Are you talking about the personality or supposed positions of Houellebecq?
The positions. I can’t co-sign a person who buys into the “Great Replacement” garbage
2 Likes
It’s quite complicated to know what he really thinks about it, between what he says about it, what he debates about it, what the press says about it, what his literary agent thinks he should say.
His public persona is certainly controversial.
It’s not out of the ordinary that I said I liked Houellebecq’s “work”.
Have you read submission? Certainly not his best novel but a good novel,
I did not see racism or propaganda on the theme of the great replacement.
Personally, I am deeply “no borders” and I don’t care who comes from where, to go where, when, why or how. We are all at some point in history or even in our own lives migrants or sons of migrants from the same little place on earth and everyone should be able to move in complete freedom.
The best bread and the best ice cream I buy come from two stores run by Arabs, believers or not I don’t know and I don’t care, where they come from, it doesn’t matter but in any case I don’t feel neither invaded, nor big replaced, all I see is that I have good bread, good ice cream to share and that two nice guys run shops.
I read this novel as a simple fiction that could have staged Buddhists or Rastafarians, it doesn’t matter. I didn’t feel like I was being pushed into brown plague thoughts.
On the other hand, I love gazelle horns, I may have already been replaced without my knowledge.
To sum up, I only know Ye from very far and through the press, no idea of his work (I know that he supported Trump for example, that’s about all) but I have the impression that they are two very different moral “cases”.
1 Like
Sure. Not accusing you of anything. I also have not read Submission and only know it by reputation.
If his public statements are genuine, I stand by my last post. If satirical, they don’t work, because they are indistinguishable to me from real hateful talking points.
Bowie had his Thin White Duke persona – and he later apologized for it.
1 Like
I did not feel accused at all, no problem and I understand your point, it was to contextualize that if I had felt something questionable in his work, I would not have allowed myself to publicize it. Regarding the public side, I am less aware because less interested and in the past other accusation on his mysoginia or other did not seem to me to hold during the reading. I therefore suspect more of a concern for public relations and questionable choices.
Now it is the eternal debate between the work and the author.
Should we burn the masterpieces of Louis Ferdinand Celine?
That series started so strong, but it eventually spun up so many characters/plot threads, I felt like it lost focus. I think I tapped out around Volume 6/7. Did they ever bring it all back together?
Any criticism of the plot aside, the art is consistently gorgeous
1 Like
I definitely understand what you mean, it started to sprawl quite a bit. I feel like the cast got thinned back out and it got a bit more focused again but there were some big dramatic twists between when you stopped reading and now. Where vol 10 ended it could definitely start spreading itself thin again in the future.
Edit: Have you ever read FBP? Very different comic, but I feel like if you enjoy Fiona Staples’ work you’ll probably enjoy the artist who did the visuals for that series.
1 Like
Thanks for the recommendation! I searched for FBP online, and yeah, that art style is wild. I might have to pick up a trade paperback next time I take my daughter to the comic store.
1 Like
currently re-reading the Three Body Problem. A Chinese adaptation just came out that I want to be refreshed for. Theres also an adaptation made in Minecraft thats supposed to be good. highly recommend the series for sci fi fans
1 Like
Only if you’re really, really cold.
1 Like