The novel tells of a solitary, misanthropic artist who becomes a critical darling and commercial success almost in spite of himself. It is equal parts murder mystery and a meditation on the decline of postindustrial France, depicted as a sort of Disneyland for Chinese and Russian tourists. Houellebecq's previous novels courted controversy with explicit sex scenes and disparaging comments about women and minorities. His new book - whose title translates as "The Map and The Territory" - hit French bookstores in September.