Serotonin, by Michel Houellebecq

Someone will have to explain to me what is supposed to be depressing in Houellebecq's books. Because this is the second book of his I've read in a few months, and I especially find that he has an excellent sense of humor. His books are even a bit addictive: I want more!

Summary

The character, still a man in a sort of mid-life crisis, is deeply depressed. He has tried all sorts of antidepressants, without success. Until a new molecule comes on the market. He puts his hopes on it. The problem is that this drug takes away all libido. Well, anyway, the only thing that kept him with his girlfriend was sex. A good reason to leave.

But was this man crazy before, or is it the effect of the antidepressant? One day, he decides to drop everything and make one bad decision after another. And then, we really start to worry...

Impressions

It's true that the character is not completely stupid, and that he says things that can resonate with some people. It's true that his nihilism can be contagious. And that he is absolutely unlovable; whether he lives or dies, we don't really care. Not to mention some rather disturbing scenes involving crimes against children.

But it's all told with such detachment. It's like the character himself doesn't take himself seriously. He's a kind of clown. He's raving to himself, and watching himself raving with almost no interest and just a touch of self-deprecation. He goes off the rails, and in the end it doesn't affect anyone, not even him.

Thinking about it, I think I found something oddly comforting about it: nobody cares, and nothing really matters in the end. If you buy into it just enough, you can reduce your anxiety. But if you adhere to it too much, you can fall into depression. And in that case, it's possible that no amount of reuptake of serotonin will help.

P.S. It can do wonders to give up books you don't like: you discover nuggets, and since you always enjoy reading, you want to read even more. To honor this practice, which is new to me, I started to list the books that were asking a little too much of me. It's at the bottom of the right column. Go check it out 🙂