"Things" by Georges Perec: Consumer Society's Grandeur and Disillusions

Georges Perec's celebrated 1965 novel, "Les Choses" (Things), continues to resonate deeply in 2026, offering a potent reflection on the nature of consumer society. The novel, which received the Prix Renaudot, portrays a young French couple, Jérôme and Sylvie, in the early 1960s.

However, Perec's approach deviates from conventional storytelling. "Usually, the plot is centered around the characters' actions and their feelings," notes Anne de Rugy, a sociologist and lecturer at the University of Paris-Est Créteil. "Here, it is their living environment, what they consume, and their work that create the story, elements that are generally in the background in a novel."

This focus on material possessions and the economic context of their lives provides a unique lens through which Perec examines the aspirations and disillusions of a generation. The article is part of "Le Temps's" ongoing series that explores economic realities as depicted in fiction, spanning from Perec to Harry Harrison and Mary Shelley.

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Usually, the plot is centered around the characters' actions and their feelings. Here, it is their living environment, what they consume, and their work that create the story, elements that are generally in the background in a novel.