Comments on: Michel Houellebecq: Island

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Aug 2005 10:27:00 +0000

No need to get snappy now. But you may claim your fiver. Congrats on your forth comming union with Karie. Spring wedding may be.

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 17:15:00 +0000

Clearly I need to lose my temper more often on Splinters. Especially if elicits offers like Karie’s. To which the answer can only be: Of course. Is there a free bar?

To the anonymous poster before Ismo’s comment: you are Nick from Plymouth Blog and I claim my five pounds.

By: Karie

Karie — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 16:54:00 +0000

“I’d say that most of their choices of what constitutes “literature” or “good reading” bore me to death – Sebastian Faulks, Julian Barnes, Ian fucking McEwan etc etc – all of this stuff has a dreadful smugness, an overwraught emotive sensibility to it that pretends to be profound and learned but is just vacuous.”

Chris, I may be firmly attached to someone. Perhaps so are you (I don’t know, quite simply). But marry me. Please.

By: Ismo Santala

Ismo Santala — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 11:45:00 +0000

“When will the novel move on from this overbearing ennui…?”

Um, ‘the novel’ can’t move because it’s just a bit of journalistic sleight-of-hand?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 10:31:00 +0000

‘you sound like a Booker Prize judge. ‘

Most of the time you all sound like Booker Prize judges. Any how I’ve alway had this feeling that Houellebecq is nothing more the a Bret Easton Ellis wanna be – that’s if any one would want to be Ellis – reveiw copies of Lunar Park points to the fact the old Ellis has been reading to much Kafka. When will the novel move on from this overbearing ennui…?

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 09:28:00 +0000

A grumpy-boots…and a slightly tipsy teenager, judging by the tone of his post. Clearly a McEwan fan.

Yes, real Steve, I noticed it’s called Possibility of an Island too, but everyone seems to be calling it Island so I followed the herd. Extinction is, er, still awaiting my tender mercies. I am at my parents at the moment so I’ll dig it out and take it back with me.

It’s an interesting thing to wonder if Houellebecq stands up against “the greats” – I’d imagine not in your eyes Steve, but he might suffer a fairly honourable defeat.

By: Ben G

Ben G — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 08:47:00 +0000

My my, “Other Steve” is a bit of a Grumpy-Boots isn’t he?

By: steve

steve — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 07:10:00 +0000

The last poster isn’t me BTW.

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 22:13:00 +0000

>> They are also extremely funny, filthy and very very tender

Oh fuck off Chris, you sound like a Booker Prize judge. Barfbeck is interesting – quite interesting – but he’s also just some dick like the rest of us. That’s his point. He’s not Salman Cunt Rushdie or Irvine Pointless Welsh so why build him up like he’s some dahling mf?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 22:09:00 +0000

I’ve not read his novels but Houellebec’s examination of H.P. Lovecraft in “Against Life” (which you sent me Steve thankee muchly guvnor) was outstanding.