The Bark Tree

The Bark Tree, republished as Witch Grass in later English editions, is an “anti-novel” by Raymond Queneau, a French writer interested in experimental literature who cofounded the famous Oulipo movement. The novel is intentionally non-linear and does not focus on the development of characters or on a moral or philosophical take-away; instead, Queneau ties the characters together based on their interest in each other's lives, knitting together stark moments to create a thematic atmosphere. The book focuses on the lower classes of Paris and colloquial language, both of which Queneau wanted to bring into the French literary scene.

The novel opens with the thoughts of a man who is watching another man, whom he cannot make out in the shadows, hurry toward his train. The first man, sitting in a cafe, wonders who the man is and what makes up his life. This moment sparks the formation of a whole cast of characters, all of whom are trying to eke out a living on the outskirts of Paris.

To begin, there is Etienne Marcel, who manages to narrowly avoid his own death. Etienne's experience is witnessed by Pierre Le Grand, and the gossip mill begins, spinning into another story when its told to Saturnin Belhotel, and dozens of others.



Another character, Madame Cloche, is spending time in the garden when she sees a noose tied up in a garden. She wonders why it is there, and who left it. Etienne, also seeing this noose, returns home that night to have a horrible dream that his mother is wearing a false beard to serve him a plate of deviled eggs. When Etienne wakes, he thinks about that strange noose, and whether it was used to try to hang the young boy Theo or a small dog. Meanwhile, the boy Theo receives the romantic interest of Mme. Pigeonnier.

Though each of these mundane or other innocuous events seems disjointed, the stories that each of the characters creates to shape them, in the form of fantasies, gossip, and speculation connect them. Each of the characters becomes interested in the others as their lives weave together, though not in a way that is particularly deep or heartwarming. Instead, they enjoy the spectacle of other people's lives, seeing it as a form of entertainment to squelch their boredom.

One example of this behavior is the treatment of Ernestine, who begins the story as a poor waitress, and then decides to marry Old Taupe, a grimy old junk dealer. Madame Cloche, amused by this bit of neighborhood gossip, starts asking after Ernestine and joking about how she hopes Ernestine finds a can of money stuffed under Old Taupe's mattress. However, after a few weeks with no money found, Madame Cloche becomes uninterested and Ernestine is on her own again.



French writer Raymond Queneau (1903-1976) was educated at the University of Paris, served in the military in Algeria and Morocco, and took a number of odd jobs before becoming a well-known writer. He married Janine Kahn, the sister-in-law of the famous surrealist Andre Breton, which connected Queneau to the surrealist movement in Paris. Queneau wrote more than a dozen novels and collections of poetry and translated works. He also wrote essays, a screenplay, and worked on a number of other projects before his death.