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Michel Houellebecq

AngusBenton

AngusBenton

New Member
Michel Houellebecq. Best thing he did (in my view) is still Les Particules élémentaires.

People HATE this guy. People LOVE this guy. He is a dispicable person, but a brilliant writer. He puts forth hugely offensive thoughts in a way that is both cerebral and thought provoking.

I await the forum members feelings on this highly polemic character.

And, if you haven't read him...you should. Just to form an opinion if nothing else. (In english, Les Particules élémentaires is called Atomized (UK) or...oddly enough...The Elementary Particles (US).)
 
I've read "Whatever" and "Lanzarote". The misanthropic cynic in me believes he says a lot of things about modern life a lot of people would rather not admit to. He's a modern day Camus.

The one thing I did object to, though, was paying £6.99 for the 80 pages of "Lanzarote" :( !
 
I think Unversities should teach a comparative arts (literature, film, philosophy) course entitled Misanthropology.

*waves chin at all professors on this board*
 
Crossposted from another place.

Not sure how to review The Elementary Particles for a couple reasons. The first being I'm not particularly good at writing reviews. The second being that this is a different book than any other book I have read. I can't think of any reasonable comparisons to other works. Maybe Schrodinger's Cat but only because of the small amount of advanced science talked about in Particles.

It's about step-brothers raised, well they weren't really raised, but grow up in dysfunction. One becomes a sexual addict who has difficulty finding his place in life and the other becomes almost asexual but a very important biologist/scientist. Both are entrenched in their dysfunction until they near middle age where they almost find salvation through love only to have Houellebecq take that away from them.

I feel as though the novel is unfinished. Bruno, the sexual addict of the brothers is never completed. He's given no ending. Michel, on the other hand is given very little of the novel until the last section when he completes what I believe to Houellebecq's purpose of the book. Unbalanced at best, unfinished at worst. Overal I liked the writing style other than a few silly similes the ideas were interesting and the tone was engaging to me. I don't feel as though I wasted my time and will look into his other works.
 
Extension du domaine de la lutte (go figure it's english title..) - Michel Houellebecq

The book has confirmed my interest in this controversial author. It's thesis is that the competition that caracterizes social relations in the capitalistic system has extended it's boundaries to affective relationships. Henceforth, some inviduals - the winners - will have an exciting and varied sexual life, while some others - the losers - are condemned to solitude and masturbation. The tone is sometimes afflicting, sometimes hilarious ; I have yet to see an author who can conciliate these two extremes with such an ease.

I personnally cried in the most idiotic manner for about an hour after I had finished it ; never have I felt such an emotion after a lecture. I am looking forward to read Atomized ; I have already bought it : yet I cannot resolve myself to open it, as I am still weakened by Extension
 
PLATFORM is my favorite novel by him. His novels are pretty horrifying but I admire his honesty. He said in an interview that he wanted to say that some people could not find a girlfriend or get laid simply because they were ugly.

I know lots of characters like the ones in Houellebecq novels.
 
Does anybody know if Houellebecq was ever inspired or talked by/about V.S.Naipaul? I feel there are some parallels between their work.
 
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