To put it another way: a book is the autobiography of its title and, as such, the narrative of a singularity.

This was by far my favorite Roubaud, which is surprising given the themes. The twinning of the author joining the Math department after previously working towards a degree in English is matched with another account fifteen years later as Roubaud was being sent in the military to an atoll for the testing of a nuclear weapon. It is the alien aspects of each decision which gave me traction. After a quarter century at my job I recently took a promotion which has cast me in a different dimension. There is a sudden surges of bureaucracy to navigate and endless documentation. My grace is to remain a Candide: it may not be better but it will be different.

But the remembrance of my incomprehension is far greater than the deductible knowledge of the fact that before understanding, I must not have understood.

There has been much to cram and familiarize. None of which will be broached on this site. I have leaned a great deal on friends lately, I should also note that Roubaud's sobriety has been a true asset as well. ( )