Les Enfants du Limon, Raymond QUENEAU, Limon Queneau Collection ③ Suiseisha 2013

On the face of it, Raymond Queneau's 'Children of Clay' (1938) is a political novel, which is rare for the author. It was originally published in Europe at a period when the political situation was growing increasingly dire. However, this novel doesn't tackle fascism directly; instead, by contrasting it to what he calls the 'literary lunatics' he criticizes the fascist's way of thinking. This work is not only a priceless record of the political climate in 1930s France, and above all of how fascism permeated into the working classes; it is also a warning against all epochs that thirst for heroism - a warning which could be said to hold a universal value. Furthermore, another of the novel's charms is the open-minded way in which it looks at human beings, typical of Queneau. Each of the members of the Oulipo, like Queneau or Perec, don't judge people from the heights of an unattainable ideal; rather, they warmly try to forgive all their zeal and their failures. The 'literary lunatics' in this novel too, despite being on the one hand modeled after the fascists, are also depicted as fools in need of love. Due to this ambiguity, the present book acquires a depth which goes beyond that of a simple political novel.