It is fair to say that this book is unlike anything else I have ever read. Set in a Parisian apartment building it describes room by room exactly what is happening at that moment. Lots of descriptions and lots of lists of items then but also many many intricate interweaving stories. Because the whole lot is set right now there is not a lot of narrative movement as such but there is so much history going on that it really doesn't matter. And then there is all the puzzling and word games and mystery to add in. The fact that David Bellos has been able to translate this and yet keep so many of the little word plays and games is really amazing. Oh and then there are the constraints which Perec set himself which really only matter as much as you want them to. This is one of those books that you could probably read a dozen times and still be discovering more. Best book I have read in a long time.
9.5/10
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