Raymond Queneau was basically the king of literary "what ifs." Back in 1947, he released a slim, weird little volume called Exercises in Style (or Exercices de style if you're feeling French), and honestly, it changed the way people think about language forever. The premise is almost annoyingly simple. A man gets on a bus, sees a guy with a long neck and a funny hat who gets into a tiff with another passenger, and then later, that same guy is spotted at the Gare Saint-Lazare talking to a friend about a button on his overcoat. That’s it. That is the whole plot.
But here is the catch: Queneau tells that exact same boring story 99 different times.
It sounds like a chore, right? Wrong. It’s a masterpiece of constraint. If you’ve ever felt like your writing is getting stale or you’re stuck in a rut of "subject-verb-object" sentences that put people to sleep, the exercises in style book is basically the antidote. It isn’t just a book you read; it’s a toolkit for realizing that "how" you say something is often way more important than "what" you’re saying.
The Genius of 99 Versions
Most people think good writing is about having a great story. Queneau proves that's kind of a lie. By stripping away the plot until there’s almost nothing left, he forces you to look at the bones of the language. He writes the bus story as a haiku. He writes it using only "mathematical" terms. He writes it as a series of hesitations ("Well, it was, uh, around midday, I think..."). He even writes it in "Pig Latin" style and as a botanical report.
It’s hilarious. It’s also deeply technical.
The exercises in style book works because it treats language like a physical material—like clay or wood. You can sand it down, paint it neon pink, or smash it into tiny pieces. When you see the same mundane event described through the lens of "Official Letter" style versus "Onomatopoeia," you start to realize that every word choice is a decision. There are no neutral words.
Think about your own day. If you told your boss about your morning commute, you’d use one "style." If you told your best friend while having a drink, you'd use another. Queneau just took that natural human instinct and dialed it up to eleven.
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Why Writers Still Obsess Over This Book
Honestly, it’s because most writing advice is boring. You’ve heard "show, don't tell" a thousand times. You’ve been told to avoid adverbs. But Queneau doesn’t give you rules; he gives you possibilities.
For modern content creators, copywriters, or even just people who want to send better emails, the exercises in style book serves as a reminder that tone is everything. In a world where AI can churn out perfectly grammatical, perfectly bland "informative" text, the ability to pivot styles is the only thing that makes a human voice stand out.
The Oulipo Connection
Queneau wasn't just acting on a whim. He was a co-founder of Oulipo (Ouvroir de littérature potentielle), which basically translates to the "Workshop of Potential Literature." These guys were obsessed with "constrained writing." They believed that total freedom is actually a trap. If you can write anything, you usually end up writing something cliché. But if you tell yourself, "I have to write this story without using the letter 'e'" (which Oulipo member Georges Perec actually did in a full novel), you’re forced to find new, weird, and brilliant ways to express yourself.
The exercises in style book is the most accessible entry point into this world. It’s not just for "high-brow" literary types. It’s for anyone who wants to stop being boring.
Breaking Down the Variations
Let's look at how this actually plays out in the text. Queneau uses "Logical Analysis" for one version. It sounds cold, detached, and weirdly specific. Then he flips to "Gastronomic," where the bus is a "crust" and the passengers are "ingredients."
- The "Metaphorically" version: It doesn't just describe a bus; it describes a "fire-breathing dragon" of transit.
- The "Dream" version: Everything is hazy, shifting, and nonsensical, yet the core facts of the guy with the hat remain.
- The "Hesitation" version: It captures that annoying way people actually talk when they can't remember a detail.
By the time you get to version 50, you’re not even thinking about the guy on the bus anymore. You’re thinking about the rhythm of the sentences. You're noticing how a short, punchy sentence feels like a slap, while a long, winding one feels like a lazy Sunday afternoon.
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Barbara Wright, who did the most famous English translation, had a hell of a job. She couldn't just translate the words; she had to translate the vibe. If Queneau used a specific French slang from the 40s, she had to find a British or American equivalent that hit the same notes. It’s a feat of linguistic gymnastics.
How to Apply "Exercises in Style" to Your Own Work
You don’t have to write 99 versions of your grocery list. That would be insane. But you can use the philosophy of the exercises in style book to sharpen your output.
Try this: Take the last paragraph you wrote. Now, rewrite it as if you’re a 1920s noir detective. Now, rewrite it as a technical manual for a toaster.
What happens? You’ll probably find a metaphor in the "noir" version that is actually way better than what you originally had. Or the "technical" version will help you realize you were being too wordy and needed to simplify. The book teaches you that the first way you think of saying something is usually the most "autopilot" way. And autopilot is the enemy of great content.
The Problem With "Normal" Writing
Most of us are trained to write in a "neutral" professional tone. It’s safe. It’s also invisible. If you read the exercises in style book, you start to see that "professional" is just another style—and often a pretty dull one.
Queneau’s work pushes you to be braver. It gives you permission to be "Extra" or "Redundant" or "Philosophical." It’s basically a playground for your brain.
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It's Not Just About Writing
Interestingly, the influence of this book has leaked into other fields. Graphic designers use it as a prompt—how many ways can you design a "Stop" sign? Programmers use it to think about different ways to solve the same logic problem. It’s about the "potential" in Oulipo’s name.
There’s a common misconception that style is something you "have" or "don't have." Like you're born with a voice. Queneau says that's nonsense. Style is a choice. It's a coat you put on. Some days you wear the trench coat; some days you wear the Hawaiian shirt. The exercises in style book shows you where the closet is and invites you to try everything on.
Real-World Takeaways for 2026
In an era dominated by short-form video and rapid-fire social media, the lessons from 1947 are weirdly more relevant than ever. Attention spans are shorter. If you can’t shift your "style" to match the platform or the audience, you’re dead in the water.
- Vary your cadence. Short sentences create urgency. Long ones create flow. Use both.
- Constraint breeds creativity. Give yourself "rules" for your next project. No adjectives. Or start every sentence with the same letter. See what happens.
- Audit your "Default." We all have a default way of speaking. Use Queneau's book to identify yours and then intentionally break it.
- Read it aloud. The exercises in style book is incredibly rhythmic. Writing is as much about sound as it is about meaning.
Final Thoughts on the Bus Journey
The guy with the long neck and the cord on his hat is a nobody. The bus is just a bus. But through Queneau’s eyes, they become a 99-act play. This book is a reminder that there are no boring subjects, only boring lenses.
If you're looking to level up your communication, stop looking for "hacks" and start looking at the structure of your thoughts. Pick up a copy of Exercises in Style. It’s short. It’s funny. And it will probably ruin the way you look at a simple sentence forever—in the best way possible.
Next Steps for Mastering Style:
- Audit your recent work: Take a 500-word piece you've written recently and try to condense it into exactly 50 words without losing the core meaning. This is a classic "Constraint" exercise.
- The Persona Swap: Take an email you need to send and draft a version of it as if you were a Victorian novelist. You won't send that version, but the exercise will help you find more precise verbs for the real one.
- Read the Wright Translation: Ensure you get the version translated by Barbara Wright. Her ability to capture the "Anglosphere" equivalents of Queneau's linguistic jokes is unparalleled and provides its own masterclass in creative adaptation.