[isolli]

I'd be curious to know if it was easier or harder (or perhaps just as difficult) to write than the French equivalent. [0]

The Wikipedia article goes on to discuss interesting aspects of how the book was translated in different languages, with different self-imposed constraints.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Void

[lelag]

I can’t say for certain, but I’d guess that writing without the letter “e” is slightly more difficult in French than in English. For one, “e” is a bit more common in French (around 15% of all letters, versus about 12% in English). But more importantly, French grammar adds extra challenges—like gender agreement, where feminine forms often require an “e”, and the frequent use of articles like le and les, which become unusable.

That said, I think the most impressive achievement is the English translation of the French novel. Writing an original constrained novel is hard enough, but translating one means you can’t just steer the story wherever you like. You have to preserve the plot, tone, and themes of the original, all while respecting a completely different set of linguistic limitations. That’s a remarkable balancing act.