A review by jon_eb
An Attempt at Exhausting a Place in Paris by Georges Perec

informative

3.0

Decided to go with a short Perec in preparation for my read of Life later this year, widely regarded as his masterpiece. An Attempt At Exhausting a Place in Paris is Perec's approach at capturing the overlooked in the everyday or rather what he called the 'Infraordinary". He decided to camp by a cafe window for three days between 10am and 5pm, and to record everything that crossed his field of vision; the occasional street buses, passerbys, children holding balloons, pigeons who visits the same spot everyday. While the book mostly consists of an occasional one or two line remark on things, it still wonderfully highlights the workings of Perec's mind, and is a foray into understanding the mind and the affinities of this brilliant brilliant writer.