Paperback, 384 pages
Published March 1, 2001 by Vintage.
I am incredibly torn, I truly loved the ending of this book so much and the way in which Houellebecq writes feels so honest and raw and I love it. Despite that there were definitely some aspects of the book that felt somewhat dragged out. I did adore the commentary on religion though.
I like Houellebecq. Started out with his rather bleak essay on Lovecraft to continue with [b:The Map and the Territory|10099407|The Map and the Territory|Michel Houellebecq|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1331358268s/10099407.jpg|13583341], which proved an equally bleak view on the apparently controversial author himself. While recognizing his talent, I was unimpressed enough to discard the notion of ever reading anything of his again. Thus, it wasn't until I - by mere chance - happened to trade in a copy of Atomised and consequently put it on the shelf, next to the aforementioned books.
Summer comes along and something has to be read. Atomised, with an almost naked young woman on the cover, seems just right to hide behind while on the beach, secretly gazing at the more physical young women sunbathing all around me.
I had some trouble adapting to the style of writing (or possibly the translation by Frank Wynne) and had to reread certain passages …
I like Houellebecq. Started out with his rather bleak essay on Lovecraft to continue with [b:The Map and the Territory|10099407|The Map and the Territory|Michel Houellebecq|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1331358268s/10099407.jpg|13583341], which proved an equally bleak view on the apparently controversial author himself. While recognizing his talent, I was unimpressed enough to discard the notion of ever reading anything of his again. Thus, it wasn't until I - by mere chance - happened to trade in a copy of Atomised and consequently put it on the shelf, next to the aforementioned books.
Summer comes along and something has to be read. Atomised, with an almost naked young woman on the cover, seems just right to hide behind while on the beach, secretly gazing at the more physical young women sunbathing all around me.
I had some trouble adapting to the style of writing (or possibly the translation by Frank Wynne) and had to reread certain passages since the POV could, almost mid-sentence, change from Michel's to Bruno's, as well as referring to Michel by first or surname.
Overall, this book adds up to the bleakness I initially mentioned. One can even say it bears a deep resentment and misanthropic, bordering on nihilistic view on humanity. Then again, the pointless existence that the book's main characters have to endure is one of the main points of the book, and Houellebecq manages to pull this through, without resorting to equally pointless nostalgia och glorious days past. On the contrary, he points out that human existance is forever destined to be a pungent cesspool of pain, sorrow, pointlessness and death, illusorily spiced up by sex - although, in the end - that too will amount to little more than a moment of temporary relief.
I'll try to avoid spoilers, but the science fiction aspect of the novel (present through the whole story, but dominating in the epilogue) needs to be mentioned. Hadn't the book ended the way it does, I think a lot of it's worth would have been lost. As it is now, Atomised becomes a manifest for the future of humanity, as well as a chronicle of the end of mankind.
