Exercises in Style

“The same story told in ninety-nine different ways—that is the principle of this book.”

Exercises in Style by Raymond Queneau is a groundbreaking literary experiment that retells a single mundane incident in 99 distinct stylistic variations. The premise is simple: a man witnesses a minor altercation on a bus, later sees the same man at a train station, and hears a complaint about a missing button on his coat. From this basic anecdote, Queneau explores the vast possibilities of language, form, and narrative technique.

Structure and Content

The book is divided into 99 short chapters, each presenting the same story through a different stylistic lens. Some variations are playful, others technical, and a few border on the absurd. Below is a broad overview of the book’s structure:

Early Variations: Conventional Styles

The first few chapters establish the baseline narrative in straightforward forms like “Notation” (a neutral account), “Double Entry” (repetition with slight variations), and “Litotes” (understatement). These set the foundation for the more experimental styles that follow.

Middle Sections: Linguistic Play

Queneau then shifts to linguistic experimentation, including “Hesitation” (interrupted narration), “Official Letter” (bureaucratic tone), “Opera English” (mock-archaic phrasing), and “Permutations” (rearranged word order). Some chapters, like “Mathematical,” use symbols and equations, while “Olfactory” describes the scene through smells.

Later Variations: Extreme Experimentation

The final sections push boundaries further with “Haiku,” “Sonnet,” “Alexandrines” (verse forms), “Retrograde” (backward narration), and “N + 7” (a technique replacing nouns with the seventh subsequent word in a dictionary). The book culminates in “Interjections,” a chaotic stream of exclamations.

Key Ideas

• Demonstrates the flexibility of language through constrained writing techniques.
• Challenges traditional storytelling by prioritizing form over content.
• Highlights the Oulipo movement’s focus on literary experimentation.
• Shows how perspective and style transform meaning without altering events.
• Blends humor, mathematics, and poetry in a unique literary hybrid.

Notable Adaptations

Who should read this book?

• Writers seeking inspiration for creative storytelling techniques.
• Fans of experimental literature and linguistic playfulness.
• Readers interested in the Oulipo movement and constrained writing.