The famous Michel Houellebecq, winner of many prizes, including the Goncourt Prize, author of the international bestsellers The Elementary Particles, The Platform, The Possibility of the Island, and Submission, surprised everyone by writing a chamber novel about remorse, regret, and lost love. Forty-six-year-old Florent-Claude Labrouste suffers another breakdown in his relationship with his mistress. A functionary in the field of agricultural management and a romantic at heart, he powerlessly watches the tragedy of ruined French farmers, perceiving it as his own professional fiasco. Disappointed and lonely, he tries to treat depression with a drug that increases serotonin levels in the blood. Serotonin is called the hormone of happiness, but it comes at a high price. And the only thing that still gives meaning to Labrouste's joyless existence is the mad hope of winning back the woman he loved and lost. In April 2019, Michel Houellebecq was awarded the Legion of Honor for his work.