Michel Houellebecq facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michel Houellebecq
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Houellebecq in 2016
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| Born | Michel Thomas 26 February 1956 Réunion, France |
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Michel Houellebecq (born Michel Thomas on February 26, 1956) is a famous French writer. He writes novels, poems, and essays. He also sometimes acts in movies, directs films, and sings.
His first book was about the horror writer H. P. Lovecraft. Michel Houellebecq published his first novel, Whatever, in 1994. His next novel, Atomised, came out in 1998. This book made him famous around the world.
In 2010, he published The Map and the Territory, which won the important Prix Goncourt award. His 2015 novel, Submission, caused some discussion because of how it showed certain topics. His latest novel, Annihilation, was published in 2022.
Michel Houellebecq is known as "France’s biggest literary export." Some even call him France's greatest living writer. He is also seen as a unique and sometimes controversial figure in modern French literature.
Contents
About Michel Houellebecq
Michel Thomas was born on February 26, 1956. His birthplace was the French island of Réunion. His mother was a doctor, and his father was a ski instructor.
He lived in Algeria with his grandmother when he was very young. At age six, he moved to France to live with his other grandmother. She was a communist. He later took her maiden name, Houellebecq, as his writing name.
He went to high school and then to special classes to prepare for elite schools. In 1975, he started attending the Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon. He also started a literary magazine called Karamazov. He wrote poetry during this time. He finished his studies in 1980.
He has been married three times. His third marriage was in 2018 to Qianyun Lysis Li. She is a Chinese woman who studies his books.
His Books and Fame
Michel Houellebecq's first poems appeared in a magazine in 1985. In 1991, he published an essay about the horror writer H. P. Lovecraft. He also wrote a short essay called Rester vivant : méthode (To Stay Alive). This essay was about writing as a way to live.
His first collection of poetry, La poursuite du bonheur (The pursuit of happiness), came out next. For a while, he worked as a computer administrator in Paris. He started to become famous in 1994 with his first novel, Extension du domaine de la lutte. This book was later translated as Whatever.
Throughout the 1990s, Houellebecq published more poetry books. These included Le sens du combat in 1996. He also wrote articles for magazines. Many of these writings were later collected in a book called Interventions.
His second novel, Les Particules Élémentaires, made him famous nationally and internationally. This book tells the story of two half-brothers. One becomes a successful scientist, and the other is a teacher. The book won the Prix Novembre in 1998. It was praised for its bold ideas.
In 2000, Houellebecq published Lanzarote. This short story explored themes he would use in later novels. His next novel, Plateforme (Platform), was also very successful. It is a story told by a 40-year-old man.
This novel caused some discussion because of its views on certain religions. Houellebecq later moved to Ireland for several years. He then moved back to France, where he lives now.
His next novel was La Possibilité d'une île (The Possibility of an Island), published in 2005. This book tells stories from different characters' points of view. Houellebecq later made a movie based on this novel.
In 2008, he published Public Enemies: Dueling Writers Take on Each Other and the World. This book was a conversation through emails between Houellebecq and another writer, Bernard-Henri Lévy. They talked about how the media reacted to their work.
Houellebecq has also released three music albums. On these albums, he reads or sings his poems. He worked with composers like Jean-Jacques Birgé and Bertrand Burgalat.
His novel La Carte et le Territoire (The Map and the Territory) came out in 2010. This book finally won him the important Prix Goncourt award. It tells the story of an artist.
On January 7, 2015, his novel Submission was published. The book describes a future France where a Muslim party is in power. This book also caused a lot of discussion. A friend of his, Bernard Maris, was killed in the Charlie Hebdo shooting on the same day. Houellebecq canceled his book tour after this event.
In January 2019, Houellebecq received the Légion d'honneur, a high French award. His novel Sérotonine (Serotonin) was published in the same month. This book's themes included a revolt by farmers.
Movies and Other Works
Many of Michel Houellebecq's novels have been turned into films and plays.
- Extension du domaine de la lutte was made into a film with the same title. It was also adapted into a play in Denmark.
- The English version of his novel Platform was made into a play in London. A Spanish play version also premiered in 2006.
- Atomised was made into a German film called Elementarteilchen in 2006.
- Houellebecq himself directed the film La Possibilité d'une île in 2008. It was based on his novel.
- The American rock singer Iggy Pop released an album in 2009. He said it was influenced by Houellebecq's novel The Possibility of an Island. Houellebecq was very happy about this.
- In 2016, Houellebecq appeared in a documentary called To Stay Alive: A Method. This film was based on his 1991 essay.
His Views
Michel Houellebecq often shares his thoughts on society and politics. In 2014, he suggested a new constitution for France. This plan would allow people to elect judges and make the president elected for life. However, the president could be removed by a public vote.
In 2017, Houellebecq explained that he votes based on social class. He said he is part of the group that votes for Emmanuel Macron. This is because he considers himself too wealthy to vote for other candidates like Marine Le Pen or Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
He has also shared his views on religion. In 2002, he said that he believes all major single-god religions "preach neither peace nor love nor tolerance." He believes they are "texts of hatred." He has faced discussions for his strong opinions. However, a court in Paris said his words were part of his right to criticize religions.
In a 2022 interview, he talked about changes in society. He also mentioned that he believes "white supremacy" should become popular in the United States for survival.
Selected Books
- H. P. Lovecraft: Against the World, Against Life (1991)
- Whatever (1994)
- The Art of Struggle (1996)
- Atomised (1998)
- Interventions (1998)
- Lanzarote (2000)
- Platform (2001)
- The Possibility of an Island (2005)
- The Map and the Territory (2010)
- Submission (2015)
- In the Presence of Schopenhauer (2017)
- Serotonin (2019)
- Annihilation (2022)
Filmography
- Cristal de souffrance (1978), short film (writer)
- Déséquilibre (1982), short film (writer)
- La Rivière (2001), short film (writer)
- La Possibilité d'une île (2008) (writer/director)
- The Kidnapping of Michel Houellebecq (2014) (actor)
- Near Death Experience (2014) (actor)
- Saint-Amour (2016) (actor)
- To Stay Alive: A Method (2016) (actor)
- Thalasso (2019) (actor)
- Rumba la vie (2022) (actor)
- Dans la peau de Blanche Houellebecq (2024) (actor)
Audio Albums
- Le Sens du combat (1996)
- Présence humaine (2000)
- Établissement d'un ciel d'alternance (2007)
Images for kids
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Houellebecq in 2016
See also
In Spanish: Michel Houellebecq para niños
