Scan barcode
supreeth's review against another edition
3.0
Houellebecq has been writing same book since the day-1, and yet the only succesful & culturally accepted author writing it.
carly_luce2k14's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ver_liest's review against another edition
3.0
Bald habe ich alle Bücher von Houellebecq durch. Wenn auch immer noch faszinierend, wirds nicht besser.
Ausweitung der Kampfzone kann man sehr schnell wegsnacken. Wie immer geht's um einen depressiven, sexistischen Mann, der einsam ist. Die Abgründe sind schon spannend, das Buch hat bei mir aber nicht besonders nachgewirkt.
Ausweitung der Kampfzone kann man sehr schnell wegsnacken. Wie immer geht's um einen depressiven, sexistischen Mann, der einsam ist. Die Abgründe sind schon spannend, das Buch hat bei mir aber nicht besonders nachgewirkt.
dukegregory's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
A humorous, cynical takedown of late twentieth-century life (the post-sexual liberation sexual economy, corporate/IT work that amounts to little, the isolation of contemporary life regardless of the existence of more communication channels than ever, the usual gender dynamics of Houellebecq). It's a debut novel that dodges novelistic tendencies in an effort to supersede the false sentimentality of the form. Makes me more curious about his much more famous works. Going to have to do some reading before his newest novel comes out in the fall.
A humorous, cynical takedown of late twentieth-century life (the post-sexual liberation sexual economy, corporate/IT work that amounts to little, the isolation of contemporary life regardless of the existence of more communication channels than ever, the usual gender dynamics of Houellebecq). It's a debut novel that dodges novelistic tendencies in an effort to supersede the false sentimentality of the form. Makes me more curious about his much more famous works. Going to have to do some reading before his newest novel comes out in the fall.
faintgirl's review against another edition
3.0
It's like Houellebecq wanted to write a proper book about philosophy, but knew he sounded a bit addled when he did, so he wrote a book about an aimless thirty year old civil servant who writes bizarre stories where animals play out major philosophical moments in his spare time, whilst struggling with his loneliness and the general lack of point to his life. It's an excellent novel for someone stuck in the late 20s zone of directionless fear, full of comic moments and eventually descending into real sadness. The style throughout is irreverent and light, but there's a real darkness at the heart of this tiny novel that slowly becomes revealed. A cautionary tale, but not a hopeless one.
delocated's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
loumoretti's review against another edition
4.0
Mi favorito hasta ahora de los que leí en el colegio
guts_'s review against another edition
4.0
Whatever contains within it the raw materials that would later be refined in Houellebecq's later works, particularly themes regarding the emptiness of modern life and the alienation it imposes on its inhabitants. I could see most people hating this book particularly Houellebecq's diatribes regarding sex although I personally found them hilarious. In one monologue, the main character reflects on how sexual liberalism much like economic liberalism (free market capitalism) produces a state of absolute pauperization in which sex and capital are unequally accumulated resulting in social conditions in which
"...certain people accumulate considerable fortunes; others stagnate in unemployment and misery.". Likewise, "...certain people have a varied and exciting erotic life; others are reduced to masturbation and solitude.". Its sounds like a greentext from /r9k/ making it hard to believe this was published in 1994, well before Tindr. This is quintessential incelcore, it's more like 3.5 stars but I'll round it up considering its capacity to make me laugh out loud and feel depressed within the same page.
"...certain people accumulate considerable fortunes; others stagnate in unemployment and misery.". Likewise, "...certain people have a varied and exciting erotic life; others are reduced to masturbation and solitude.". Its sounds like a greentext from /r9k/ making it hard to believe this was published in 1994, well before Tindr. This is quintessential incelcore, it's more like 3.5 stars but I'll round it up considering its capacity to make me laugh out loud and feel depressed within the same page.