The daring, mischievous micro-essays of award-winning French humorist Éric Chevillard, published in English for the first time
Éric Chevillard is one of France’s leading stylists and thinkers, an endlessly inventive observer of the everyday whose erudition and imagination honor the legacy of Swift and Voltaire―with some good-natured postmodern twists.
This ensemble of comic miniatures compiles reflections on chairs, stairs, stones, goldfish, objects found, strangers observed, scenarios imagined, reasonable premises taken to absurd conclusions, and vice versa. The author erects a mental museum for his favorite artworks, only to find it swarming with tourists. He attends a harpsichord recital and lets his passions flare. He happens upon a piece of paper and imagines its sordid back story. He wonders if Hegel’s cap, on display in Stuttgart, is really worth the trip.
Throughout, Chevillard’s powers of observation chime with his verbal acrobatics. His gaze―initially superficial, then deeply attentive, then practically sociopathic―manages time and again to defamiliarize the familiar with a coherent and charismatic charm. Daniel Levin Becker’s translation deftly renders the marvels of the original, and a foreword by Daniel Medin offers rich contextual commentary, making a vital wing of French literature and humor newly accessible in English.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Éric Chevillard (b. 1964) is an award-winning French writer. His many books include The Valiant Little Tailor, Prehistoric Times, and Palafox. Daniel Levin Becker is the author of Many Subtle Channels and What’s Good and a member of the Parisian literary collective OULIPO. Daniel Medin is professor of comparative literature and English at the American University of Paris and a director of its Center for Writers and Translators.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Seller: BooksRun, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. It's a well-cared-for item that has seen limited use. The item may show minor signs of wear. All the text is legible, with all pages included. It may have slight markings and/or highlighting. Seller Inventory # 0300254113-8-1
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0300254113I4N00
Seller: Midtown Scholar Bookstore, Harrisburg, PA, U.S.A.
paperback. Condition: Very Good. Very Good - Crisp, clean, unread book with some shelfwear/edgewear, may have a remainder mark - NICE PAPERBACK Standard-sized. Seller Inventory # M0300254113Z2
Seller: HPB-Ruby, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
paperback. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_478573053
Seller: Lakeside Books, Benton Harbor, MI, U.S.A.
Condition: New. Brand New! Not Overstocks or Low Quality Book Club Editions! Direct From the Publisher! We're not a giant, faceless warehouse organization! We're a small town bookstore that loves books and loves it's customers! Buy from Lakeside Books! Seller Inventory # OTF-S-9780300254112
Seller: GreatBookPrices, Columbia, MD, U.S.A.
Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 45799261-n
Seller: Midtown Scholar Bookstore, Harrisburg, PA, U.S.A.
paperback. Condition: Good. Good - Bumped and creased book with tears to the extremities, but not affecting the text block, may have remainder mark or previous owner's name - GOOD PAPERBACK Standard-sized. Seller Inventory # M0300254113Z3
Seller: Rarewaves USA, HEBRON, KY, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: New. The daring, mischievous micro-essays of award-winning French humorist Éric Chevillard, published in English for the first time Éric Chevillard is one of France's leading stylists and thinkers, an endlessly inventive observer of the everyday whose erudition and imagination honor the legacy of Swift and Voltaire-with some good-natured postmodern twists. This ensemble of comic miniatures compiles reflections on chairs, stairs, stones, goldfish, objects found, strangers observed, scenarios imagined, reasonable premises taken to absurd conclusions, and vice versa. The author erects a mental museum for his favorite artworks, only to find it swarming with tourists. He attends a harpsichord recital and lets his passions flare. He happens upon a piece of paper and imagines its sordid back story. He wonders if Hegel's cap, on display in Stuttgart, is really worth the trip. Throughout, Chevillard's powers of observation chime with his verbal acrobatics. His gaze-initially superficial, then deeply attentive, then practically sociopathic-manages time and again to defamiliarize the familiar with a coherent and charismatic charm. Daniel Levin Becker's translation deftly renders the marvels of the original, and a foreword by Daniel Medin offers rich contextual commentary, making a vital wing of French literature and humor newly accessible in English. Seller Inventory # LU-9780300254112
Seller: Tim's Used Books Provincetown Mass., Provincetown, MA, U.S.A.
Soft cover. Condition: New. Flawless, unopened. No marks in text. Not a library book. Ships in a cardboard enclosure, from Tim's Used Books, open shop in Provincetown, USA. Providing good books at fair prices on the same spot since 1991. Seller Inventory # 2491703
Seller: GreatBookPrices, Columbia, MD, U.S.A.
Condition: As New. Unread book in perfect condition. Seller Inventory # 45799261