"Submission", Michel Houellebecq - book review

Released on the day of the attack on the editorial office of Charlie Hebdo, the book presents a vision of the future unlike any other.

Franҫois, lecturer in literature at the Sorbonne, leads a quiet and rather lonely life. Doctorate and habilitation devoted to the nineteenth-century prose writer Joris-Karl Huysmans earned him respect and popularity in the scientific community, and his name is recognizable among specialists. The following days are spent teaching classes, writing articles, or fleeting romances, and the only point of reference in the monotonous reality is the French political scene. The year 2022 and the elections in which the Muslim Brotherhood triumphs become the culmination and a new beginning. Education is one area of ​​particular interest to the leading party and president, Mohammed Ben Abbes. It is there that the greatest changes take place quickly - from the names of universities, through the verification of the religion and costumes applicable to students, to the restriction of education for girls.

To say that I do not share many of this author's views is to say nothing. However, I respect his very provocative tone. This novel is an expression of his concerns about the future of Europe, showing a nihilistic collapse. Socialist humanism has led to the moral collapse of the West, the Church has "outlived" and its contemporaries are unable to find themselves within its old-fashioned borders, and Islam with intellectual, military, and financial resources is taking over Europe.

The book would be acceptable if the author wouldn't irritate with chauvinism and ultra-conservatism. Unfortunately, Islamophobia in this book is very clear and after reading some interviews with the writer, I know it's not just my impression but his beliefs. I don't recommend this book to anyone who respects other cultures - it's nothing but the fears and stereotypes written down and plotted into the story. Total rubbish.

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MY SCORE	1/5

Thank you for reading,
@papi.mati