ANNIHILATION By Michel Houellebecq, translated by Shaun Whiteside Fiction/Picador/Paperback/ 526 pages/$34.95
To read Michel Houellebecq is often to put one's value system to the test. Both in and out of his books, France's most famous living novelist has been no stranger to controversy.
He is an unabashed Islamophobe, as well as a vocal supporter of former United States president Donald Trump and Brexit. In his 2019 work Serotonin, an unfaithful wife is put through some frankly disgusting scenarios, of the sort that feels vengeful given Houellebecq's own high-profile divorces.
Annihilation, purportedly the 68-year-old's final novel, is, by contrast, a very straight-laced, even tame, affair.
His conservatism still underpins everything, but it is really a wide-ranging vehicle for communicating the author's views on everything from religion to death to the futility of politics.
In many moments, he makes sure readers know he has earned the right to keep their attention, winding his way through the quotidian to seek cautious revelation.
Cruising prose brilliantly combines deeply personal fears and sweeping societal critique. It is the swansong of an author who, finally, deserves to be ranked among the greats.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 03, 2024 من The Straits Times.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 03, 2024 من The Straits Times.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
'Nobody won': Residents of Lebanese city return to rubble
Tens of thousands try to process aftermath of Israel's attacks
British lawmakers give initial support to assisted dying Bill
Britain's Parliament voted in favour of a new Bill to legalise assisted dying on Nov 29, opening the way for months of further debate on an issue that has divided the country and raised questions about the standard of palliative care.
China says it'll cooperate in probe into severed Baltic Sea cables
BEIJING - China said on Nov 29 it was \"willing to work\" with a probe into the severing of two Baltic Sea cables linked to a Chinese ship, after Sweden asked for Beijing's cooperation with the investigation.
Meet the workers battling to keep the lights on in Ukraine
When Russian missiles hurtle towards the Ukrainian power plant and employees scramble for the bomb shelter, a handful of workers stay above ground in a control room protected by sandbags to keep the system running manually.
Trump may thwart Kim-Putin ambition on economic ties: Study
If Ukraine conflict ends, Russia and North Korea's need for each other may change
Divorces in China on the rise again despite cooling-off period
It is seen as a 'troublesome' requirement and not a factor that could change minds
Going bananas: Crypto boss eats his $8.3m artwork
HONG KONG - Crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun on Nov 29 fulfilled a promise he made after spending US$6.2 million (S$8.3 million) on an artwork featuring a banana duct-taped to a wall - by eating the fruit.
'I really wanted to live'
SQ321 passenger who fractured spine gets back on her feet
Japan's Ishiba, leading a minority govt, must find political nous to thrive
His best odds are to rediscover that courage to go against the grain to make a difference
Albanese shifts to election mode, seeking trust on living costs
SYDNEY - Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pivoted to election mode, hoping to win back voter confidence that his government can tackle high living costs, particularly housing, after clearing the decks with a torrent of legislation.
