Michel Houellebecq: Submission

Well another fascinating slice of dyspepsia...but he extends to an entire nation. His cynical view of France and politicians is utterly right for the time. The style is in places much more elaborately baroque.It would be very interesting to hear from a native or fluent French speaker exactly how it comes across in the original language.

Good though that I felt I could get a good sense of his style even from a translation...and the truth of translations of literature ( and even if they are truly possible) is something that I have always had major doubts about...even ( particularly?) when teaching the World Lit section of the IB. Perhaps that was why...

I feel that I could better see the humour and satire in this work compared to Whatever...but that may well be because it is broader and the sourness of the first novel was, for me, so extreme that it was difficult to see the humour/satire...like the final section of Gullivers Travels.

Much enjoyed...bizarrely. Interesting that as the novel progressed events and time speeded up so that in the final section a total transformation of French society, the narrators change in life which was remarkably positive...something perhaps controversial in itself...can't say as it would spoil but it is astonishing.

Anyway hope some of you who are on this page try one of his books. That was always my hope for this page by the way...that it would not just be a platform for me to pontificate wonderful though that is,but a chance for dialogue.