The Map and the Territory (Vintage International)

French writer Michel Houellebecq "born Michel Thomas; 26 February 1956), is a controversial and award-winning French author, filmmaker, magician and poet" ([...]). His fifth novel, The Map and the Territory (2010, translated into English in 2011 by Gavin Bowd) is a fascinating examination of an artist's life--indeed, the lives of a number of artists. Foremost among them is Jed Martin who finds himself first having success as a photographer (of maps of all things) and then returning to his original love, painting in oils. He adopts a "classic" style in which "beauty is secondary." Although he struggles with why "he had turned to painting, which still, several years later, posed insurmountable technical problems," Jed pretty much concludes that painting chose him. This is a common theme that runs throughout The Map and the Territory with other artists becoming submissive to their work. It is true of Jed's father, now an elderly and ailing man, who happens upon a totally different and yet distinct form of art, architecture, and as it is with a Russian woman, Olga Sheremoyova with whom Jed falls in love. Olga begins as a public relations director but by happenstance finds success in a different world--that of a Director of Programs for a TV channel--still another form of art.Certainly, one of Houellebecq's many unusual twists in the novel is to examine the life of writer Michel Houellebecq--including himself among the cast of characters in the novel. Houellebecq describes Houellebecq as looking "like a sick old turtle" and that it is "public knowledge that Houellebecq was a loner with strong misanthropic tendencies." In the novel Houellebecq explains to Jed that it is "impossible to write a novel... for the same reason that it's impossible to live: due to accumulated inertia. And all the theories of freedom, from Gide to Sarte, are just immoralisms thought up by irresponsible bachelors."Although filled with remarkable insight about art and human creativity, The Map and the Territory is equally concerned with human relationships which the omniscient narrator states "don't really amount to much." Houellebecq creates a vivid portrayal of father and son in the novel as Jed visits his near-to-death father in a nursing home, where the old man is waiting for "liberation." Houellebecq also provides flashbacks to the pair's earlier lives together. Jed's relationship with Olga is equally unique since Jed has few friends and "had a few love affairs, none of which lasted long." Just as romance between the two begins to spark, the "indecisive" Jed allows her to leave to go to return to Russia. Jed is equally drawn, but not romantically, to the writer Michel Houellebecq whose eyes hold "an intense look... a passionate look" and Jed is amazed to find himself feeling a friendship with the man.About half-way through The Map and the Territory Houellebecq throws the reader for a loop and the novel becomes a thriller with the gruesome beheading and skinning of one of the major characters "carried out with professional surgical tools." The character murdered "had lots of enemies... [and] people had shown themselves to be unjustly aggressive and cruel toward him." At first, the crime element that Houellebecq introduces into the novel appears to be a strange juxtaposition to the earlier portions of the novel, but it also matches the author's nihilistic philosophy toward life. The murder plot also allows Houellebecq to introduce still another riveting character: Inspector Jasselin who, at the crime scene feels "less disgust than a general pity for the entire earth, for mankind, which can, in its heart, give birth to such horrors." As with the other characters in the novel, Jasselin is meticulously portrayed.While chronicling the murder investigation by Jasselin, Houellebecq continues to follow the events and feelings of his remaining characters. Interestingly, like Bret Easton Ellis or Stephen King, Houellebecq often includes details about popular products. More importantly, however, the novel is permeated with reflections on aging, death, and dying; religion; violence; perversity; the loss of family; and the idea that regardless of the people in one's life, one remains alone having had life thrust upon them whether they want it or not. Hardly cheery subject matter, but nonetheless mesmerizing.The solution to the murder in The Map and the Territory as well as the conclusion of the novel and the fate of its main character, Jed Martin, are all consistent and clearly representative of the author's unique vision of his universe which, along with Houellebecq's singular philosophy and skill as a writer makes the novel a captivating reading experience.

After reading Houellebecq's latest book, "Submission," last year and enjoying it immensely, I decided to try reading some of his other works. This novel, "The Map and the Territory," was a well-written, funny at times, depressing at others and did well at getting its point across. However, after reading it, I must admit that I liked "Submission" better.The story, for the most part, follows the life of Jed Martin. Jed is a strange Frenchman in the sense that he reads all the old philosophical and some religious works of France, while he describes his countrymen as people who would know more about the history of Spiderman than Jesus. Drawn to the old world of France, both natural and industrial, Jed finds himself lost in the soulless modern world devoid of meaningful human contact and attempts to fill his time by becoming an artist. Starting with photography, moving on to painting and back, Jed's artistic journey reflects his search for meaning and purpose in a France which has become little more than a theme park for rich tourists and a playground for the conformist business class.I certainly enjoyed reading this book, as it is a good mix of biting lines intermixed with a depressing, lifeless reality. Having the actual author of the book appear in it as a character was a rather strange choice, but it did help give the main character a relationship that showed him where he would likely end up by the end of his life. The commentary on a society where you are defined by your job and consumerism versus a family or philosophy was thought-provoking.The reasons why I don't give this book as high of marks as "Submission" are twofold. The first reason is that the third part of the book doesn't spend as much time from the point of view of the main character and I found my interest waning in the final act because of it. The second reason is that the main character of Jed is very neutral, passive observer of his own life. He has opportunities in the book to create the meaningful connections that could have made his life better, but he chooses not to. Thus, Jed's situation is often caused by his own inertia rather than external events out of his control and he doesn't really try to fix it. It is true that the way society is now structured creates an environment of meaningless ennui and emptiness, but that isn't enough to excuse Jed's passivity.I would give the novel a 4.5 if I could, but I did really enjoy reading it what with the book's style and wit. The author is good at getting the reader to think about the flaws of modern life and what's missing from the big picture. It's certainly worth a read, even if I didn't like it quite as much as its successor.

Enjoyed reading the book but sometimes toolong dealing with the many problems of the protagonist

Why should anyone give this book more than two stars? it is mediocre in very aspect. The plot is boring. The characters dull and underdeveloped. The style (and translation) is clunky and lame.Really bad.

O nome de Houellebecq é sem dúvida muito prestigioso, daí terem sido grandes as minhas expectativas para a leitura desse título. Reconhecendo embora qualidades no texto e certa originalidade em alguns momentos, no conjunto reputo a obra como decepcionante.

Epic. The literary fortitude of this novel is daunting yet I found it a great compelling read. Quirky insights into the high-end art world and the low-down on lowly artists.

This is an outstanding work on the absurdity of the contemporary art world, on tourism, on supermarkets, on modern life: funny, iconoclastic, humane, subversive, thought-provoking. Houellebecq's self-knowledge also shines through. A brilliant work by a philosopher and, at his best, one of the most interesting novelists of our era. Wonderful.