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Less than Zero (Less Than Zero, Bk 1)
Less than Zero - Less Than Zero, Bk 1
Author: Bret Easton Ellis
Set in Los Angeles in the early 1980's, this coolly mesmerizing novel is a raw, powerful portrait of a lost generation who have experienced sex, drugs, and disaffection at too early an age, in a world shaped by casual nihilism, passivity, and too much money a place devoid of feeling or hope. — Clay comes home for Christmas vaca...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780140088946
ISBN-10: 0140088946
Publication Date: 6/3/1986
Pages: 208
Edition: Reissue
Rating:
  • Currently 3.6/5 Stars.
 33

3.6 stars, based on 33 ratings
Publisher: Penguin Books
Book Type: Paperback
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed Less than Zero (Less Than Zero, Bk 1) on + 27 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
The writing was breath-taking, but by the end of the novel I didn't really care. Part of me feels like that was Ellis' point, but that doesn't change the fact that at the end of the book I found myself thinking, "So why did I read that?". The theme is simiar to American Psycho, but I think American Psycho is by far the better novel (if you can stand the gore.) I remain largely unaffected by the characters and ending, but certain phrases stick in my mind.
reviewed Less than Zero (Less Than Zero, Bk 1) on + 10 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
No question Mr. Ellis can write well, but this book caused me to question my long-held belief that a well-told tale is worth the telling. I don't think this tale was worth the telling, however well told. Yes, youth can be alienated and disaffected. Yes, it's hard to be young and rudderless. Yes, drugs are bad. Yes, violence can attract the jaded, especially the prematurely jaded. Perhaps it's a measure of my age, but I want a book to teach me something new, or at least offer a viewpoint I've never heard before, but this offered nothing but depression, debauchery, despair. No thanks. I want the hours back that I had spent reading it.
reviewed Less than Zero (Less Than Zero, Bk 1) on + 4 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Less than Zero is well written and I liked parts of it.Its about a bunch of people that aren't really quite living. They're Very vapid, sad zombies just going from party to party with no real friendships or relationships in general with anyone. The inability to empathize or care is driven home closer to the end of the book with events that are a little disturbing and surprising.

I thought it was interesting to read about characters like this. Its still an interesting book even though I couldn't relate to the characters or even imagine people like them.

Oh and its absolutely nothing like the movie.
choppergirl avatar reviewed Less than Zero (Less Than Zero, Bk 1) on + 6 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
An average book...I started reading expected to read stories of how rich California kids really lived but ended the book thinking "Wow, they do some strange stuff but there's so substance to the things they do." I felt like there was no purpose to the book, just a storyline of parties, drugs, and sex.
Read All 17 Book Reviews of "Less than Zero Less Than Zero Bk 1"

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jamase83 avatar reviewed Less than Zero (Less Than Zero, Bk 1) on + 17 more book reviews
This book was just ok for me. I thought the plot of the movie was better. I found this to be very disturbing however, I feel that the book was more realistic than the movie. Either way I'm glad I read it to compare.
reviewed Less than Zero (Less Than Zero, Bk 1) on + 13 more book reviews
Wild book about wild times.
reviewed Less than Zero (Less Than Zero, Bk 1) on
Accurately disturbing picture of too much wealth, too little supervision and too much free time for the kids of L.A. As relevant now as it was when written.
reviewed Less than Zero (Less Than Zero, Bk 1) on
I liked the style in which this was written. The book is not at all like the movie that I loved as a teenager. That in and of itself isn't bad, and not a surprise, but the book is much more graphic, dark and disturbing in my opinion.
buzzby avatar reviewed Less than Zero (Less Than Zero, Bk 1) on + 6062 more book reviews
None of the characters use pronouns, and really don't have anything interesting to say. I really didn't care what happened to them at the end of the book.
reviewed Less than Zero (Less Than Zero, Bk 1) on + 3 more book reviews
The ability of Bret Easton Ellis to pull me into the scene is commendable, but not one of my favorite books by a long shot. Just felt lost and without substance at the end. Perhaps that is the protagonist himself.


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