Constraints and Perec

In class on Monday, we talked a lot about how translation can put a constraint on a piece of work. A Void not only had the constraint of omitting the letter "e" but also had to translate, so as to not change meaning, again without an "e." Constraints force a new kind of creativity to come out. As A Void progressed, the mystery became more heightened and the absense of Vowl was always in the back of my mind. This momentum paralleled the use of the constraints. Although the reader became less aware of the missing vowel as the novel progressed, the writer probably did not. It may have become easier to write, but the constraint must have always been a constant struggle. This struggle shows in the dying characters and the building mystery.