The psychology of conversion: M. Houellebecq's novel "Soumission" in J.-K. Huysmans's tradition

The themes and problems of M. Houellebecq's novel "Soumission" (2015) in J.-K. Huysmans's tradition are under analysis. Special attention is paid to the comparative analysis of M. Houellebecq's novel and the J.-K. Huysmans's books about the man of letters Durtal. The type of the character, the organization of the plot and genre peculiarities of the novels are being investigated. The conclusion is made about the conversion plot. Through it, the dialogue of cultures becomes a symbol of the whole spectre of the problems of modern culture and humanitarian sphere. The conversion in M. Houellebecq's novel can be analysed as an allegory of intellectual and moral poverty of Europe of today.