Where the Sunshine Ends
August 01, 2006

Not since my discovery of Haruki Murakami in the summer of 2001 have I been so excited about an author: In Platform, Michel Houellebecq cohesively examines and articulates upon fragments of Western sexuality that have often escaped my grip of understanding. In short, I find myself fascinated with the topic of why some of us in the West need to find newer, more “interesting” ways of satisfying our sexual nature.

Houellebecq (pronounced “well-beck”) takes few short-cuts in his storytelling, often digressing into the histories of his subjects and topping it off with graphic descriptions of sexual encounters. But while many authors will court these techniques as gimmicks, here they feel at home, integral to the understanding and feel of the final thought.

In Platform specifically, the analysis of why Western men find themselves in places like Thai brothels or Parisian S&M clubs is one of much discussion. Could it be that the modern, media-saturated society has desensitized us into not getting any enjoyment out of the most common of physical expressions? For those who enjoy delving into masochism, does it signify a sort of regression into our primitive nature? If so, is that just a harbinger of further regressions in our daily lives?

These are ideas that continue to fascinate, and while the novel itself has a few other ideas on the side (of which the most controversial is the seeming denouncement of Islamic extremism), this underlying discussion of the nature of Western sexuality keeps afloat interest from beginning to end.

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yo, wellbeck just totally fucked my mind too (in the good way). "the elementry particles" tops my summer real list thus far. yes.

I'm reading that now. The writing style is different, but I'm enjoying it nonetheless.