The Case of the Dream Maker: Perec, Pontalis, and Dream Writing

This article considers Georges Perec’s La Boutique obscure as a literary experiment in dream writing, by putting it dialogue with French Freudianism, notably the clinical papers of J.-B. Pontalis, long-time psychoanalyst. Pontalis describes patient type, "dream maker,” who provokes an extreme case counter-transference and requires new methods therapy. like many critics, was suspicious authenticity Perec's journal denied both therapeutic status. reinserts into program. Through discussion text's formal attributes its sociological context production, demonstrates that Perec drew on non-psychoanalytic traditions dreams, journals sociology, continuously undercut any symbolic readings his text. Most importantly, investigates journal’s most fraught endeavor: experiencing writing concentration camp dreams. Lucid dreaming becomes ludic space for unexperiencable horrors history.