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About the Book

About the Book

Submission

A daring, captivating tale from France’s most famous living literary figure, SUBMISSION imagines a French presidential election in which a Muslim candidate emerges victorious --- not through a coup but through a peaceful runoff. Narrating this turn of events is a middle-aged literature professor whose passions include sleeping with his students and studying J.-K. Huysmans (the Decadent author who eventually converted to Catholicism). As he watches Islamic law come into force, our sex-obsessed scholar misses seeing women in short skirts, but he is intrigued by polygamy. Ultimately, he must decide whether to convert in order to advance his career.

Brimming with satirical wit and provocative what-ifs, SUBMISSION poses essential questions of our time, examining the changing face of Europe and the role of religious fundamentalism in global politics. 

Submission
by Michel Houellebecq