PEREC, Georges. Life: A User's Manual. London: Collins Harvill. 1987.
8vo. Original black cloth, spine lettered and blocked in gilt, with the original pictorial dust jacket; pp. xviii, 581 [1]; minimal wear to jacket, else a fine copy.
First edition in English.
Life: A User's Manual (French title La Vie mode d'emploi) is arguably Georges Perec's most famous novel, first published by Hachette in 1978 and translated into English by David Bellos in 1987. The title page describes it as "romans" in the plural, a subtle hint towards the multiplicity of narratives that unfold throughout the text. Though often cited as an example of postmodern fiction, Perec resisted such labels, his only enduring affiliation being with the Oulipo (Ouvroir de Littérature Potentielle, or Workshop of potential literature), a loose collective of predominantly French-speaking writers and mathematicians dedicated to crafting works through constrained writing techniques.
Life: A User's Manual intricately weaves together numerous stories, ideas, and literary and historical allusions, centring on the lives of the inhabitants of a fictional Parisian apartment building at 11 rue Simon-Crubellier. Written according to a complex set of formal constraints, the novel’s structure adds layers of depth and intricacy, showcasing Perec's experimental approach to storytelling.
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