A “new Houellebecq” is always a literary event. A few days after the start of sales in France appears to be at this 7. January, the new novel by the French author in Germany. Politically, he is explosive.
“…so there I was, a Western middle-aged man who had financially makes for some years, without relatives or friends, without any personal projects or real interests, deeply disappointed by his previous professional life, had made on the feeling level, various experiences, which have been consistently all have in common that they were eventually cancelled, to the end without a reason or to die for a reason.”
After about a quarter of the novel, the reader of “Serotonin” a short, concise description of the condition of the literary hero, who is at the same time an Outlook on what follows. Florent-Claude Labrouste’s the name of the I-narrator in “Serotonin”, 46 years old, an agricultural engineer and an employee in the Ministry of agriculture. Labrouste has just decided his life is radically transforming.
Serotonin = a typical Houellebecq fabric
What follows after this self-confession, is typical Houellebecq-material: cynical and hard, but always with a romantic touch, which the Show of despair of the heroes.
Not a novel for the 1958-born Frenchman, is the same as another and yet one should also recognize as a literary layman after a few pages of reading, that is, in “Serotonin” in the middle of it in Houellebecq’s universe.
A country in turmoil – theme of the new novel by Michel Houellebecq
Michel Houellebecq is one of the most famous writers in the world. Each new book of the French is anticipated. Only a few days after the publication of the book in its French home Serotonin “in English is” – this is also a sign that the publishing Manager, in the case of this author, of far-sighted planning. Finally, the books of the French are selling very well.
In times when everywhere over the loss of the reading culture is sued, is a Houellebecq novel is a safe business. An interesting side-effect, because there is hardly another writer laments the cultural decline of the Western world are so drastic and complex as the French.
Houellebecq is a Poet with prophetic abilities?
“Serotonin” is the seventh novel Houellebecqs. His literary predecessors, has been attested often prophetic clairvoyance. Religious fanaticism (“submission”), the Status of relationship between a man and a woman in the 21st century. Century (“the elementary particles”/ “The possibility of an island”), the world (Sex)mass tourism in the Wake of the globalization (“platform”), or scientific “progress” in the field of genetic engineering (“elementary”) – these were the topics of earlier novels, which caused discussions, even outside of literary circles.
That Houellebecqs last novel “submission”, which deals with, among other things, to Islam and terrorism, appeared on the day of the attack on the Editorial offices of the Satire magazine “Charlie Hebdo”, was for some observers, evidence of the almost “psychic” abilities of the author.
Triggered a fierce debate: Houellebecqs novel “submission”
“Serotonin” could you now describe as the novel of the hour, but, among other things, the uprising of the disadvantaged groups of the population against the French policy. In France, the yellow West-movement protested for a couple of weeks ago against the President of Macron’s reform course. In “Serotonin” is it the dairy farmers in the rebel – full of despair and violence.
Yellow-West movement, as a literary theme
A few scenes from “Serotonin” is expected to describe realistic, as it is currently on French roads. And you could interpret it also as a warning: In the Wake of the protests against politics and bureaucracy in the course of the novel, what is happening to the dead – it remains so not for highway blockades and verbal attacks against the “political Establishment”. Will be Houellebecq so, again, as a “Prophet”?
However, if one were to describe the novel is completely wrong, if you classify him as a political treatise. “Serotonin” is presented, first and foremost, and because he resembles the other novels of the author, as a literary sketch of an unlucky man in times of middle age. “Serotonin” is a book about a man in the crisis of his life.
Increasing brutality on the streets – in “Serotonin” which leads to dead
As a “deeply disappointed” by the professional and relationship life presents Houellebecq his hero. Leads to the start of Labrouste’s still a relationship to the Japanese Yuzu. However, the has no future, is frozen in Routine. As as silent as possible in a divorce, ask yourself Labrouste? The literary Hero chooses the path of the traceless disappearance. In a Hotel in the heart of Paris, he came to live, without leaving a message, cut all the threads of his former life.
The Disappearance of Libido
However, it is not only the disappointment over the course of his professional career and about the large number of failed relationships that make up Labroustes emotional crisis. Apparently, he suffers from severe depression. As a way out, only an Anti-Depressant remains: The effect of the Agent “Captorix” is described by Houellebecq in detail and also leads to the clarification of the novel’s title: “Captorix was excessive serotonin secretion.” A result of the drug consumption: of sexual Desire is inhibited, the Libido disappears.
Those who think that Houellebecq is no longer before us for the first time, a literary hero who thinks of Sex, is mistaken. Although Labrouste may have previously philosophizes that “with regard to the Libido, not very much” has changed, because sexual Desire is anyway gone since some time back, but the overwhelming Houellebecq-the subject of Sex remains, even in “Serotonin”.
Is the “Serotonin” of the novel to the yellow West-movement?
Sex is a constant theme of Michel Houellebecq
Houellebecq presents once more a sex-crazed literary heroes. The reader is confronted with memories of past lovers, each other, encounters with prostitutes or sexual fantasies. And so, too, “Serotonin” porn contains graphic scenes, which are surpassed in their clarity and Detail, boldness and Houellebecq once more than the late descendants of the Marquis de Sade.
Politics and pornography, individual suffering, and belief, these poles lie in the author are always close to each other. Anyone who has liked the previous novels Houellebecqs, will also read this with pleasure. Anyone who has bothered to the often cynical and radically pessimistic view of the world, is also expected to have the new book of the French, no joy. Gloomy existentialism and misanthropy are one of Houellebecq, as well as Sex and politics.
The Frenchman looks over the course of time in his home
Interesting in the novels of the French – in addition to the psychologically dark, but believable characters – in the current society-relevant bays. In “Serotonin” is this the sharp criticism of the consequences of globalisation.
In order to gain distance to his former life, visited Labrouste Aymeric, the only friend from the former agricultural Economics-study days, still works as a farmer. Aymeric takes a dairy calf operation and suffers from falling prices, policy and EU-regulations induced by international trade.
Mulling over politics and society and continues to be fascinated by the topic of Sex
Since Houellebecq is quite on the pulse of the time – see the yellow West-Protest. Shortly before the publication of the novel the writer has commented in an article for the US magazine “Harper’s” praise of US President, Trump as “one of the best American presidents”. It now reads “Serotonin”, you know why. Trump’s protectionist economic policy is here seen as a way out of the crisis of globalisation.
Longing for the “good old days”
In-depth discussions between Labrouste and Aymeric is about how both of my fatal cul-de-SAC in terms of agricultural policy philosophizes. Globalization has led to smaller farm and also ecologically acting companies are fighting a losing battle, so the interpretation: “Everything is in the ass,” is the little subtle formulated conclusion Labroustes. Here Houellebecqs by seems to be longing for the “good old times”: The old France is dead – the future seems to be little hope.
It is the linking radical is again pessimistic socio-political analysis with the description of the individual (male) is suffering, which is also a characteristic of this new book.
In his political interpretations, it is not necessary to follow the French. His pornographic omissions, you do not need to like can make you feel as repulsive. Stunning Michel Houellebecq is undoubtedly, if not the visionary (and sometimes also moral) grabs fury and he moves on to thematic in addition to locations.
Humorous and intelligent: Literary in addition to locations
He is often witty and pointed. Also for German literature, Houellebecq is expressed. In his emotional despair of his Hero Labrouste an old project recalls. The “magic mountain” of Thomas Mann, he did always want to read. But the disappointment follows on the heels of:
“As well as this old cattle Goethe (the German Humanist with a Mediterranean twist, one of the most harrowing Schwafler of world literature), as well as (nevertheless far more sympathetic Scherer) Hero Aschenbach, Thomas Mann, Thomas Mann himself was, and that was very bad, the fascination of youth and beauty in for the kill, which he had made, ultimately, over everything else, all the intellectual and moral qualities, and which he had indulged, ultimately, even without the slightest restraint.”
It is certainly not wrong, if you can see in this sentence is also a Declaration of the world picture of the French author Michel Houellebecq.
Michel Houellebecq: Serotonin, translated from the French by Stephan Small, Dumont publishing house, 336 pages, ISBN 978-3-8321-8388-2.