Although a quick read, Paris pataphysique is an extremely rich little book. In it, historian and eminent ‘elephantologue’, [1] Pascal Varejka develops his argument to define Paris as pataphysical par excellence. For this he makes obviously use of the art of imaginary solutions as this the main domain of pataphysics.

Varejka makes his case in 13 short chapters and an introduction. In this latter he makes immediately clear that Paris didn’t wait for the publication of Alfred Jarry’s work or the founding of the Collège de ‘Pataphysique to resort to imaginary solutions. Since the origins of Paris go considerably longer back in time one could say she took a rather bog lead in this. Varejka argues that Paris revealed her profound pataphysical nature over time with the help of “the municipal authorities, the government, the catholic church, more or less hastened chroniclers, the often legendary tradition, the public transport RATP and diverse companies or associations such as the Bateaux Mouches or the tourist information on the so-called ‘free community’ of Montmartre [2] In his itinerary Varejka is guided his favourite pataphysician Boris Vian who talks about the equivalency of opposites as one of the guiding principles of pataphysics. Which is the main reason for pataphysics not to make a difference between what is serious and what not as they are exactly the same. Varejka thus undertakes his navigation of the Paris through the centuries with great historical seriousness, but not without humour, recounting along the way various improbable but nevertheless insightful instances of pataphysicisms.

The first argument can hardly be refuted: in the organisation of its twenty arrondissements or districts one can easily recognize a spiral or gidouille, the emblem of ‘Pataphysics. As it symbolises the infinite swelling of Père Ubu’s belly, whereas Paris remains more or less restricted, the fact that the Parisian version is dextrorotary and the pataphysical one is senestrogyre, makes obviously no difference either if we follow Vian’s principle of the equivalence of opposites. Interestingly the organisation of arrondissements is the result of a clear imaginary solution by municipal authorities back in 1860. Until that year Paris only counted 12 arrondissements which were organised from west to east and from north to south. When the new arrondissement of Passy and Auteuil in the north-west had to be added, this would normally have carried the number 13. At the time there was however a folkloric saying indicating that being married in the town hall of the 13th arrondissement meant cohabiting. The very conventional and rather catholic new district was not exactly happy with this connotation and protested to the prefect Hausmann by way of the mayor of Passy. Who suggested the organisation in a spiral, starting in the centre which would make the new district number 16 which it is to this day. Varejka adds that since the mayor died in 1875 when Jarry was only two years old, one can certainly not say that he was influenced by him or Père Ubu’s universe.

In Paris pataphysique Varejka delivers plenty of similar fascinating examples to proof his argument. It goes obviously too far to name them all. Suffice it to mention that along his peregrinations Varejka doesn’t hesitate to dedicate a full chapter to the misogynic similarities between Paris and the Collège de ‘Pataphysique. These become apparent in respectively, the extremely small number of streets and metro stations named after women and the limited, if growing, number of female members. Both Paris and the Collège de ‘Pataphysique are nevertheless presided by women since 2014, Anne Hidalgo and Tanya Peixoto.

The theme of navigation is another fascinating point of similarity. Jarry’s posthumously published Gestes et opinions du Docteur Faustroll pataphysicien which ‘defines’ pataphysicism, is set in Paris and describes a navigation, amongst others by boat.  Not so much on the river Seine, but rather through the streets of Paris. Which leads Varejka to reflect on the fact that during its famous flooding in 1910 the Seine actually followed its former course, causing a kind of lake in front of the Gare Saint-Lazare. Through some detours Varejka arrives at the rue Jarry, situated in between de rue de la Fidélité and the passage du Désir. Only that this Jarry is ‘a false friend’, a master writer and calligraphist from the 17th century. The small and simple room that I stayed in recently at the Hotel Jarry in this street nevertheless seemed reminiscent of his later namesake. Talking about imaginary solutions.

Varejka wonders eventually whether Paris actually exists or whether the city is just the result of an endless interlinking of imaginary solutions. The fact alone that Paris is simultaneously owner of Victor Hugo’s Hauteville House at Guernsey, the source of the Seine in the Côte d’Or, canals and their shores to a distance of 130 milometers, makes its boundaries after all rather fuzzy and unreal. Varejka thus ‘concludes’ that in this limitlessness probably lies the real similarity between Paris and pataphysics. A small book thus leads to an endless voyage. 

[1] Pascal Varejka is a member of the Collège de ‘Pataphysique and holds the post of ‘Régent d’Eléphantologie’.

[2] Translations by the author of this review.