Introduction and Part I, Chapters 1 and 2 Summary

A Void, by Georges Perec, is an experimental novel that derives from the author's decision to write a full-length novel without once using the letter "e." It also works on a literal level as a parody of a conventional murder mystery, in which many murders are committed and the weapon sometimes is this very lack of the letter. An Introduction titled, "In which, as you will soon find out, Damnation has its origin," begins with the news that the country is at risk of widespread starvation. People do not seem certain that this true, but as they begin to worry, fights erupt in the streets, storerooms of food are ransacked, and leaders of business and politics are vilified. Lawyers are hung, and a succession of attempts is made to assume control of the...