Zazie in the Metro (Penguin Classics)

Hilarious and fun. Queneau is the best.

A yummy Bon Bon!!!

one of the great modern books a must for anyone with any sense of humor and wit. if you are serious forget it. if you like french silly, read it

VIVA ZAZI!!

Raymond Queneau was born in Le Havre in 1903. He married Janine Kahn in 1928, the sister-in-law of Andre Breton. Queneau was notable as a novelist, poet and critic. His first novel was published in 1933, with his first Collection of poems coing in 1937. "Zazie in the Metro", his fourteenth novel, is probably hsi best known work andwas first published in 1959. It was adapted for the big screen the following year.Zazie is a pre-teen from rural France. The book opens with her arrival in Paris; she's come to stay with her Uncle Gabriel for a couple of days while her mother spends some time with a lover. Zazie's one aim is to travel on the metro, Unfortunately, the metro's closed due to a stike, which doesn't impress her one bit. She therefore sets out to entertain herself around the city and, in doing so, raises merry hell. That's really the last thing her poor uncle Gabriel needs, as he works very late nights on-stage in Pigalle.A very short and enjoyable book overall. (I'm a little sorry it didn't last longer). Some of the book's fun comes from the phonetic games Queneay plays, while Zazie herself - cheeky and foul mouthed - is a very entertaining character. (I was also fond of Gabriel and Laverdure). Definitely recommended.

If you decide to read Zazie in the Metro, don't be surprised to find yourself thinking a bit like the story's quirky cast of characters: speaking with charmingly wordy phrases (e.g., "Picking up a syphon he purposed to cause its mass to reverberate against Gabriel's skull," rather than, "he hit Gabriel in the head with a bottle."), and forming words using unusual spellings (e.g., "Tsnot true, unkoo" instead of, "It's not true, uncle."). You may even find yourself looking at the world through Zazie's wide eyes, seeing things with the innocence of a child narrated with a vocabulary like Charles Bukowski's.I pity poor translator Barbara Wright -- author Raymond Queneau's preferred translator, from what I understand -- for what must have been buckets of perspiration shed in what could have only worked as a labor of love. After all, this is a book is more about language and dialogue than it is about anything that could be mistaken for a plot.The other main source of Zazie in the Metro's charm comes from its unusual roll call of characters. Aside from the always-interesting Zazie, the book offers the quixotic and curious "Unkoo" Gabriel, his dour sometimes foil Gridoux, and even a parrot called Laverdure, whose solitary line -- "Talk, talk, that's all you can do" -- seems to get blurted out only with exceptional timing.It's easy to understand how this colorful tale inspired a generation of French readers and writers. It is even said to have had a hold on Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the director of the wonderful and similarly playful film, Amelie.Compared to all this, the plot of this story hardly seems worth mentioning: young Zazie comes to Paris to visit her uncle, but what she really wants to do is ride on the metro for the first time. Because of a strike, she can't, and she compensates with a string of other adventures.Up until this point, I know, this does not sound like a three-star review (or three and a half, if that had been possible). I have given Zazie in the Metro what amounts to a so-so rating for reasons I am not too sure how to describe. The best explanation I can come up with is that despite all of the positive points made here, the book just failed to capture me; I never felt like I was part of the story. Somehow, its 157 pages seemed quite a bit longer, and sometimes the action became confused or obscured because of the clever word play. It was like a meal based on ingredients I adore, but which don't quite seem to work well together.Yes, of course, buy and read Zazie in the Metro. Its place in Europe's literary cannon and the unusual mix of characters and language is enough to make that case. Besides, it's a book that an at least mildly adventurous literate person should know. I'll just hope it will be a bit more of a treat for you than it was for me.

Raymond Queneau has written a strange but tantalizing little novel about an adolescent named Zazie... she has a New York accent, and the mouth of a Henry Miller. Her misadventures in Paris, prove challenging to those around her,and amusing to the reader. It's a collage of seemimgly misplaced dialogue and eccentric characters, yet is easy to read and laugh with.(Note: Queneau is, I think, an underappreciated genius. You can find out more about him by looking up the book "The OULIPO COMPENDIUM" here at Amazon, which contains his extraordinary "One-hundred-trillion sonnets." "Oulipans: rats who build the labyrinth from which they plan to escape" -- Raymond Queneau).Zazie is less of a labyrinth and more of a amusement park, a good introduction to this imaginative writer. Probably not for those easily offended (nor is "Zazie" herself), but a little treasure worth looking for

I have had the pleasure to be introduced to a lot of French authors such as Vian, Queneau, Sartr, Bataille and others and I have found each one of them extremely fascinating and intricate. The majority of Queneau's work I have read in Bulgarian and he has become a favourite of mine, however I am quite disappointed with Barbara Wright's translations. I could barely finish reading Exercises in style. I fell offended by the literary translation and its bluntness. As much as I love the author, I'll never be able to get any of his books unless I find another translation, and that is a pitty...It's a shame since I wanted to get a bunch of my friends acquainted with his work.

Raymond Queneau was born in Le Havre in 1903. He married Janine Kahn in 1928, the sister-in-law of Andre Breton. Queneau was notable as a novelist, poet and critic. His first novel was published in 1933, with his first Collection of poems coing in 1937. "Zazie in the Metro", his fourteenth novel, is probably hsi best known work and was first published in 1959. It was adapted for the big screen the following year.Zazie is a pre-teen from rural France. The book opens with her arrival in Paris; she's come to stay with her Uncle Gabriel for a couple of days while her mother spends some time with a lover. Zazie's one aim is to travel on the metro, Unfortunately, the metro's closed due to a stike, which doesn't impress her one bit. She therefore sets out to entertain herself around the city and, in doing so, raises merry hell. That's really the last thing her poor uncle Gabriel needs, as he works very late nights on-stage in Pigalle.A very short and enjoyable book overall. (I'm a little sorry it didn't last longer). Some of the book's fun comes from the phonetic games Queneau plays, while Zazie herself - cheeky and foul mouthed - is a very entertaining character. (I was also fond of Gabriel and Laverdure). Definitely recommended.

As a retired teacher of French and familiar with the film in the original French language, I bought this book for my partner. On the whole it is well translated, but some of Zazie's expletives and expressions have been toned down, which weakens the overall effect of adequately conveying her precocious attitude. Nevertheless I can say it is an enjoyable and entertaining read for those who can accept Zazie's strong turn of phrase and matching outlook on life and it's annoyances.

A short but sweet read. Queneau manages to captivate the reader throughout the whole book. A quintessential French read

Superb

Terribly translated! This edition was loaded with gramatical and spelling errors. I did not continue reading after the first chapter - shame since it is a fantastic story and I bought this novel with the intention of encouriging my 13 year old son to read it prior to our big trip to Paris.