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A review by spyralnode
Platform by Michel Houellebecq
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Before I started this book, I read a bit about Michel Houellebecq. I can see that he splits the crowd. His Wikipedia biography reveals something akin to the stereotypical French artiste, his eccentricity showing in his background through his mother being described as hippie, him being raised in different places from Reunion to Algeria to later French, and this later being revealed in his writing through the exploration of psychology via the lens of the dark side of sex. And while there are some kinks in here (and also a rape scene that sensitive readers should know about), what I mean by dark is more towards sex as a political and economical tool, rather than the natural act it is. Even here, a lot of reviewers read Houellebecq as vulgar, and that disappoints me. I don't consider the scenes written here cheap, but rather tasteful and well-placed, marking the addiction and allure of sex as the motivation for the Eastern/Western and even colonisation discussions. It's there for a reason, and while it is provoking and shocking, it tells a story.
These discussions are taking places while honing in on the subject of sex tourism. The main character, Michel, is a man in his fourties, self-described as having no hobbies or interests. What he does do is frequently go to the peep-show around the corner from his workplace at the Ministry of Culture. At some point he goes on holiday to Thailand, where he meets Valerie as part of the travelling group. While engaging in sexual activities with the locals during his time there, it's only after their return to Paris that the two start a relationship. Valerie works in tourism herself, and looks into boosting the offering of her company through a charmingly called 'Aphrodite' package, trips for the sensual-minded.
As you can imagine, yes, there are a lot of sex scenes. And I can't talk about this book without talking about the erotic side of it because it is such a huge vehicle for the kind of discussions this book sparks. But as I said earlier, these are not gratuitous, and something I loved throughout is there is never any judgement or criticism of the prostitutes. In fact they are seen as victims of the systems, their struggles are depicted kindly, understandingly, and this is put in fact by being tipped well too. The scenes are not cruel or objectifying in the slightest, in fact they read as charming, in a hot and exciting way (with the one exception of the rape scene). And Michel and Valerie's relationship is also heartwarmingly mature. Sure, it misses the spark and messiness of romance novels, it is calm and quiet, two level-headed people coming together for mutual support, with proper communication, who find that they both have a sexual curiosity too.
And then there are a lot of passages that read almost like philosophy. Some of these are in the main character's head (we are reading in first person), some are in the dialogues other characters are having. These relate mostly to the East/West divide, what differentiates men and women in these cultures, what is attractive beyond the racial divide, and even how sex tourism is seen between different European nations with a comparison between the French, German, Italian and Spanish (Americans have been excluded due to their dominating religious takes, fair enough, that's equally as valid today in 2023 as it was in 2001). I particularly thought a lot about sex becoming cerebral in the West, filled with rules such as when in a relationship to make it physical, S&M, what is defined as objectification. The book also argues that the cost of sex in countries with low economies, such as Thailand or Cuba, is actually the price that a Westerner is willing to pay. The supremacy of the white man, of course.
I think this was provoking in the best way.
These discussions are taking places while honing in on the subject of sex tourism. The main character, Michel, is a man in his fourties, self-described as having no hobbies or interests. What he does do is frequently go to the peep-show around the corner from his workplace at the Ministry of Culture. At some point he goes on holiday to Thailand, where he meets Valerie as part of the travelling group. While engaging in sexual activities with the locals during his time there, it's only after their return to Paris that the two start a relationship. Valerie works in tourism herself, and looks into boosting the offering of her company through a charmingly called 'Aphrodite' package, trips for the sensual-minded.
As you can imagine, yes, there are a lot of sex scenes. And I can't talk about this book without talking about the erotic side of it because it is such a huge vehicle for the kind of discussions this book sparks. But as I said earlier, these are not gratuitous, and something I loved throughout is there is never any judgement or criticism of the prostitutes. In fact they are seen as victims of the systems, their struggles are depicted kindly, understandingly, and this is put in fact by being tipped well too. The scenes are not cruel or objectifying in the slightest, in fact they read as charming, in a hot and exciting way (with the one exception of the rape scene). And Michel and Valerie's relationship is also heartwarmingly mature. Sure, it misses the spark and messiness of romance novels, it is calm and quiet, two level-headed people coming together for mutual support, with proper communication, who find that they both have a sexual curiosity too.
And then there are a lot of passages that read almost like philosophy. Some of these are in the main character's head (we are reading in first person), some are in the dialogues other characters are having. These relate mostly to the East/West divide, what differentiates men and women in these cultures, what is attractive beyond the racial divide, and even how sex tourism is seen between different European nations with a comparison between the French, German, Italian and Spanish (Americans have been excluded due to their dominating religious takes, fair enough, that's equally as valid today in 2023 as it was in 2001). I particularly thought a lot about sex becoming cerebral in the West, filled with rules such as when in a relationship to make it physical, S&M, what is defined as objectification. The book also argues that the cost of sex in countries with low economies, such as Thailand or Cuba, is actually the price that a Westerner is willing to pay. The supremacy of the white man, of course.
I think this was provoking in the best way.