Exercices de style

Exercices de style by Raymond Queneau, in the Italian translation by Umberto Eco, had a double effect on me: I learned that even a trivial text may be the starting point of an exciting book, and I first learned about the power of constraints in creating art, that is, the very purpose of Oulipo. As a bonus, I noticed that while Eco generally made a superb work he did not manage to get the spirit of the mathematical exercises: this was a boost for my self-esteem, since I saw that I could do something better than an established author.

-- Maurizio Codogno