This was a hard book to get through...it was mostly a depressing look at life in the late 20th century and how civilization had declined since WWII basically showing that human beings are lonely and miserable with an utter lack of communication skills. The novel is told through the eyes of two half-brothers, Michel and Bruno who were separated at birth and don't meet until middle age. The two brothers are both lonely and unattached but in different ways. Bruno, who was bullied as a child, basically lives for his next sexual experience. While Michel has a hard time forming a sexual relationship even though his childhood sweetheart, Anabelle, is beautiful and wants a relationship with him. Bruno spends his time at adult swinger camps and clubs hoping to have as many encounters as possible. Michel, on the other hand, is a brilliant bio-chemist who concludes that humans are doomed and a new species is needed to replace them that does not sexually reproduce. Both Michel and Bruno find companionship, if not love, later in life but the relationships are doomed by unforeseen tragedies.
This book was full of unpleasantness including when Bruno was bullied as a child and the many sex scenes throughout. It was however, very thought-provoking in its views on the state of mankind and I can see way it is included on the 1001 list.
This book was full of unpleasantness including when Bruno was bullied as a child and the many sex scenes throughout. It was however, very thought-provoking in its views on the state of mankind and I can see way it is included on the 1001 list.
