The Possibility of an Island (Vintage International)

A worldwide phenomenon and the most important French novelist since Camus, Michel Houellebecq now delivers his magnum opus-a tale of our present circumstances told from the future, when humanity as we know it has vanished.

Surprisingly poignant, philosophically compelling, and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, The Possibility of an Island is at once an indictment, an elegy, and a celebration of everything we have and are at risk of losing. It is a masterpiece from one of the world’s most innovative writers.

Editorial Reviews

Bewitching . . . Ingenious . . . The Possibility of an Island is often brilliant and searing.“ -The New York Times Book Review“A skillful amalgam of prophesy, satire and science fiction, covering some of the same ground as Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake but with much more finesse and conviction.“ -Washington Post Book World“A sharp check on our hubris, our complacent assumption that things are getting better and better. It is always worth asking whether they are.“-Wall Street Journal“Brutally honest, hilarious and often crudely explicit . . . The social criticism offered in this novel is often surprisingly relevant and revealing, [with] an underlying empathy for the plight of humanity.“-Richmond Times-Dispatch“At times funny, brutal, and revolting, [The Possibility of an Island] pushes notions of hope and hopelessness to a dismal and logical conclusion.“-The Economist
– From the Publisher