Death on the Installment Plan, by Louis-Ferdinand Céline, is a sprawling, semi-autobiographical novel that plunges into the chaotic and often squalid world of Ferdinand, a young man navigating the harsh realities of early 20th-century France. This raw and unflinching narrative, marked by Céline's distinctive and revolutionary prose, explores themes of poverty, societal disillusionment, childhood trauma, and the struggle for artistic expression amidst widespread moral decay. It serves as a precursor to Journey to the End of the Night, offering a deeply personal and darkly humorous portrayal of human suffering and the absurdities of life, making it a foundational work of modernist literature.