The text doesn’t guide the reader, offering no narrative movement or historical sweep. Instead, it’s merely a collection of moments and details. “Rue Bonaparte, a cement mixer, orange,” Perec writes. “A basset hound. A man with a bow tie. An 86 [bus].” Dropped into the Café de la Mairie alongside him, the reader is free to make his or her own decisions and judgments. Take it with you to any cafe in any city, and Perec will be both your drinking partner and your tour guide, drawing your attention to each little detail coming and going.

CityLab, "The Book That Captured Mid-’70s Paris"