The peculiar circumstances surrounding the publication of michel houellebecqs latest novel constitute a case study in how even the biggest literary news stories are, in the wider scheme of things, small potatoes. Submission, houellebecqs sixth novel, predicts that in 2022 frances mainstream left and right club together to back a certain mohammed ben abbes in a. Houellebecq skewers french academe the chronicle of. Even the title has been described as provocative, suggesting a translation of the word islam, which in arabic means submission to the will of allah. Michel houellebecq defends his controversial new book. Michel houellebecq s novel soumission made its entry into the world under conditions that can confidently be declared unprecedented. The french writer michel houellebecq has become a literary case to be reprimanded as much as an author to be read, and his new novel, soumission, or submission, shows why. Disembowler of all modes of political correctness, from the myth of the modern males respect for women to the laughable fiction of the liberal westerners respect for nonwestern cultures. French controversialist michel houellebecq takes another. The french edition of the book was published on 7 january 2015 by flammarion, with german unterwerfung and italian sottomissione translations also published in january.
Over dinner, alain tanneur tells francois that ben abbes s foreign policy is to shift europes center of gravity toward the south, integrating perhaps turkey and morocco, and then tunisia and algeria, into the european union. Huysmans, the famous nineteenthcentury decadent author. Ben abbes, the friendly islamic politician who ushers in frances islamic era, is revealed late in the book to favor an economic model called distributisman idea developed by english catholic. And then more recent books, not as good, which are more like thrillers. Soumission, by michel houellebecq, flammarion, 300 pp.
The novel brings these two threads together through the actions of a third character named rediger. Houellebecq skewers french academe nicolas guerin, getty images. In 2010, he won the prestigious goncourt prize for his last novel, the map and the. Michel houellebecq born michel thomas, born 26 february 1958 birth certificate or 1956 on the french island of reunion, is a controversial and awardwinning french novelist. Mr houellebecq says his book is a vision, based on the collapse. Marine le pen of the front national, and muhammed ben abbes of the nascent muslim fraternity.
Nonetheless, he is forced to take notice when the muslim brotherhood, under the leadership of the charismatic mohammed ben abbes, comes to power in an electoral coup. Hes a middleaged lecturer at the new sorbonne university and an expert on j. Soumission submission is the latest work from provocative french author who. A moderate and skillful politician called mohammed ben abbes, leader of the muslim fraternity party, wins the presidential election, trouncing marine le pen and making a coalition pact with the socialists. Michel houellebecq stops promotion of new novel after. Michel houellebecq provokes france with story of muslim president. On the docket was houellebecqs soumission submission, a wildly divisive, highly speculative novel about the rise of mohammed ben abbes, who, representing the muslim fraternity, becomes france. Marine le pen, the reallife leader of frances rightwing national front who appears in submission as a political leader defeated by the fictional ben abbes, has said of mr.
In each of the book s story lines, what remains consistent across time, regardless of place. Submission may be the most relevant book of the year. Soumission did not simply come out on 7 january, the day when jihadists attacked the offices of charlie hebdo. Michel houellebecqs fictional soumission puts france. Soumission was published on 7 january, the day of the charlie hebdo massacre. Submission is a novel in which there is a fundamental political and social change in france, the 2022 presidential elections seeing mohammed ben abbes, leader of the french muslim brotherhood, win the runoff which he just squeaked into by a landslide and taking france down a very different path. Michel houellebecqs new novel, soumission, is not a political tool.
Ben abbes is a rather vaporous, utterly undeveloped character, but as an idea, he is quite. Is the novel realistic about the democratic process. As the 2022 presidential election approaches, two candidates emerge as favourites. Narrated by a middleaged academic, soumission sees houellebecq imagine france in 2022, where front national leader marine le pen is beaten by the leader of frances new islamic party, mohammed ben. Soumission litterature francaise 11631 french edition michel houellebecq. It would be the chance of a second life, without much relation to. Michel houellebecq defends his controversial new novel. Michel houellebecqs new novel, soumission, is not a. His bestknown book, platform, tackled the issue of sex tourism.
Mohammed ben abbes, bring france to the brink of civil war, that francois fears political history might impinge on his life, adding discomfort. As the ben abbes agenda advances, soumission generates an unsettling frisson of dread mixed with sexuality, as francoiss burqaclad. The book serves to point out the numerous social overlaps between the two forms of ideology, and the left is also drawn in. Soumission is a stunningly pessimistic exploration of human nature and the meaninglessness of. Top american libraries canadian libraries universal library community texts project gutenberg biodiversity heritage library childrens library. Soumission submission, the sixth novel by houellebecq one of frances bestknown and most widely translated authors deals with subject matter especially likely to stir debate in a. As the 2022 french presidential election looms, two candidates emerge as favourites. Michel houellebecq provokes france with story of muslim. Like most good stories, it isnt true, for the most part. Michel houellebecqs new book may be satirical and melancholic, but it is also hilarious, a comic masterpiece by one of frances great novelists.
Ben abbes is a rather vaporous, utterly undeveloped character, but as an idea, he is quite fascinating. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. Now mr houellebecq is at it again, with soumission submission, his. What is the attitude of this book toward muslims, and the prospect of such a president of france. Ben abbes wins the election, and becomes president of france. The novel, which caused a stir in france when it appeared in. Designated as the most important novel of 2015, soumission, by michel houellebecq, is a provocative french political cautionary tale. The title of the booksoumission in frenchcan be seen as a. Its 2022, a charismatic islamist politician called mohammed ben abbes has become president, and france has fallen under his spell. As the 2022 presidential election approaches, two candidates emerge as favorites. The flipflopping francois bayrou currently mayor of pau becomes prime minister.
Soumission submission, which will be published in the new year, will confirm houellebecqs reputation as one of frances most provocative writers. In an exclusive interviewthe first hes given about this novelhouellebecq. Forming a controversial alliance with the political left to block the front nationals alarming ascendency, ben abbes sweeps to power, and overnight. Thanks to an antile pen front, mr ben abbes is elected and thus. Forming a controversial alliance with the mainstream parties, ben abbes sweeps to power, and overnight the country is transformed. Ben abbess government soon imposes a kind of relaxed sharia law throughout france andthis is the books central joke and pointthe. French controversialist michel houellebecq takes another tilt at islam. In the book submission houellebecq describes in a calm, almost casual style, the fictional stories of a paris university professor of literature, who describes his everyday life and thereby taps the social upheaval, after a muslim party has won the elections. It takes place almost exclusively in the conditional tense, which endows it with a certain eeriness, particularly in the final lines. Journal of economic education 19692015 books by language journal of law and education 19722015 journal of management studies 19822015 journal of materials engineering. Soumission litterature francaise 11631 french edition. This becomes possible because the socialist party, the union for a popular movement and the union of democrats and independents enter into a coalition with the muslim brotherhood.
The book instantly became a bestseller in france, germany and italy. The french edition of the book was published on 7 january 2015 by. Islamophobic michel houellebecq book featured by charlie. Benabbes wins the election, and becomes president of france. M ichel houellebecq s novel about a muslim takeover of france is a melancholy tribute to the pleasure of surrender. Marine le pen of the front national, and the charismatic muhammed ben abbes of the growing muslim fraternity. Soumission is a novel by french writer michel houellebecq. Michel houellebecqs new novel, submission, imagines france in 2022 under its first muslim president, mohammed ben abbes. An islamic candidate, mohammed ben abbes, qualifies for the runoff of the.
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