The paradox of Reality: A Reflection on Michel Houellebecq’s Literary Position

Abstract

The aim of this article is to propose a theoretical figure to shed some light on the way in which Houellebecq’s supratextual image influences the way in which his texts are read. We start from the premise that there is a certain overlap between author’s public image and his different narrators and characters. Thus, we will propose the figure of the reality show paradox to try to explain the uncertain reading frame that implies the authorship of Houellebecq. Our thesis is that the author’s literary position, as a generator of reception horizons in the reader, consists in imposing the structural suspicion that what Houellebecq’s works contain are nothing but the fictionalization of a true self.