Les Particules élémentaires

Published: March 4th 2025 (week 10 of 2025)

"Atomised" is the second novel written by Michel Houellebecq. To me, it shares its theme with Whatever—Houellebecq's first novel—but explores it in more depth and from a different angle.

I have not read his other novels, so I would not feel justified saying that Houellebecq is a one trick pony. However, the first two seem to me to be almost indistinguishable in their subject matter ie, human alienation and despair, pointlessness of it all, and the ultimate release brought about by oblivion. He is able to paint the picture with excruciating vividness, so even it is his one trick it is to me incredibly impressive.

I would say there are four main characters in the book: Annabelle, Bruno, Christiane, and Michel. Their stories were the most important to me.

All of them drift through life, following paths which appear as natural extensions of all the steps they have previously taken, and results of all the events that have happened to them. None of the characters are completely without initiative, but all of them seem at some point to have allowed themselves to just be carried by life—as pieces of driftwood would be carried by ocean waves.

They bounce around aimlessly, interacting with other human particles, without anything much coming out of those interactions; or not interacting with them, with this lack of interaction having profound consequences later on.

I do not now if this was done on purpose, but in the latter half of the book I saw a curious parallel. Bruno and Christiane act and fall in love with each other; then Christiane becomes paralysed, Bruno does not act (does not call her after she is allowed to go home from the hospital), and she commits suicide. Michel and Annabelle act and get a second chance at happiness; then Annabelle becomes sterile (paralysed), and she commits suicide.

Abstracted, the pattern is simple:

act, and something good happens
an obstacle presents itself
fail to act, and the good thing you had is destroyed forever

Both situations made me feel incredibly sad. I know Houellebecq is not one to write a happily-ever-after story, but... this was worse than expected. A vision was glimpsed, and it disappeared; a flame was kindled, and it got extinguished; a chance was given, and it was forfeited.

Without getting too romantic about it, it was painful to see the good things the characters have finally, after decades, got going for them crumble in days. Unfortunately, it is not that unrealistic. C'est la vie. Simple as that.

Once again, Houellebecq captures the bleakness of existence with extreme sharpness.

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