A shame this is being downvoted, it&#x27;s concise but in my opinion on point. I enjoyed several of Houellebecq&#x27;s novel as an undergraduate, but when I revisited them recently I was surprised how superficial their social critiques are. You can get a lot more from one good literary essay than from his novels, albeit minus the deliberate offensiveness (misogyny, racism, etc.) with which he proves himself &quot;edgy.&quot;<p>A Rebours isn&#x27;t a perfect novel, but the image of the jewel-encrusted tortoise is a better passage than anything Houellebecq has achieved.