The Possibility of an Island

'takes you by the throat and shakes you. A bracing mix of visionary Aldous Huxley, Evelyn Waugh at his cruellest, and ranting John Osborne, THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ISLAND is a charging bull in the china shop of modern fiction.' -- David Coward THE TLS 'His deftly constructed novel is a bleak comment on contemporary society, at times funny, brutal and revolting.' THE ECONOMIST 'THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ISLAND is above all an aesthetic achievement. For this, Houellebecq should win the Prix Goncourt that polemics and personalities have made so elusive.' THE SCOTSMAN 'an exhilarating writer...in a class of his own.' -- Sebastian Shakespeare LITERARY REVIEW 'there is no doubt that he is a writer who deserves the serious attention that he is now receiving.' -- Douglas Kennedy THE TIMES 'provocative and satisfying fiction.' -- Sam Phipps THE HERALD 'the novel is essential reading for anyone concerned with the state of either contemporary fiction or the contemporary world.' -- Michael Arditti THE DAILY MAIL 'there are passages of irresistible black humour, savage condemnation and genuine (and surprising) sentiment.' -- Tim Martin THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY 'if you liked ATOMISED and PLATFORM, you'll love THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ISLAND... the most talented of current French writers.' -- Tibor Fischer SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'It will sicken you, reduce you to laughter and stun you with its savage directness, but it will always leave you thinking.' SPAIN MAGAZINE 'the first 300 pages of this novel prove that Houellebecq is one of the best novelists writing today.' -- Matt Cherry INDPENDENPENT ON SUNDAY