I Thought I'd Read it all.
Written: May 03 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Compelling read, not something that you start and then put down.
Cons: Graphic. Don't read this is you suffer from depression.
The Bottom Line: A compelling read. Graphic, gritty and real. I would read it again, even though it made me feel hopeless. It rang true to me.
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| lactavist's Full Review: Bret Easton Ellis - Less Than Zero |
I picked this book up because it is about LA. My sister and I have a running argument about which is a more corrupt place to live, LA or New York.
I now have plenty of ammunition to win the argument. Such a sad book. The characters live lonely, hollow, emotionless lives. Rushing from one physical sensation to the next. The dynamics between the friends (and I use the term friend's very loosely) is compelling. Clay, the main character is returning to LA after a semester at a University in New Hampshire.
Blair, Clay's on again, off again, girl friend figures prominently in the story. She seems to have at least the ability to feel something. Unfortunately, her feelings seem to gravitate toward Clay, who when he is not trying to ingest every mind altering substance known to man, is sleeping with whoever he can, gender not being an issue for him.
Sadly, although this is a fictional novel, it rings true to me. Graphic, and funny at times, it is a depressing look at being young, beautiful and rich in LA.
There is a climax to Clay's story, and it has convinced me that the character is so jaded as to be a sociopath.
The author flips back and forth between Clay's childhood, which is not unhappy by any means, and his current life which to him at least doesn't seem unhappy. But to me seems aimless, and hopeless.
I liked the book enough to have read it in one sitting, although I'm not sure if it is because I liked the story or I felt as though I had witnessed a murder and couldn't look away from the body.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
lactavist
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Member: Karen
Reviews written: 89
Trusted by: 36 members
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