Houellebecq publishes about 1 book a year and the books are seldom less than 500 pages. Thus he produces more than 1 finished page a day. No wonder some of his discourse in his latest book is a bit similar to his previous ones.
La Possibilité d’une île is pretty good, anyway. In Particules elementaires he played with an idea of science creating immortal humans by stopping the process of aging. In the Possibilité, his idea is that by cloning we could achieve more or less the same -- and that the organization controlling the cloning is a church.
The main character is a typical Houellebecq guy -- middle-aged, disillusioned and obsessed by sex. Houellebecq manages to squeeze in an interesting and tragic scene where the main character (in his late 40's) is the only over-30 in a party.
Nicola Barker's latest 800 page tome Darkmans is.. different. A superb collection of memorable characters like vulgar but sweet Kelly, Peta a master of forgery, slightly dim-witted Laura etc. The story could be a bit more coherent but I'm very much looking forward to read more by her.
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