The silence of literature. Houellebecq’s The Possibility of an Island
Sylwia Borowska-Kazimiruk (University of Warsaw)
Readings of the fourth novel in Michael Houellebecq’s literary output have generally converged with the interpretations of his previous works, highlighting the writer’s critical observations about the postmodern condition of the Western Man: someone who stands on the rubble of a modern decadent’s prevalent values. The article presents a different view on „The Possibility of an Island” by referring to Maurice Blanchot’s „The Space of Literature”. In the light of Blanchot’s contemplations about the literary work as superior to the author, a dystopian tale about the life of Daniel and his subsequent incarnations becomes a statement on writing as well as reading. In this futuristic, pantextual story, composed exclusively from diary entries, the rules are set fi rst and foremost by literature – with all its consequences, primarily negative. By comparing Blanchot and Houellebecq, one can trace the relationship of the writer/reader with the text and look into the possibilities of transcending the evoked reality.
The full version of this article is available in Polish in the printed version of Tekstualia and in the on-line subscription.
The sample of Polish version of this article is available here: http://tekstualia.pl/index.php/pl/nasze-numery/277-2-49-2017/artykuly/1414-literatura-jako-milczenie-o-mozliwosci-wyspy-michela-houllebecqa
