The Last Days

by Raymond Queneau

Book Overview

The Last Days is Raymond Queneau's autobiographical novel of Parisian student life in the 1920s: Vincent Tuquedenne tries to reconcile his love for reading with the sterility of studying as he hopes... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0916583635
• ISBN13: 9780916583637
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: Dalkey Archive Press
• Length: 237 Pages

Customer Reviews

Sad and lonely boy wanders/wonders through college

Sad and funny and beautiful, Queneau watches the world and portrays the smallest of things in the most unique way. Celebrating the simpleton, Queneau looks back at his student years. His head is stuck in books. He meets few friends. Outside, the world swindles and connives and lies and quips. Outsiders take note, this book settles long after the last page is turned. A special, special book. A great introduction to the world of Queneau.

The Last Days by Raymond Queneau

This novel (Queneau's second after "Le Chiendent" translated as 'the Bark Tree' by Barbara Wright) is a charming, witty novel about the travails of several French students preparing for their "bacheau" admirably cointerpointed with a secondary story of a petty swindler and a tertiary story of a waiter who comfabulates a fantastic betting schema based on the movements of the lunary planets and their shifts and motion. The deft translation gives the full flavor of the novel, and Queneau's writing is superbly sunny and wonderful. This is a must read for all those interested in the development of the French novel c. 1930-s to 1940-s. It's quite funny!