memory of Childhood is a very interesting way of illustrating trauma. It had an unexpected and unnerving storyline. It was a semi-autobiographical work of post-modernist literature. One half of the story is fictional and follows a utopian olympic whilst the other is constructed of real childhood memories. The main character adapts the identity of Winkler to evade military service. The second part follows a mythical Olympics hosted on an island where the winners are idolized and the losers are tortured. At first it was hard to understand how the stories were connected. 

I found that this novel had me trying to piece together the story until the third story instalment. The land of W was an escape from the harsh realities of the world during the Holocaust. The island of W was a mirrored reality of what the author was enduring. It was a different type of retelling of the Holocaust. The fact that the island was called W is symbolic of double lives and how the narrator lived in both places at once (reality and imagination).  The island had strict rules and the fate of the people who lived there was uncertain. Those who won were rewarded and allowed to maintain their strength through the prizes, where the losers were malnourished and continually got weaker. This almost ensured that those who lost would continue to lose and be unable to change their fate. More important than skill, was luck. 

One part that really stood out to me was that the athletes on W were not known by names unless they were very famous, even then it was rare. All novices were known as novice or given nicknames by some of their physical characteristics. When I compare that to now, I feel as though that is a common practice to only know the names of some elites. Many people can name countless celebrities as they are idolized and therefore, well-known. In the story, I think the use of nicknames was meant to disassociate the human from the athlete. Therefore, when they were tortured, it seemed more humane considering that people were not known by their names. 

I found the use of Italics to be very interesting. Whenever something in the world of W was described, it was done so in Italics. It was a nice way to differentiate the stories without completely ruining the flow of the story. 

My question to the class is: What specific aspects of this story do you think can apply to our society?

read full post >>

Georges Perec's W, or the Memory of Childhood is a very interesting way of illustrating trauma. It had an unexpected and unnerving storyline. It was a semi-autobiographical work of post-modernist literature. One half of the story is fictional and follows a utopian olympic whilst the other is constructed of real childhood memories. The main character adapts the identity of Winkler to evade military service. The second part follows a mythical Olympics hosted on an island where the winners are idolized and the losers are tortured. At first it was hard to understand how the stories were connected. 

I found that this novel had me trying to piece together the story until the third story instalment. The land of W was an escape from the harsh realities of the world during the Holocaust. The island of W was a mirrored reality of what the author was enduring. It was a different type of retelling of the Holocaust. The fact that the island was called W is symbolic of double lives and how the narrator lived in both places at once (reality and imagination).  The island had strict rules and the fate of the people who lived there was uncertain. Those who won were rewarded and allowed to maintain their strength through the prizes, where the losers were malnourished and continually got weaker. This almost ensured that those who lost would continue to lose and be unable to change their fate. More important than skill, was luck. 

One part that really stood out to me was that the athletes on W were not known by names unless they were very famous, even then it was rare. All novices were known as novice or given nicknames by some of their physical characteristics. When I compare that to now, I feel as though that is a common practice to only know the names of some elites. Many people can name countless celebrities as they are idolized and therefore, well-known. In the story, I think the use of nicknames was meant to disassociate the human from the athlete. Therefore, when they were tortured, it seemed more humane considering that people were not known by their names. 

I found the use of Italics to be very interesting. Whenever something in the world of W was described, it was done so in Italics. It was a nice way to differentiate the stories without completely ruining the flow of the story. 

My question to the class is: What specific aspects of this story do you think can apply to our society?

read full post >>

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.  Overall, I found Perec’s biographical narrative […] read full post >>