1.76k reviews for:

Less Than Zero

Bret Easton Ellis

3.45 AVERAGE

joseluisonline's review against another edition

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Really liked this book, gets at something revelatory even if it doesn’t hold comparison to American Psycho, which feels much more assured

kiaratorpvret's review against another edition

3.0

dark fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

danielgtaylor's review against another edition

3.0

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The popular portrayal of teenage years is that life is full of opportunities. In "Less Than Zero," there's little point to life.

Clay, the protagonist, is visiting his hometown, Los Angeles, on break from college. He takes a listless, pointless journey of drug abuse and dispassionate sex. Ellis's work reminds me of [b:Trainspotting|23955|Trainspotting|Irvine Welsh|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327435133s/23955.jpg|1087421] by [a:Irvine Welsh|5687|Irvine Welsh|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1345053534p2/5687.jpg], [b:Sushi Central|5644510|Sushi Central|Alasdair Duncan|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1267775240s/5644510.jpg|5815957] by [a:Alasdair Duncan|464795|Alasdair Duncan|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66-4df4c878d4149c45fac159e88cb784ad.jpg] and [b:Loaded|1208928|Loaded|Christos Tsiolkas|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327806213s/1208928.jpg|1197295] by [a:Christos Tsiolkas|61015|Christos Tsiolkas|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1313611980p2/61015.jpg].

For most of the book, I was only prepared to give it two stars. But then I realized how skilled Ellis was as a writer. Clay starts as a moral wreck alongside his friends, but then becomes disenchanted with their heartless approach to life and other people.

There's definitely a place for this kind of literature, especially if you feel listless or depressed, and I'd be open to reading more books by Bret Easton Ellis.

dagothandy's review against another edition

1.5

lighthearted sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

kouika's review against another edition

2.5

dark sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

liliths_ghost's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

jessicamordacq's review against another edition

3.0

dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

anarchoduck's review against another edition

4.5

dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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A mistake on my part was taking a break from reading while reading this. considering that reading the last pages was still quite an immersive experience. I think it was right to read less than zero after reading the Shards because I think the Shards would not have been as impactful and I probably would have been a little annoyed reading it hadn't it been the introduction to Bret Easton Ellis as a writer. Less than zero is far more digestable and (probably because it isn't a podcast that got turned into a book) more satisfying to read because it feels more tailored. Nevertheless there is a lot to be digested. I love the segmentation of the story, it makes sense regarding the protagonist's state of mind and induces a certain hunger to see another facette of his life. The associative memories sprinkled throughout the story coming up in the most and least matching circumstances are amazing as well because they create a depiction of the setting that is so deeply personal to the protagonist. All in all it's hard to summarize my thoughts on Less than zero. There are a few moments in which it feels like a debut or rather just more immature than the Shards. But that is to be expected and adds to its unique tone. 

jayyb's review

3.5

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

carolingio's review against another edition

4.25

dark fast-paced

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes