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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
About as self-indulgent as the decade it came from. But still a good read.
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.
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.
this a great Brett easton Ellis book and really enjoyed it. I read it twice and the movie does no justice to the book.
With the same deadpan voice as seen in American Psycho, Ellis describes the lifestyle of a rich, jaded, drug addicted community.
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.
Tale of rich kids gone wrong in eighties Hollywood. Ellis' first.
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.
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.
Wild book about wild times.
Even though I wasn't around during the '80s, I still feel as though I understand the kind of lifestyle that occurred back then. This book gives a realistic and chilling insight into the world of drugs, sex, and other things. I felt as though I was right there, as though I was seeing these things happen, while I read the book. If Ellis had written this with a predominantly cheerful tone, it wouldn't have worked as well as it does. I can only hope that IMPERIAL BEDROOMS lives up to the bar that this book has set.
I'm not even sure what to say about this one.
It's written in first person, which I hate, and definite trigger warnings for drug abuse, rape, and just everything bad from the 80s.
The story follows Clay, a rich kid home from college on winter break. Clay is a mess. He is not mentally stable and is self-medicating with drugs and alcohol. His therapist is a useless dick who is more concerned with writing a screenplay than actually helping his patient. His family is wrapped up in their own issues and his friends are just as bad off as him--if not worse.
This story is truly an ode to the extremely obscene excess of the 80s, 24-hour MTV (actual videos), cocaine, Quaaludes, alcohol, parties, fashion, therapist and eating disorders are trendy, and racism and sexism are just normal everyday occurrences.
These kids are extremely privileged. They have money to throw around to their dealers and have extravagant parties. They go to clubs and fancy restaurants and think nothing of racist remarks, people od-ing, or even raping 12-year-old girls just for shits and giggles. All of these kids are fucked up beyond belief even with all their privilege, perhaps because of it. You actually feel sorry for them because they are all a mess and just trying to feel something. Especially our protagonist Clay who just goes through life on autopilot. He can't feel for his former girlfriend Blair who wants to still be with him. He feels/does nothing for his best friend Julian who is strung-out and now whoring himself to pay off his dealers. This book is a mess...and I kind of loved it. Looking forward to see the characters years later in the sequel.
It's written in first person, which I hate, and definite trigger warnings for drug abuse, rape, and just everything bad from the 80s.
The story follows Clay, a rich kid home from college on winter break. Clay is a mess. He is not mentally stable and is self-medicating with drugs and alcohol. His therapist is a useless dick who is more concerned with writing a screenplay than actually helping his patient. His family is wrapped up in their own issues and his friends are just as bad off as him--if not worse.
This story is truly an ode to the extremely obscene excess of the 80s, 24-hour MTV (actual videos), cocaine, Quaaludes, alcohol, parties, fashion, therapist and eating disorders are trendy, and racism and sexism are just normal everyday occurrences.
These kids are extremely privileged. They have money to throw around to their dealers and have extravagant parties. They go to clubs and fancy restaurants and think nothing of racist remarks, people od-ing, or even raping 12-year-old girls just for shits and giggles. All of these kids are fucked up beyond belief even with all their privilege, perhaps because of it. You actually feel sorry for them because they are all a mess and just trying to feel something. Especially our protagonist Clay who just goes through life on autopilot. He can't feel for his former girlfriend Blair who wants to still be with him. He feels/does nothing for his best friend Julian who is strung-out and now whoring himself to pay off his dealers. This book is a mess...and I kind of loved it. Looking forward to see the characters years later in the sequel.
