A review by jashton
Serotonin by Michel Houellebecq

4.0

A powerful indictment of contemporary Western society, and more specifically, the inefficacy of the European Union as a positive force. At first, the narrative presents itself as the story of a depressed man suffering from the postmodern condition—entrapped in a state of loneliness and ennui—but the book takes a completely different direction when Florent travels out to Normandy. The first half of the story had been decadent, intentionally obscene and rather flat, but when the political undertones became brighter in the French rurality, the themes that Houellebecq was hinting at became more apparent. The European Union, with their policies of globalisation and aggressive free trade, have left domestic farmers to compete in a global market, and Houellebecq's frustration with the carelessness of the officials obviously becomes clear through the dialogue of the farmers. But, after the politics seemingly comes to an end, the final part of the book consists of the dark spiral that Florent takes as his depression worsens (and his antidepressant usage increases). I remained gripped through every page, and thoroughly enjoyed the story, however morbid it may have been.