The novelist, essayist and poet Michel Houellebecq is Europe's best-selling author. He is recognized as a cult writer in France.
Houellebecq's books have been translated into nearly 30 languages. The author, in addition to the title "Karl Marx of Sex", was awarded the Dublin and Goncourt Prizes, as well as the literary Grand Prix.
Childhood and youth
Michel Thoma (Houellebecq) was born on Reunion Island on February 26, 1958. The boy's father worked as a mountain guide, and his mother was a medical worker. The writer assures that on the date of his birth, the mother, who wanted to see the child prodigy, made changes.
Parents completely stopped paying attention to the baby after the birth of their daughter. The upbringing of the boy was taken up by relatives, to whom the child was sent. At first, Michel came to Algeria to visit his mother's parents.
When the future prose writer was six, he moved to France to live with his paternal grandmother Henriette Houellebecq. The boy had an excellent relationship with a relative.
She had a huge impact on the creativity and personality of the future writer. He made his grandmother's surname a literary pseudonym.
From the age of sixteen, the young man became interested in literature and writing. He was especially fascinated by the works of science fiction writer Howard Lovecraft. Two decades later, Houellebecq wrote a book about his work.
Literary creativity
Michel decided to study at the Paris-Grunion Institute. To prepare, the young man completed preparatory courses. In 1975 the young man became a student.
The literary activity of the future writer began within the walls of an educational institution. Here he founded a magazine and began writing poems for it.
Michelle tried to make a film. After receiving a diploma in ecology in 1978, Houellebecq entered the Louis Lumière School of Cinematography.
After graduation in 1981, Michel became a father: he had a son, Etienne. Family life did not work out. Lack of money contributed to his quarrels with his wife and divorce.
A difficult situation brought the creative person to a deep depression. As a result, since 1983, Houellebecq begins to work in government agencies as a system administrator.
Confession
In 1991 the first two collections of the author and a book dedicated to Lovecraft were published. Novelties were noticed by anyone. In 1994, publisher Maurice Nadeau published his novel Expanding the Space of Struggle. To the complete surprise of critics, he gained popularity.
The work has gained particular relevance among young people. Later, people studying the work of the writer concluded that Houellebecq gave rise to a new direction of authors studying the life of modern man in an attempt to understand the causes of his spiritual poverty. The first creation of the prose writer was filmed in 1999 and 2002.
Published in 1998, Elementary Particles, Houellebecq continued his exploration of the problems of Western civilization. Michel described the path she had traveled since the sexual revolution of the sixties, and came to the conclusion that collapse was approaching.
The popularity of the work turned out to be great. The author received the prestigious November Prize. The founder of the literary award, Donnery, outraged by the choice, resigned. The display of anger turned the newly issued November into a rare nomination.
The next novel, which won an Interalier award in its release year, was published in 2005 with the title Island Opportunity.
The other side of glory
The author filmed the novel, presenting it in 2008 at the Locarno Festival. However, the work of the audience did not find support for the picture, and critics defeated the writer's first film experience.
The Goncourt Prize-winning novel "Map and Territory" in 2010 caused the creator to be accused of plagiarism. He was criticized for inserting articles from the French version of Wikipedia into the novel.
In 2015, the novel "Obedience" appeared. At the center of the dystopia is the situation with the choice of a Muslim for the post of head of France with all possible options for changes in the country.
A distinctive feature of all of Houellebecq's works is unpredictability. Therefore, each novel became a bestseller. In the late 90s, at the very peak of popularity, Michelle leaves France and moves to Ireland.
He chose to live in the sparsely populated area of County Cork in the abandoned post office building acquired there on the ocean coast. Houellebecq practically hid from the press. The seclusion is caused by litigation and threats from Islamic communities against the writer.
Houellebecq is hostile to Muslims. He spoke of Islam as a stupid and dangerous religion. The prose writer claims that the Koran causes depression, and that Muslim men so restrained in their homeland in Europe are too sexually liberated.
At the same time, Houellebecq is confident in the ideality of the Bible and the presence of considerable literary talents among the Jews. After such statements, some Islamic organizations decided to prosecute the author, accusing him of Islamophobia.
Almost nothing is known about Houellebecq's personal life. He is lonely. From time to time, the writer holds exhibitions. In 2016, he organized his exposition in Tokyo. It was called Lost.
According to the famous creator, he likes to photograph women and continues to fall in love with them. Society describes the writer as a cynical misanthrope. At the same time, the grandeur of his personality is not denied.
"Karl Marx of Sex" is lonely. The only truly close creature for the poet and essayist was his dog Clemen. Houellebecq mourns his death to this day, claiming that only an old man and a dog can be called the best couple in the world. The writer is sure that Clemen proved absolute love by becoming its personification.
