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A Void


 

La disparition (literally, "The Disappearance") is a 300 page French lipogrammatic novel, written in 1969 by Georges Perec, entirely without the letter e, following Oulipo constraints.

Related Topics:
French - Lipogrammatic - Novel - 1969 - Georges Perec - E - Oulipo

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It was translated into English by Gilbert Adair, with the title A Void, for which he won the Scott Moncrieff Translation Prize in 1995. The only other English translation, by John Lee, is titled The Vanish'd.

Related Topics:
Translated - English - Gilbert Adair - Scott Moncrieff Translation Prize - 1995 - John Lee

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All versions omit the letter e, a remarkable feat considering that it is the most commonly used letter of the alphabet in both English and French. Normally essential words such as je (I) and le (the) are absent in the original, along with similarly common words like 'me' or 'the' in the translations.

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