The Art and Craft of Approaching Your Head of Department to Submit a Request for a Raise

The Art and Craft of Approaching Your Head of Department to Submit a Request for a Raise is an experimental work by French author Georges Perec, published in 1968. The text runs as a single sentence without punctuation, written in second-person plural, following a computer flowchart structure. The narrative tracks the mental process and potential scenarios involved in requesting a salary increase from one's superior at work. The book's structure mirrors the branching logic of early computer programming, with repeated loops and decision points that create various possible paths through the situation. The work exists in multiple forms - as a prose text, a radio play (broadcast in Germany), and a stage play that premiered in Paris in 1970. Each version explores the same core material through different media while maintaining the original algorithmic framework. The text functions as both a satire of workplace bureaucracy and an exploration of how human decision-making can be reduced to logical flowcharts. Through its unusual format and repetitive structure, it examines the intersection of human behavior and systematic processes.

Readers describe this experimental novel as a maze-like flow chart of office bureaucracy told in a single sentence without punctuation. Many note it captures the circular thinking and anxiety of asking for a raise. Readers appreciate: - The humor in depicting workplace absurdity - The innovative stream-of-consciousness style - How it reflects real experiences with corporate hierarchies - The translation from French maintains the original's playful tone Common criticisms: - The format makes it challenging to follow - At 80 pages, some find it overpriced - The premise wears thin after initial novelty - Limited character development Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (350+ ratings) Amazon: 4/5 (12 ratings) Sample review: "A perfect example of constraint-based writing that actually works as literature. The endless loops and dead ends mirror exactly how it feels to navigate office politics." - Goodreads reviewer Several readers recommend the audiobook version for easier comprehension of the unpunctuated text.

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🔸 The book's unique structure was directly inspired by computer flowcharts of the 1960s, making it one of the first literary works to incorporate computer programming logic into its narrative design. 🔸 Georges Perec wrote the entire book without using any punctuation marks, creating a 50-page sentence that reflects the rushing thoughts of an anxious employee - a technique known as constrained writing, for which he was famous. 🔸 As a member of Oulipo (Ouvroir de littérature potentielle), Perec was part of a group of writers and mathematicians who created works using constrained writing techniques, including his famous novel "La Disparition" written entirely without using the letter 'e'. 🔸 The radio adaptation of the book in 1969 featured multiple voices speaking simultaneously to represent the overlapping thought processes, creating what critics called "verbal jazz." 🔸 The workplace scenario in the book was partially inspired by Perec's own experiences working as an archivist at the Neurophysiological Research Laboratory in Paris, where he spent many years as a low-level employee.