This new translation of the novel by Michel Houellebecq, perhaps the most famous enfant terrible in French literature, is a new translation. Originally published in Russian in 2000, "The Elementary Particles" was recently translated by Maria Zonina. It offers a new perspective on not only the stylistic but also the semantic richness of the original. The novel itself is a sad and simultaneously scandalous study of Western civilization, revealed in the context of a personal story. The book will appeal to fans of philosophical prose and those who, like Houellebecq, believe that each person fully deserves their fate. 

"By eleven o'clock, the heat began to intensify. Returning home, Michel undressed completely and lay down. For the next three weeks, he barely moved. Apparently, like a fish, occasionally emerging from the water to gulp air, catches a glimpse of a completely different, above-water, heavenly world."