Submission

What did you think of this book?

I haven't read it.

Then don't post, retard.

I liked it. It satisfied my cynicism and misanthropy, but I'm not sure how to determine what it achieves as literature.

...

If it gave you a sense of pleasure and wasn't mere entertainment nor escape, isn't it literature?

Not denying it's literature. I'm saying it's difficult to determine it's achievement as such.

To clarify, the point I should have but did not make is that because the book specifically catered to my cynicism, it became difficult to work out what the merits of the book were in a broader sense.

It read to my cynicism like twilight fan fiction reads to a sixteen year old "vampire".

Pretty good. Hits the nail on the head with the West's return to religious fundamentalism. I'm predicting a conservative Catholic - Muslim coalition within the next 10 years or so. Holy Roman Empire and all that jazz.

>but I'm not sure how to determine what it achieves as literature.

why does everyone have this meme response to houellebecq? in what way is it any less literary fiction than anything else on the market. just because it's cynical you write it off or somethign? fuck you faggot

Yea I understand what you meant, as in it didn't really challenge your beliefs. I'm just wondering if it's always necessary for literature to always do so. Sometimes it seems that for something to be qualified as literature it needs to be a type of negativity (as in critical) towards commonly held beliefs. But can't some literature be positive in that it affirms all of our deepest suspicions about life? Could Beckett possibly be doing something similar? Am I being stupid?