What is it about?
This article considers Houellebecq's Soumission within the context of its publication (there was a terrorist attack in Paris the same day). It compares approaches to society, culture and literature within the novel to the kinds of responses found in social media.
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Why is it important?
The publication of the novel was caught up in the quick fire political debate about French society. Although controversial, it is a text that calls for (and requires) more complex approaches. Controversial in many ways, Houellebecq is an important author and this is an early reading of the novel that tries to open up some of the issues he raises.
Perspectives
It was interesting bringing together this article and exploring the various timelines involved, both within the novel and in how it became part of the political debate around the time of its publication.
Professor Murray Pratt
Universiteit van Amsterdam
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Michel Houellebecq’s Soumission: Adventures in Space, Time, Possibilities and French Studies, Australian Journal of French Studies, April 2017, Liverpool University Press,
DOI: 10.3828/ajfs.2017.03.
You can read the full text:
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