Comments on: HOULLEBECQ FAMILY VALUES

By: ejh

ejh — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:03:27 +0000

I liked The Women’s Room.

By: sonofstan

sonofstan — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:05:02 +0000

Very few women like his work…

Yeah, I’ve noticed that - do you think Atomised is like a contemporary male version of the Women’s Room or Fear of Flying?

By: Donagh

Donagh — Wed, 07 May 2008 13:18:48 +0000

I’ve just read this now and jeepers, they said Beckett’s mother was bad…

Whatever it is she puts in her mouth it has to be pretty disgusting judging by the type of stuff that comes out of it.

By: Sean Baite

Sean Baite — Wed, 07 May 2008 12:49:41 +0000

Take a look at the lady in question (that’s her on the left BTW):

I reckon Gauloises are too wimpy for her - probably smokes something she rolled herself containing heroin, bleach and a wee bit of baccy for the sake of decency

By: jimkennedy

jimkennedy — Wed, 07 May 2008 10:41:11 +0000

It was the ‘petit arriviste’ tag that caught my attention. Even when they’re being complete bitches to each other, the French are way out in front in terms of cool.

Yer ma calling you ‘a liar, an imposter, a parasite’ would be a hard blow, but that she puts ‘petit arriviste’ above all that (twice!), is the coup de grace, to use another resonant French phrase.

I imagine her going: ‘and above all - above all *sucks on a Gaulois* - a petit arriviste…’

Fantastique…

By: Sinéad

Sinéad — Wed, 07 May 2008 10:30:49 +0000

I posted about this too, he’s a curious character and this interview is fascinating in that it seems to reveal so much about his motivation as a writer. Very few women like his work…

By: Hugh Green

Hugh Green — Wed, 07 May 2008 09:34:49 +0000

She calls her son an “evil, stupid little bastard” adding that “this individual, who alas came from my womb, is a liar, an imposter, a parasite and above all - above all - a petit arriviste ready to do absolutely anything for money and fame.”

And to think that she’s only sticking up for him ‘cos he’s her son.