Raymond Queneau
Raymond Queneau was a French novelist, poet, and co-founder of the literary group Oulipo, which sought to create new forms of literature using constrained writing techniques. He is best known for his work 'Exercises in Style' and the novel 'Zazie in the Metro'. Queneau's diverse body of work includes poetry, novels, and essays, and his playful approach to language has had a lasting influence on contemporary literature.
Books
This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.
-
1. Zazie in the Metro
A young, precocious girl named Zazie comes to Paris to stay with her flamboyant uncle, a professional female impersonator. She is obsessed with riding the Metro, but a strike thwarts her plans. As she explores the city on her own, she encounters a variety of eccentric characters, gets into mischief, and ultimately causes chaos in the city. The novel is a humorous and satirical look at Parisian life, filled with word play and surreal elements.
-
2. Exercises in Style
This unique book tells the same simple story 99 different ways, each in a different style, voice, or literary form. The narrative is about a man who sees the same stranger twice in one day - once on a bus and later in front of a train station. The book serves as an exploration of the endless possibilities of language and style, highlighting the creativity and versatility of storytelling.
-
3. The Blue Flowers
The novel is a playful and complex narrative that intertwines the stories of two characters living centuries apart: the medieval Duke of Auge as he goes on various adventures, and a modern-day Frenchman named Cidrolin who spends his days idly lounging on a barge moored on the Seine. The narrative switches back and forth between the two timelines with each chapter, employing a variety of literary styles and linguistic puns. The book is known for its experimental use of language, its humorous take on historical and contemporary life, and its exploration of themes such as time, identity, and the cyclical nature of existence.
