TamTam Books News Saturday, September 03, 2005: First of all I want to go on the record to let everyone know that I am a big fan of Michel Houellebecq's only album "Presence Humaine," and I am personally looking forward to his new novel "La Possibilite d'Une Ile ('The Possibility of an Island'). I think the book will come out in English later this year in the U.K. Meanwhile here's an article in today Guardian:Snubbed critics snigger at writer's psychedelic rap Alex Duval Smith in ParisSunday September 4, 2005The Observer When the celebrated French author Michel Houellebecq launched his latest novel in circumstances of extraordinary secrecy last week, he enraged some of France's most eminent literary critics by witholding copies from them to stave off bad reviews.Now they appear to have struck back by circulating an embarrassing rap album featuring the tuneless voice of the controversial author in an apparent effort to dent his reputation as the bête noire of contemporary French writing.Article continuesThe five-year-old CD, on which the best-selling writer self-consciously recites his poetry against a kitsch psychedelic soundtrack, is being passed around the Saint-Germain literary quarter of Paris by critics who were snubbed when La Possibilite d'Une Ile ('The Possibility of an Island') was published last Thursday.The rap revenge follows an intense campaign of secrecy by publisher Fayard who, in an unprecedented attempt to secure good reviews, sent early copies of the book to only 15 critics - all of them seen as fans. The others were left to write about the literary event of the year without reading the book. The run-up to the release of Houellebecq's fourth novel has divided the French literary establishment as rarely before.'Passions are running high,' said a veteran of the Left Bank publishing houses. 'Either you love Houellebecq and consider him a misunderstood hero, like Sartre or Celine. Or you loathe him for being too commercial. The secrecy and favouritism by Fayard has been too much to bear.'The author of Atomised and Platform, both international best-sellers, has loathed journalists since 2002 when he ended up in court after one quoted him - correctly - as saying: 'Islam is the most stupid of religions.' Houellebecq (pronounced Welbeck), who divides his time between Ireland, France and Spain, has consequently not been around to defend his first book for four years, which is a pessimistic science fiction novel set in the Godless Canary Isles, where fruit is picked by machines and human sex is passionless.Neither has the writer - a 50-year-old Neil Young fan whose real name is Michel Thomas - commented on the rediscovery of Presence Humaine, the 10-track album he recorded with Nick Cave's arranger, Bertrand Burgalat, and his group Eiffel. Music critics say the album, Houellebecq's poems set to a 1970s psychedelic sound, is in keeping with the writer's style: depressing. Holidays are described through the eyes of an Algerian immigrant sweeping a discotheque floor, with images of condoms littering sand dunes.The lyrics of one track, 'Renaissance', give a sense of Houellebecq's dismay with the consumer society: 'The morning in Paris, the peaks of pollution/The war in Bosnia threatening to start up again/But you manage to find a taxi, it's a relief.'Houellebecq's musical career lasted five years and ran in tandem with his job as a computer programmer at the French parliament.Houellebecq met Burgalat in 1995 while he was writing an entry to a dictionary of rock music. The producer arranged for the poet-novelist to tour Germany with a rock group, AS Dragons. But their relationship soured over an expenses claim.By the time Presence Humaine was released in 2000, the financial returns of book-writing had overtaken rapping for Houellebecq. Atomised, published in 1998, sold 500,000 copies. In 2001, the writer hit the jackpot with his next novel, Platform, which describes an Islamist attack on the complacent West and was published 18 days before the 11 September attacks.In the four-year gap before publication of The Possibility of an Island, Houellebecq continued to make money. In April 2004 he was poached from his first publisher, Flammarion, for an estimated €1.4 million. The writer said he had fallen out with Flammarion after the publisher apologised to the elders of the Paris mosque for Houellebecq's comments about Islam.Houellebecq remains under discussion in the cafes of Saint-Germain. Eric Nalleau, who has just published the pamphlet 'Au secours Houellebecq revient' ('Help! Houellebecq is Back'), explained his popularity: 'He is not a writer of style but a writer of themes. He is ideal for dinner parties and for engaging in our national sport - talking about a book without having read it.' Tosh // 9:11 PM ______________________ Comments: Post a Comment
First of all I want to go on the record to let everyone know that I am a big fan of Michel Houellebecq's only album "Presence Humaine," and I am personally looking forward to his new novel "La Possibilite d'Une Ile ('The Possibility of an Island'). I think the book will come out in English later this year in the U.K. Meanwhile here's an article in today Guardian:Snubbed critics snigger at writer's psychedelic rap Alex Duval Smith in ParisSunday September 4, 2005The Observer When the celebrated French author Michel Houellebecq launched his latest novel in circumstances of extraordinary secrecy last week, he enraged some of France's most eminent literary critics by witholding copies from them to stave off bad reviews.Now they appear to have struck back by circulating an embarrassing rap album featuring the tuneless voice of the controversial author in an apparent effort to dent his reputation as the bête noire of contemporary French writing.Article continuesThe five-year-old CD, on which the best-selling writer self-consciously recites his poetry against a kitsch psychedelic soundtrack, is being passed around the Saint-Germain literary quarter of Paris by critics who were snubbed when La Possibilite d'Une Ile ('The Possibility of an Island') was published last Thursday.The rap revenge follows an intense campaign of secrecy by publisher Fayard who, in an unprecedented attempt to secure good reviews, sent early copies of the book to only 15 critics - all of them seen as fans. The others were left to write about the literary event of the year without reading the book. The run-up to the release of Houellebecq's fourth novel has divided the French literary establishment as rarely before.'Passions are running high,' said a veteran of the Left Bank publishing houses. 'Either you love Houellebecq and consider him a misunderstood hero, like Sartre or Celine. Or you loathe him for being too commercial. The secrecy and favouritism by Fayard has been too much to bear.'The author of Atomised and Platform, both international best-sellers, has loathed journalists since 2002 when he ended up in court after one quoted him - correctly - as saying: 'Islam is the most stupid of religions.' Houellebecq (pronounced Welbeck), who divides his time between Ireland, France and Spain, has consequently not been around to defend his first book for four years, which is a pessimistic science fiction novel set in the Godless Canary Isles, where fruit is picked by machines and human sex is passionless.Neither has the writer - a 50-year-old Neil Young fan whose real name is Michel Thomas - commented on the rediscovery of Presence Humaine, the 10-track album he recorded with Nick Cave's arranger, Bertrand Burgalat, and his group Eiffel. Music critics say the album, Houellebecq's poems set to a 1970s psychedelic sound, is in keeping with the writer's style: depressing. Holidays are described through the eyes of an Algerian immigrant sweeping a discotheque floor, with images of condoms littering sand dunes.The lyrics of one track, 'Renaissance', give a sense of Houellebecq's dismay with the consumer society: 'The morning in Paris, the peaks of pollution/The war in Bosnia threatening to start up again/But you manage to find a taxi, it's a relief.'Houellebecq's musical career lasted five years and ran in tandem with his job as a computer programmer at the French parliament.Houellebecq met Burgalat in 1995 while he was writing an entry to a dictionary of rock music. The producer arranged for the poet-novelist to tour Germany with a rock group, AS Dragons. But their relationship soured over an expenses claim.By the time Presence Humaine was released in 2000, the financial returns of book-writing had overtaken rapping for Houellebecq. Atomised, published in 1998, sold 500,000 copies. In 2001, the writer hit the jackpot with his next novel, Platform, which describes an Islamist attack on the complacent West and was published 18 days before the 11 September attacks.In the four-year gap before publication of The Possibility of an Island, Houellebecq continued to make money. In April 2004 he was poached from his first publisher, Flammarion, for an estimated €1.4 million. The writer said he had fallen out with Flammarion after the publisher apologised to the elders of the Paris mosque for Houellebecq's comments about Islam.Houellebecq remains under discussion in the cafes of Saint-Germain. Eric Nalleau, who has just published the pamphlet 'Au secours Houellebecq revient' ('Help! Houellebecq is Back'), explained his popularity: 'He is not a writer of style but a writer of themes. He is ideal for dinner parties and for engaging in our national sport - talking about a book without having read it.' Tosh // 9:11 PM
