Writing Bret Easton Ellis

[Guest rttocs77]

This is a thread for people to discuss, or for me to discuss myself if it comes down to it, my favorite author-- Bret Easton Ellis. Most of his novels (all but 1) deal with overly privileged teenagers and adults. They are dark dark comedies about the emptiness of their lives. The books he has written are:

Less Than Zero
The Rules of Attraction
American Psycho
The Informers
Glamorama

All of which have been turned into a movie, except The Informers. Glamorama is in pre-production.

I've read all of them. I generally love all of them. Sometimes I hate all of them. It's like you have to be in the 'zone' for them. I did not finish American Psycho though, because it got too vulgar and gross...even for me.

Has anyone else read any of these?

[coconuts1977]

[QUOTE=rttocs77]This is a thread for people to discuss, or for me to discuss myself if it comes down to it, my favorite author-- Bret Easton Ellis. Most of his novels (all but 1) deal with overly privileged teenagers and adults. They are dark dark comedies about the emptiness of their lives. The books he has written are:

Less Than Zero
The Rules of Attraction
American Psycho
The Informers
Glamorama

All of which have been turned into a movie, except The Informers. Glamorama is in pre-production.

I've read all of them. I generally love all of them. Sometimes I hate all of them. It's like you have to be in the 'zone' for them. I did not finish American Psycho though, because it got too vulgar and gross...even for me.

Has anyone else read any of these?[/QUOTE]

I had a very difficult time in reading American Psycho also. I think the violence went overboard and actually took away from the story. It could have served a purpose, but it was just overkill.

I think Ellis writes interesting stories, however his ideas are pretty far from original. I read in some interview that his biggest influence was Ernest Hemingway and if you read 'A Farewell to Arms' there is an exchange in dialogue between the protagonist and his lady friend. During the exchange, they both seem to be missing each other completely, but at the same time connecting. I think Ellis uses this well, at first, in 'Less Than Zero,' but then begins to rely on it to heavily.

I think it really depends on whether or not these are actually good books. They aren't written well gramatically and the syntax is terrible, but I guess reading about emptiness can sometimes be fulfulling. Pretty philosophical, neh? :glasses: