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dionysiaxir's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
0.5
I dont want to be rude, but what is this book. It is a book written in 2022 and its so sexist and islamophobic that it is like its written before Christ. It is one of the worst books i have ever read and the funny thing is that they recommended it to me because i love Sartre and Camus.
I will begin eith the fact that in the back page it says that there are terrorist attacks and the political climate in France is weird. IT WASNT EVEN PART OF THE STORY.we never learn who did everything and we dont care abou the system a lot. It is advertised like its tha main plot but it is smaller than a side story.
Also the protagonist is so unlikeable. He is a sexist piece of garbage really. That hates muslims and even life.
Finally it is clear that the writer never knew or had sex with a real woman or even a robot hand. Basically the only female he knows is his hand.
The obly positive is that in the end at the thank you notes he says he is done with writing. THANK YOU FOR THAT
I will begin eith the fact that in the back page it says that there are terrorist attacks and the political climate in France is weird. IT WASNT EVEN PART OF THE STORY.we never learn who did everything and we dont care abou the system a lot. It is advertised like its tha main plot but it is smaller than a side story.
Also the protagonist is so unlikeable. He is a sexist piece of garbage really. That hates muslims and even life.
Finally it is clear that the writer never knew or had sex with a real woman or even a robot hand. Basically the only female he knows is his hand.
The obly positive is that in the end at the thank you notes he says he is done with writing. THANK YOU FOR THAT
rubentencaca's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
tiarsnvv's review against another edition
4.0
Най-последният роман на Уелбек проследява две сюжетни линии: най-личните моменти на едно семейство, които макар и да изглеждат съвсем битови, всъщност биват събирателни за всичко, с което човек се сблъсква, през рамката на човек и общността, в която той членува, и тяхното неизменно взаимодействие, и тази за политическата действителност, на която никак не й липсва напрежение и събитийност.
Историята се случва през 2027 година, президентските избори наближават, като сегашният такъв планува да се кандидатира на следващия мандат, докато използва най-подходящия негов ''заместник'' за тези 5 години, в които той не е на пост. Името му не е засегнато, но се подразбира, че Уелбек пише за Макрон, тъй като имената на другите действителни лица в политиката на Франция са споменати - Пол Резон (в книгата чиновник към министерството на икономиката) и Бруно Жюж (министър на икономиката и финансите). Идеите, които романът разгръща, засягат прехода от демократичното към тенденциозния десен популизъм, все по-присъщ на Европа. Друг аспект на действителността, в която всички се срещат - политиката, е застаряващото население на ЕС и неговото все по-често обезценяване, симптом на европейския нихилизъм. Именно и заглавието припомня за унищожението - на генерационните ценности, на отношенията между тях, на Франция.
Смъртта, която окупира цялостната обстановка на романа и придава абсурдисткия му тон, отнема и един от най-ближните на протагониста - първо възрастния му баща, а след това и самия него. Рефлексиите върху нея са есенциална част от творчеството на Уелбек, но колкото и тягостни да бъдат те: ''Последното действие е кърваво, колкото и да е хубава комедията в останалата си част: накрая хвърлят земя върху главата ти и се свършва завинаги.'’; мотивът за любовта е най-водещ: ''Беше наистина за предпочитане един толкова дълъг и стръмен път да бъде изминат заедно от двама души.'’ Любовта заличава всичкия срам, слабост и страдание, с които сякаш всеки човек, лишен от илюзии, приютява в себе си. Романът на Уелбек е за индивива, който се сблъсква с кризите на епохата и дома му (и този, който споделя със семейството, и този, който принадлежи само и единствено на него - съзнателния), но това, което изправя всичко в ред и е способно да изцерява, да обрисува с оптимизъм катаклизмите на унищожението, е Любовта.
Историята се случва през 2027 година, президентските избори наближават, като сегашният такъв планува да се кандидатира на следващия мандат, докато използва най-подходящия негов ''заместник'' за тези 5 години, в които той не е на пост. Името му не е засегнато, но се подразбира, че Уелбек пише за Макрон, тъй като имената на другите действителни лица в политиката на Франция са споменати - Пол Резон (в книгата чиновник към министерството на икономиката) и Бруно Жюж (министър на икономиката и финансите). Идеите, които романът разгръща, засягат прехода от демократичното към тенденциозния десен популизъм, все по-присъщ на Европа. Друг аспект на действителността, в която всички се срещат - политиката, е застаряващото население на ЕС и неговото все по-често обезценяване, симптом на европейския нихилизъм. Именно и заглавието припомня за унищожението - на генерационните ценности, на отношенията между тях, на Франция.
Смъртта, която окупира цялостната обстановка на романа и придава абсурдисткия му тон, отнема и един от най-ближните на протагониста - първо възрастния му баща, а след това и самия него. Рефлексиите върху нея са есенциална част от творчеството на Уелбек, но колкото и тягостни да бъдат те: ''Последното действие е кърваво, колкото и да е хубава комедията в останалата си част: накрая хвърлят земя върху главата ти и се свършва завинаги.'’; мотивът за любовта е най-водещ: ''Беше наистина за предпочитане един толкова дълъг и стръмен път да бъде изминат заедно от двама души.'’ Любовта заличава всичкия срам, слабост и страдание, с които сякаш всеки човек, лишен от илюзии, приютява в себе си. Романът на Уелбек е за индивива, който се сблъсква с кризите на епохата и дома му (и този, който споделя със семейството, и този, който принадлежи само и единствено на него - съзнателния), но това, което изправя всичко в ред и е способно да изцерява, да обрисува с оптимизъм катаклизмите на унищожението, е Любовта.
nathansnook's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Major thanks to NetGalley and FSG for sending me an ARC of this in exchange for my honest thoughts:
*DNF
"𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘺, 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨; 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦."
Started this last month and claiming an end to it for this month. The long and the short of it was that I thought I could get into this, finish it, on all the planes, trains, and automobiles I rode in between Japan and Korea. But it was the existential dread constricting me from this book that could not push me to be interested in it. There's a dryness here. Long sentences. Humor sprinkled here and there. But nothing really severe to save itself from an end I already spoiled for myself.
If Houellebecq, from all the things I know about him as this is my first of his, has gone soft to claim love as resolution to a carcass of a mammoth, then I'm through! Give me Proust. Or hell give me a Russian classic. But this just doesn't seem worth the realist torture to move through.
And I think that's what it is. There's something realistically painful about being an adult this book holds that I'm not mature enough to push through it. It's about decay. Death of institution. Death of connections. And how do you save yourself from all of that? All explored here.
".. 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵.."
*DNF
"𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘺, 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨; 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦."
Started this last month and claiming an end to it for this month. The long and the short of it was that I thought I could get into this, finish it, on all the planes, trains, and automobiles I rode in between Japan and Korea. But it was the existential dread constricting me from this book that could not push me to be interested in it. There's a dryness here. Long sentences. Humor sprinkled here and there. But nothing really severe to save itself from an end I already spoiled for myself.
If Houellebecq, from all the things I know about him as this is my first of his, has gone soft to claim love as resolution to a carcass of a mammoth, then I'm through! Give me Proust. Or hell give me a Russian classic. But this just doesn't seem worth the realist torture to move through.
And I think that's what it is. There's something realistically painful about being an adult this book holds that I'm not mature enough to push through it. It's about decay. Death of institution. Death of connections. And how do you save yourself from all of that? All explored here.
".. 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵.."
houyhnhnm64's review against another edition
4.0
Ongetwijfeld beweegt maestro Houellebecq zich op een niveau dat buiten mijn bereik ligt, maar toch geloof ik dat Vernietigen in sommige opzichten eigenlijk geen goede roman is. Een verhaallijn over terroristische aanslagen – die op zich intrigerend en spannend is – bloedt op vier/vijfde deel van het boek simpelweg dood; regelmatig lijken scenes wat afgeraffeld en stapt Houellebecq met zevenmijlslaarzen door zijn vertelling heen; aan stijl lijkt hij een broertje dood te hebben, voor mooie zinnen hoef je Houellebecq niet te lezen; hij laat zijn hoofdpersoon Paul Raison wel heel vaak een stijve krijgen (en dan: neuken maar), en soms moet je toch wel denken: 576 pagina’s, had dat niet wat korter gekund?
En toch.
Deze roman heeft mij van begin tot eind geboeid. De verhaallijn over de terroristische aanslagen moge dan doodbloeden, hij is beslist onderhoudend. En dan zijn er de vele rake observaties over de mens en de menselijke verhoudingen, vaak een tikkeltje zwartgallig, desalniettemin even zo vaak erg grappig. En de intrigerende analyses over onder andere de maatschappij, politie en religie die Houellebecq via zijn personages naar voren brengt. En misschien wel het meest van alles: Vernietigen is (ook) een boek over ziek worden, doodgaan, en hoe geliefden, broers en zussen, de familie, daar mee omgaan. Dat gaat gepaard met veel pijn, leed, verdriet en ruzie. Maar ook met tederheid, liefde, seks. Geleidelijk aan wijkt alles voor de dood. Misschien laat de maestro daarom de verhaallijn over de terroristische aanslagen wel doodbloeden en wijdt hij het laatste hoofdstuk volledig aan Pauls ziek-zijn. La mort qui est tout au bout, zong Brel (naar wie Houellebecq twee maal verwijst).
In een slotscene zegt zijn oncoloog tegen Paul: ‘Ik kan wel zeggen dat ik veel rijke mensen heb zien sterven, en geloof me, op die momenten heb je weinig aan rijkdom. Persoonlijk aarzel ik nooit om een morfinepomp voor te schrijven: dan hoeven ze maar op de knop te drukken om zichzelf als ze willen een bolus morfine in te spuiten en vrede met de wereld te krijgen, met een halo van zachtheid om zich heen, het is als het ware een shot kunstmatige liefde dat ze naar believen kunnen nemen. En daarnaast heb je de mensen die tot hun laatste dag liefde krijgen, bijvoorbeeld degenen die gelukkig getrouwd zijn geweest. Geloof me, die situatie is verre van algemeen. Ik vind de morfinepomp in dat geval overbodig, liefde is genoeg…’
De dood is vernietiging, de mens is bezig de planeet te vernietigen, maar ‘love is the answer’ zoals Lennon zong (Houellebecq verwijst al vroeg in zijn roman naar The Beatles, en de cover van Vernietigen zou een verwijzing zijn naar hun White Album). Vernietigen is een troostrijk boek. Dat is misschien wel de grootste kracht van deze roman.
En toch.
Deze roman heeft mij van begin tot eind geboeid. De verhaallijn over de terroristische aanslagen moge dan doodbloeden, hij is beslist onderhoudend. En dan zijn er de vele rake observaties over de mens en de menselijke verhoudingen, vaak een tikkeltje zwartgallig, desalniettemin even zo vaak erg grappig. En de intrigerende analyses over onder andere de maatschappij, politie en religie die Houellebecq via zijn personages naar voren brengt. En misschien wel het meest van alles: Vernietigen is (ook) een boek over ziek worden, doodgaan, en hoe geliefden, broers en zussen, de familie, daar mee omgaan. Dat gaat gepaard met veel pijn, leed, verdriet en ruzie. Maar ook met tederheid, liefde, seks. Geleidelijk aan wijkt alles voor de dood. Misschien laat de maestro daarom de verhaallijn over de terroristische aanslagen wel doodbloeden en wijdt hij het laatste hoofdstuk volledig aan Pauls ziek-zijn. La mort qui est tout au bout, zong Brel (naar wie Houellebecq twee maal verwijst).
In een slotscene zegt zijn oncoloog tegen Paul: ‘Ik kan wel zeggen dat ik veel rijke mensen heb zien sterven, en geloof me, op die momenten heb je weinig aan rijkdom. Persoonlijk aarzel ik nooit om een morfinepomp voor te schrijven: dan hoeven ze maar op de knop te drukken om zichzelf als ze willen een bolus morfine in te spuiten en vrede met de wereld te krijgen, met een halo van zachtheid om zich heen, het is als het ware een shot kunstmatige liefde dat ze naar believen kunnen nemen. En daarnaast heb je de mensen die tot hun laatste dag liefde krijgen, bijvoorbeeld degenen die gelukkig getrouwd zijn geweest. Geloof me, die situatie is verre van algemeen. Ik vind de morfinepomp in dat geval overbodig, liefde is genoeg…’
De dood is vernietiging, de mens is bezig de planeet te vernietigen, maar ‘love is the answer’ zoals Lennon zong (Houellebecq verwijst al vroeg in zijn roman naar The Beatles, en de cover van Vernietigen zou een verwijzing zijn naar hun White Album). Vernietigen is een troostrijk boek. Dat is misschien wel de grootste kracht van deze roman.
doku_sho_ka's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jagomzm24's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
maniachesser's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25