Plateforme

Michel, a civil servant in Paris with little interest in life, inherits money after his father's murder and takes a package holiday to Thailand, where he meets Valérie, who works in tourism. Together they develop a plan to turn sex tourism into an organized business, with a hotel chain called Aurore. Houellebecq's narrator reflects on desire, consumerism, Western decline and Islam, in a novel that mixes deadpan comedy with provocation. A terrorist attack at a resort changes everything. The book caused controversy when it came out and has been discussed ever since.

Readers who like challenging, bleak social satire will find it thought-provoking, though it contains explicit scenes and cynical views that many may find disturbing.

Deep and thought-provoking; a moderate read.

Best for readers like The Deep Diver. Which reader are you?