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senoyreve's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
glamorama is a satire of repitition, brands are listed off one after another, next to descriptions of humans, eventually next to descriptions of corpses. the book is so compelling in that way, even though it eventually becomes grating. there is something about ellisโ writing that is limiting in its political contexts, wanting to not say too much because caring isnโt cool. itโs interesting because the model terroist clan is perfect story telling device for a story about anything but a generic group of agents of chaos who bomb for hire. the movie subplot also adds to a surreal and confusing tone which is probably intentional but too hard to follow.
probablyabigail's review
It's mostly that I'm in a major reading slump and this just wasn't it for me
nathansnook's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Hot take: Actually enjoyed this a lot more than The Shards.
Where ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ๐ด lingers too long in moments, this book has enough tactility and inventive voice that creates something fresh, something breathtaking, like teen spirit mixed with Drakkar Noir for the first time. Effortless too. Bret's latest just doesn't have the same effect. Perhaps because of age, perhaps because of the times.
It's important to note that Bret's latest could not exist without this. If anything, ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ข๐ฎ๐ข is the framework for ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ๐ด in its atmosphere, but also in the way Bret positions plot to press the 2x speed button to get to where he needs. You don't get that with ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ข๐ฎ๐ข. ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ข๐ฎ๐ข takes about a quarter of the way through to get to plot.
It's interesting to read this now where celebrity culture is dead. But Bret has always been a herald for culture, for following it, how it makes up most of the world, and how it made up most of the late 80's into the 90's. Name drops and designer brands. Places. People as points, shownotes, creates a richer and engrained way in the way we navigate the world. I think internet with its accessibility in information destroyed this.
Of course things need to be gatekept.
Of course things can't be democratic.
Because if not, then all hell breaks loose. All is brain rot. All is anti-intellectual.
Though there are kinks to Glamorama in its shape, size, and story, it's funny enough and bold enough in gore and sex that it pans out like good television. There's a grand rush to the last portion of the book. High entertainment, full of ennui, and desperate to be finished to the very end. Because, after all, his characters are always looking for a way out.
๐ฅฎ๐ฅฎ๐ฅฎ
If you enjoyed this write-up, please consider purchasing my novella here.
Or find other thoughts on books and films here
Where ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ๐ด lingers too long in moments, this book has enough tactility and inventive voice that creates something fresh, something breathtaking, like teen spirit mixed with Drakkar Noir for the first time. Effortless too. Bret's latest just doesn't have the same effect. Perhaps because of age, perhaps because of the times.
It's important to note that Bret's latest could not exist without this. If anything, ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ข๐ฎ๐ข is the framework for ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ๐ด in its atmosphere, but also in the way Bret positions plot to press the 2x speed button to get to where he needs. You don't get that with ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ข๐ฎ๐ข. ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ข๐ฎ๐ข takes about a quarter of the way through to get to plot.
It's interesting to read this now where celebrity culture is dead. But Bret has always been a herald for culture, for following it, how it makes up most of the world, and how it made up most of the late 80's into the 90's. Name drops and designer brands. Places. People as points, shownotes, creates a richer and engrained way in the way we navigate the world. I think internet with its accessibility in information destroyed this.
Of course things need to be gatekept.
Of course things can't be democratic.
Because if not, then all hell breaks loose. All is brain rot. All is anti-intellectual.
Though there are kinks to Glamorama in its shape, size, and story, it's funny enough and bold enough in gore and sex that it pans out like good television. There's a grand rush to the last portion of the book. High entertainment, full of ennui, and desperate to be finished to the very end. Because, after all, his characters are always looking for a way out.
๐ฅฎ๐ฅฎ๐ฅฎ
If you enjoyed this write-up, please consider purchasing my novella here.
Or find other thoughts on books and films here
karinaruizm92's review
5.0
Woah man, this book was intense. It left me sort of confused and wanting to know more about Victor's life. Easton is a freak. I like it.
ckrush's review
4.0
It took me two tries to read this book. The first time I just couldn't get past those damn specks, so I put the book down and moved on. That was last summer, this summer I tried again and was able to not only get through the book, but hungrily tear through pages as the action became more intense and repulsive.
The first 200 pages can be quite a hurdle considering the namedropping of celebrities and fashion minutiae. However, hiding under these lists are constant symbols or themes: ice, specks/confetti, and the narration unfolded as if the character is in a movie (or thinks he is). These details were intriguing, and kept me going.
Then the book becomes a thriller and Ellis uses his ability to simply describe an event better than he has in previous novels - referring in this case to the acts of terrorism (not wanting to give anything away).
This book provides a similar ambiguity found in American Psycho, while at the same time providing a similar non-resolution found in Rules of Attraction.
The first 200 pages can be quite a hurdle considering the namedropping of celebrities and fashion minutiae. However, hiding under these lists are constant symbols or themes: ice, specks/confetti, and the narration unfolded as if the character is in a movie (or thinks he is). These details were intriguing, and kept me going.
Then the book becomes a thriller and Ellis uses his ability to simply describe an event better than he has in previous novels - referring in this case to the acts of terrorism (not wanting to give anything away).
This book provides a similar ambiguity found in American Psycho, while at the same time providing a similar non-resolution found in Rules of Attraction.
jmcook's review
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
lindsirae's review
4.0
really enjoyed some parts of it but overall it was just too long for what it was. certain aspects were brilliant though, what a prescient gaze into our time of self-consciously content-oriented existence
spannydicer's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Murder
astronautic's review
4.0
Quickly becoming one of my favorite books of all time. Doesn't make much sense but the lively conversations and characters are so entertaining to me.