Two Words, One Answer.
Bret Easton
 Less Than Zero $14.00 This novel is often compared to Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, but for my part, I think it's infinitely more related to Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises. Hemingway's minimalism and Iceberg Theory are obvious influences on this novel, and this isn't a bad thing. Not only does the style remind one of TSAR, but even the theme has something in common with it: a lost generation of rich kids with not much of a quest for a life. Less Than Zero is narrated by Clay, back to Los Angeles for the holidays. Passivity, emptiness, casual sex, drugs. Nothing very cheerful, and it gets much worse. Most of the novel is written in present tense, except for flashbacks, which are also written in italics. In a typical Hemingway way, the book doesn't tell you what to think: you just get the facts, as in a movie without a voice, and what you do with that is up to you. This is one of those books that count on you to fill it with yourself; it doesn't chew in your stead. Overall, I liked Less Than Zero. The style keeps things concise, and even when nothing much happens, it's never boring. And by "nothing much happens", I mean on the surface. Again, this is like a Hemingway short story, in which there doesn't seem to be much going on, but in reality there is. This is not a Catcher in the Rye updated for the MTV generation, as often said (1980's MTV, though), this is The Sun Also Rises in California. You will not find Salinger in this novel as much as you will find Hemingway. Clay is 18 in the book, so you might be tempted to think it's a "coming of age" novel, but for his young age, Clay is not Holden Caulfield. Not by a long shot. While Holden can't get laid, even with a prostitute, Clay has sex with men and women without attachment, does cocaine, and is generally passive, a ghost in LA. If this is an updated Holden, he has been severely sedated (and perhaps this is apropos). Recommended!  The Rules of Attraction $14.95 The Rules of Attraction is told by many narrators: Sean, Paul, Lauren, and a few others (including Clay from Less than Zero, but mainly those first three. That alone makes this novel interesting, as you sometimes read the same event from two different perspectives, and wonder if someone is lying or hiding things; it also makes for devastatingly sad moments, as one character thinks very highly of his/her relation to someone, and that other person can't even name the former person correctly. The novel is usually narrated in the present tense - as was Less than Zero - and all three (main) narrators have distinctive voices. Paul, passionate on the surface but pragmatic at bottom; Sean, he sleeps with just about everyone but is in love with Lauren (although you can put those in a different order: apparently in love with Lauren but sleeping with everyone...); and Lauren, still thinking of Victor, in Europe, whom she seems deeply in love with, yet also sleeps with a ton of other people. Paul wants Sean, who wants Lauren, who wants Victor, who wants Paul. This is the tragic circle presented in this novel. Plot-wise, it's a difficult novel to summarise, and I won't attempt to do so, because it doesn't matter much. What matters are the characters, their thoughts, their sad lives. The Rules of Attraction has a layer of humour that wasn't present in Ellis' previous novel, as well as a different style, but at heart, the novel is equally as sad as Less than Zero. Indeed, one can only feel broken-hearted at all these characters' lack of solid relationships and purpose in life. It's just sex and drugs, and neither makes anyone happy. They're in college, and their majors sound like a joke, exchangeable and disposable. Ellis, I hear/read often, considers himself a moralist. And the good thing with that is that he doesn't chew the moral for you: he gives you things as they are, and gives you enough credit to know what's morally bankrupt on your own - just as he did in Less than Zero - and if you can't see that it's morally bankrupt, then even an explicit moralisation wouldn't save you. I like that. Ellis gives you credit, and does away with that ever-annoying pat on the back given among well-intentioned, but condescending, people. None of that here. Because of this, many readers think Ellis does the apology of the characters in his novels. He doesn't, he only presents them as they are, and leaves the judgement up to you; but more than judging, one feels like sympathising with these sad characters, and you finish the novel with a strong liking for real relationships. Overall, this book is very good. The quote at the beginning makes perfect sense, and gives the right angle to approach this novel; the structure (with many different points of view) is brilliant and creates a lot of fun and sad moments; the characters are endearing even though you dislike their actions very much (which isn't an easy thing to achieve, for an author); and it's a good read. Recommended! But make sure you read this with the right angle. PS: There is some French in the novel, very little, but it has a ton of grammatical mistakes. The character is a native French, and shouldn't have made those mistakes, and Ellis should have had it corrected by a native French speaker (although it's not horrible French, it's obviously second-language French). But that's just a detail.  Charlie Rose with David Halberstam; Bret Easton Ellis (January 28, 1999) $24.95 Pulitzer Prize winner David Halberstam discusses his new book, Playing for Keeps: Michael Jordan and the World He Made, his lifelong interest in basketball, the evolution of the NBA as entertainment and commerce, and what sets Jordan apart from his peers. Then Bret Easton Ellis talks about his book Glamorama, the unlikely dual subjects of fashion and terror, his development and influences as a young writer, and the significance of his family in his life.This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply. |
|
