{"product_id":"portrait-of-a-man-known-as-il-condottiere-9780226380223","title":"Portrait of a Man Known as Il Condottiere","description":"Puckish and playful, Georges Perec infused avant-garde and experimental fiction with a wit and wonder that belied the serious concerns and concepts that underpinned it. A prominent member of the OuLiPo, and an abiding influence on fiction writers today, Perec used formal constraints to dazzling effect in such works as \u003ci\u003eA Void\u003c\/i\u003e--a murder mystery that contains nary an \"e\"--and \u003ci\u003eLife A User's Manual\u003c\/i\u003e, in which an apartment building, systematically canvassed, unfolds secrets and, ultimately offers a reflection on creation, destruction, and the devotion to art. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Before embarking on these experiments, however, Perec tried his hand at a relatively straightforward novel, \u003ci\u003ePortrait of a Man\u003c\/i\u003e. His first book, it was rejected by publishers when he submitted it in 1960, after which he filed it away. Decades after Perec's death, David Bellos discovered the manuscript, and through his translation we have a chance to enjoy it in English for the first time. What fans will find here is a thriller that combines themes that would remain prominent in Perec's later work, such as art forgery, authenticity, and murder, as well as craftsman Gaspard Winckler, who whose namesakes play major roles in \u003ci\u003eLife A User's Manual\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eW or The Memory of Childhood\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Engaging and entertaining on its own merits, and gaining additional interest when set in the context of Perec's career, \u003ci\u003ePortrait of a Man\u003c\/i\u003e is sure to charm the many fans of this postmodern master.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eGeorges Perec \u003c\/b\u003e(1936-1982) was a French writer and a member of OuLiPo. \u003cb\u003eDavid Bellos \u003c\/b\u003eis professor of French and Italian and comparative literature at Princeton University, where he also serves as the director of the Program in Translation and Intercultural Communication.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"University of Chicago Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50844125495570,"sku":"9780226380223","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_3e55bde7-7c4d-480e-9076-d07159f1eb41.jpg?v=1737312080","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/portrait-of-a-man-known-as-il-condottiere-9780226380223","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}