Product Description

Michel is a civil-servant at the Ministry of Culture. When his father is murdered and he comes into some money, Michel takes leave of absence to go on a package tour to Thailand. Infuriated by the shallow hypocrisy and mediocrity of his fellow travellers, only the awkward Valerie attracts his attention. Too bashful to pursue her, Michel prefers the uncomplicated pleasures of Thai massage parlours and sex with local women. But, back in Paris, he calls Valerie and they plunge into a passionate affair which strays far beyond the bounds of his previous `vanilla' existence, into S&M, partner-swapping and sex in public. Michel quits his job, and tries to help Valerie and her boss, Jean-Yves, in their ailing travel business, by offering travel packages based on sex tourism in the third world. When their project comes to fruition and the three return to Thailand, Michel discovers that sex is neither the most consuming nor the most dangerous of human passions…

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #342708 in Books
• Published on: 2002-09-05
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

Anita Brookner in the Observer ‘Books of the Year’ (2001)
`A brilliant novel... English novels rather fell by the wayside in comparison'

Jonathan Meades in the Observer ‘Books of the Year’ (2001)
`Just amazing - there's a sod-you bravura akin to the young Martin Amis/middle-period Burgess/late Nabokov/most of all, the DeLillo of Libra'

Synopsis
Houellebecq's new novel tells the story of an attempt to create a package-holiday company for sex-tourists. Less philosophical and grandly ambitious than Atomised, it is, if anything, even more outrageously funny and bitingly satirical of the ways we live now than the earlier novel. Added to which, there is a genuinely moving love affair, real characters and a real plot!

Customer Reviews

Better than Atomised?
Again much relevant comment is already available on Amazon and the leading reviews are reasonably pertinent. But I see nothing very much in Platform to enhance Houellebecq's "Great Writer" status. I fail to see where Anita Brookner - herself a fine and impeccable stylist- finds "brilliance". However, it is a much better book than Atomised (incidently the original title translates as Elementary Particles which makes much more sense of the actual content); Houellebecq is perhaps learning the writer's craft. He certainly followed my recommendation and developed his bent for comedy. In its way its quite a funny book. But that way is the way of darkness - it is a comedy in the same way as Dante's Inferno is a comedy! (Ok - I do know that its not really a legitimate comparison but I think folk will see what I'm getting at). The main ostensible subject is "Sex Tourism" - which is interesting, though hardly titillating the way Houellebecq tells it. The book is often billed as controvertial because it is seen as a defence of this activity. But there is, as one would expect given Houellebecq's philosophical antecedents, a deep ambivalence. Most people, I guess, having been informed, amused and having secretly experienced a little "frisson", would reject the whole idea with disgust. It seems at least arguable that this may be the writer's intention. In conclusion I feel this is a book worth reading and, as a result of reading it, I may well go on to read his next one.

Not for me
Reading other's reviews of this book, I have to conclude that maybe I just didn't understand it - I hated every character in the book, and felt no sympathy for any of them at any point, and as such, no real interest in their decisions or actions. I'm assuming from others' comments that this was partly the point of the story, but I found it hard to be engaged with the story given my feelings towards the characters. I couldn't work out whether the author approved of the sex industry/tourism he described, and I thought that some of the comments about foreign prostitutes enjoying their work were completely laughable...if men are that easy to fool then I worry for the state of the world...they would need to quickly be removed from all positions of power! Although maybe I have just completely missed the point....anyway, at least I was pleased at the end when I felt they all got what they deserved. And as the main character came across as so unlikable, unattrctive and lazy, I couldn't even enjoy the sex scenes....I actively resented the fact that he was getting any...oh well, at least others enjoyed this book!

Brilliant
Platform is one of my favourite books. It is breath takingly brilliant. It is completely and utterly absorbing. At the same time as possessing an interesting story-line, Houellebecq still manages to capture the emotions and feelings of contemorary life. He holds up a mirror to Western society and shows it warts and all. I loved the book from start to finish. It's a powerful piece of prose which sucked me in and I couldn't help but find myself agreeing with most of what the rather misanthropic narrator had to say. Some may find the novel slightly bleak, but paradoxically this nihilism and unflattering portrayal of modern times is simultaeously uplifting and exhilirating. Definitely worth a read.