W, or the Memory of Childhood

W, or the Memory of Childhood

infobox Book |
name = W, or the Memory of Childhood
title_orig = W ou le souvenir d'enfance
translator = David Bellos


image_caption =
author = Georges Perec
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = France
language = French
series =
genre = Semi-autobiographical novel
publisher = Denöel (Original French), The Harvill Press (English Translation)
pub_date = 1975
english-pub_date = 1988
media_type = Print (Hardcover, Paperback)
pages =
isbn =
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"W, or the Memory of Childhood" ( _fr. W ou le souvenir d'enfance), is a semi-autobiographical work of fiction, published in 1975 by Georges Perec.

Perec's novel consists of alternating chapters of autobiography and of a fictional story, divided into two parts. The autobiographical thread is a collection of uncertain memories, as well as descriptions of photos which preserve moments from Perec's childhood. The memories in the first part of the book lead up to Perec's separation from his mother when he was evacuated in the Second World War. The second part recollects his life as an evacuee. The adult narrator sometimes provides interpretations of the childhood memories, and often comments on details of the memories which his research has showed to be false or borrowed.

In the first part of the book, the fictional narrator is contacted by a mysterious individual, who informs him of the disappearance of a deaf and dumb boy in a shipwreck. The boy is also called Gaspard Winkler -- the adult narrator of the story discovers that he took on the boy's identity after deserting the army, although at that time he believed he had been given forged identity papers.

In the second part, the fictional narrative (apparently based on a story written by Perec at the age of thirteen) recounts the organisation of an Olympian Island called W, in which life revolves around sport and competition. While the island might at first seem a Utopia, successive chapters reveal the arbitrary and cruel rules that govern the lives of the athletes.

The book's final autobiographical chapter links back to the fictional narrative by a quotation from David Rousset about the Nazi concentration camps, where Perec's mother died: by now the reader has discovered that the story of the island is an allegory of life in the camps.

Publishing history

* Georges Perec, "W ou le souvenir d'enfance" (Paris: Denöel, 1975)
* Georges Perec, "W, or the Memory of Childhood" trans. by David Bellos (London: Harvill, 1988)

External links

* [http://perso.wanadoo.fr/jb.guinot/pages/GPW.html Extensive bibliography of secondary work on "W ou le souvenir d'enfance"]
* [http://www.enotes.com/salem-lit/w-memory-childhood Magill Book Review: W, or the Memory of Childhood]
* [http://www.lelitteraire.com/article2499.html Article on "W ou le souvenir d'enfance"] by Baptiste Fillon (in French)


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • The Memory Game — is a psychological thriller by London journalists, Nicci Gerrard and Sean French, under the pseudonym Nicci French. It was their first novel (followed by The Safe House ) and originally published by William Heinemann in 1997.PlotThe novel… …   Wikipedia

  • The Memory of Water — is playwright Shelagh Stephenson s first stage play, staged at Hampstead Theatre in 1996. The play won Best Comedy at the Laurence Olivier Awards. [cite web|title= Oliviers: Olivier Winners 2000 |publisher= Official London Theatre Guide |url=… …   Wikipedia

  • The Memory Keeper's Daughter — infobox Book | name = The Memory Keeper s Daughter title orig = translator = author = Kim Edwards cover artist = country = United States language = English series = genre = Novel publisher = Viking Press (2005) Penguin Books Doubleday Dell… …   Wikipedia

  • Childhood amnesia — refers to adults inability to retrieve episodic memories before the age of 2 4 years, as well as the period before age 10 of which adults remember less memories than accounted for by the passage of time. [1] For the first 1 2 years of life, brain …   Wikipedia

  • Memory errors — Memory gaps and errors refer to the incorrect recall, or complete loss, of information in the memory system for a specific detail and/or event. Memory errors may include remembering events that never occurred, or remembering them differently from …   Wikipedia

  • The Courage to Heal — The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse (first published in 1988) is a book written by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis, aimed at a female audience who have suffered child sexual abuse and who seek to overcome the… …   Wikipedia

  • Memory development — The development of memory in children becomes evident within the first 2 to 3 years of a child s life as they show considerable advances in declarative memory. This enhancement continues into adolescence with major developments in short term… …   Wikipedia

  • The Young and the Restless minor characters — The following are characters from the American soap opera The Young and the Restless who are notable for their actions or relationships, but who do not warrant their own articles. Contents 1 Current Characters 1.1 Genevieve …   Wikipedia

  • Memory and trauma — Memory is described by psychology as the ability of an organism to store, retain, and subsequently retrieve information. When an individual experiences a traumatic event, whether physically or psychologically traumatic, his or her memory can be… …   Wikipedia

  • Memory — • Memory is the capability of the mind, to store up conscious processes, and reproduce them later with some degree of fidelity Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Memory     Memory    …   Catholic encyclopedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”