Raymond Queneau (1903-1976) is acknowledged as one of the most influential of modern French writers, having helped determine the shape of twentieth-century French literature, especially in his role with the Oulipo, a group of authors that includes Italo Calvino, Georges Perec, and Harry Mathews, among others. Barbara Wright has translated several Raymond Queneau novels; indeed, as John Updike wrote in The New Yorker, she "has waltzed around the floor with the Master so many times by now that she follows his quirky French as if the steps were in English." She has also translated works by Alain Robbe-Grillet, Robert Pinget, Nathalie Sarraute, and Marguerite Duras. She lives in London.
"Exercises in Style was a revolution, a book that proclaimed its powerful ideas simply by pursuing their iron logic." -- The Washington Post "What makes the book compelling is seeing this same, banal tale told through a huge variety of literary styles, from science fiction to rhyme, haiku to official letter. The variety in its repetition becomes at first odd, then hilarious as more and more absurd forms are chosen." -- The Huffington Post "This witty, bizarre read is perfect for dipping into, or reading from cover to cover, for anybody who loves storytelling." -- The Huffington Post "It will remind you of just how weird and infinite human language is." -- Raphael Rubinstein - BOMBlog "Exercises in Style is an irresistibly simple and frequently hilarious demonstration of the potential of language." -- The Believer Logger "It's fair to say that Exercises in Style turns the current thinking about writing entirely, and brilliantly, on its head." -- Yuka Igarashi - The New Inquiry "It's a testament to Queneau's ability as a writer, and just as interestingly, it sort of blows apart the idea of how many ways a story can be told-and how style can be more important than content." -- Chad W. Post - Three Percent
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