Whatever (novel): Difference between revisions

Harel is a 30 year old programmer earning a reasonably good wage. Ugly, depressive and lacking charisma, he is unsuccessful with women. He hasn't known a single woman since the separation from his girlfriend Véronique a few years ago. He doesn't match what women seek on market of sexuality and narcissistic satisfaction, people don't even remember his name. Harel is an observer of the hypocrisy of Western societies in which a strong social hierarchy based on sexuality prevails.

During a work trip, Tisserand has a nervous breakdown over his inceldom and the hero leads him into a nightclub where he watches his pathetic attemps at approaching women who reject him. Tisserand tries to pick up another woman who resembles Véronique, the ex girlfriend of the narrator. The woman rejects him and leaves the nightclub with a young Black man to have sex with on the beach nearby. Harel has racist thoughts and decides that they follow the couple. He tries to convince Tisserand to murder the woman, arguing that if he can't take her heart and body at least he can take her soul and life, to which the humiliated man agrees. Tisserand finally wimps out and kills himself in a car accident on his way back to Paris.