NP - Houellebecq on Paris attacks

[rich]

The Elementary particles was wonderful

rich

On Fri, Nov 20, 2015 at 3:52 PM, Mark Sacha <msacha1121 at gmail.com> wrote:

> My French is nonexistent. For what it's worth the only Houellebecq I've
> touched is The Map and the Territory and apart from the overplayed bitter
> man beds beautiful women stuff, I found it massively funny (I think the
> English translator of Submission has also mentioned it's more of a satire
> than the right-wing paranoia-fest it's assumed to be). Merci, all.
>
>
>
>>>
>>> > On Nov 20, 2015, at 7:59 AM, Mark Sacha <msacha1121 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> >
>>> > Very much on the fence about reading this one. The Huysmans stuff
>>> sounds more compelling to me than the French caving in angle... maybe I
>>> should just pick up some Zola instead.
>>> >
>>> > Looking forward to what you have to say.
>>> >
>>> > On Fri, Nov 20, 2015 at 10:43 AM, rich <richard.romeo at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>> > just started Submission and will probably post something about it when
>>> I'm done.
>>> >
>>> > the essay is classicly overdramatic and overreached. much to be
>>> expected. however it is hard to argue with the last two paragraphs, except
>>> the last two lines. im not sure what direct democracy is, France being ever
>>> governed by mother Paris
>>> >
>>> > what makes maybe an essay somehat buffoonish works better in fiction
>>> or so I think reading 1/4 of Submission
>>> >
>>> > rich
>>> >
>>> > On Fri, Nov 20, 2015 at 4:05 AM, matthew cissell <mccissell at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>> >
>>> http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/21/opinion/how-frances-leaders-failed-its-people.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-right-region&region=opinion-c-col-right-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-right-region&_r=
>>> >
>>> > Ecce Houellebecq. The Author has spoken, too bad he didn't choose
>>> silence.
>>> >
>>> > The title blames the leaders. In his second paragraph he attributes
>>> the 1986 atttacks to Hezbollah. (Let's pass over his moaning about the lack
>>> of a Churchill like leader, but recall what Brecht said in Galileo about
>>> the need for leaders.) Then Chez Michel sez the blame is widely shared, but
>>> then in the next line he's back to blaming leaders. So which is it Michel?
>>> >
>>> > Howlabook claims that the "essential mission" of the government is to
>>> protect the population. Guess he didn't study Poli-sci.
>>> >
>>> > Perhaps someone should remind Monsieur H. that the only people
>>> responsible for the attacks are the people who perpetrated them.
>>> >
>>> > Mon. H. would like to be Zola but this is not his lineage. Michel
>>> Houellebecq belongs to the line Joseph de Miastre, Maurice Barres, and
>>> Charles Maurras.
>>> >
>>> > But is his piece not also part of the game? An essay here or there
>>> following on some book release to bump up the numbers, not a rational act
>>> following rules but a feel for the game - "Now is the time for this!" A
>>> controversial piece to make sure your name stays in the news for some days.
>>> (Think back to how Baudrillard made the most out of events by saying
>>> something supposedly profound - Iraq war and 2001 attacks.) His blip is
>>> growing, and perhaps I should not contribute to it, but when you hear
>>> idiocy proclaimed as wisdom it is incumbent upon you to respond.
>>> >
>>> > Pauvre France. there must be more than Houellebecq and BS Henri Levy.
>>> Sure makes me miss Bourdieu.
>>> >
>>> > ciao
>>> > mc otis
>>> >
>>> >
>>>
>>> -
>>> Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?listpynchon-l
>>>
>>
>>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://waste.org/pipermail/pynchon-l/attachments/20151120/c470df1f/attachment.html>