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Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug use, Sexual content, Torture, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual content
Moderate: Drug use, Vomit
Minor: Rape
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Infidelity, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Homophobia, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting
I'm saying this after having also read American Psycho.
I had so much fun in this drug fuelled hazy LA bubble!! I had a feeling this would hit the mark for me and wasn't disappointed.
The fact that Ellis is depicting himself as the MC was a trip in itself. It took some getting used to because it added such a strong personal layer of intimacy. I didn't initially know how to take it.
At times the happenings were completely ludicrous and not rooted in any kind of science or probability, but it suited the story. There are so many issues with substances, homophobia, inappropriate behavior, isolation, loneliness, yearning, lust, mental anguish and keeping up appearances anyone would go bonkers. It's not sustainable.
I was happy to have everybody slayed (wink wink) or whatever Bret wanted to do with this tome.
This was fantastic.
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Murder
I'm an English major, and we recently talked about Ellis as an author, so I get that his books are supposed to be a bit provoking and morally confusing, but this was just weird and uncomfortable and ruined most of the book for me. Especially because some passages were definitely enjoyable and intriguing; you never knew what was going on because Bret became gradually more unstable and was a compulsive liar, even to his friends. But it was just way too long. I've read Sanderson's Rhythm of War recently, which had 1400 pages, so it's not like I can't deal with long books. But The Shards could have been heavily edited down (maybe cut the p*rn next time).
Also, as immersive as the descriptions made the book, even those just felt like pure nostalgia, which is uninteresting for a reader who wasn't even born at that time. It just made me skip over a lot of it.
Oh, and the characters? Didn't like any of them. Robert was kinda interesting, and I liked Thom well enough, but even they're pretty forgettable. Book-Bret was an arrogant, annoying rich kid who lied to his friends and cheated on his girlfriend with several guys. The fact that this was supposed to be autobiographically inspired just makes me even more uncomfortable. Obviously, the real Ellis might not have done these things, but it also wasn't something I've ever wanted to wonder about.
Last but not least, the ending's ambiguity (which I understand is also an Ellis thing) just pissed me off. After going through all that you don't even get a solid answer to anything.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Alcohol
Moderate: Alcoholism
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Sexual harassment
the main character (which i guess is just the author) is insufferable to say the least: self-absorbed, selfish and delusional, i get it, he's supposed to be an unreliable narrator but damn it, make it FUN at least. he just treats everyone like shit and acts like he's this misunderstood genius whom everyone should bow down to. i felt sorry for everyone around him, those poor guys he fucked and his oblivious girlfriend.
about the plot, basically NOTHING happens for at least 400 pages, just bret fantasizing and being sorry for himself ft. useless descriptions of every single car drive he goes on (am i supposed to care if he turned left or right onto Santa Monica in whatever car he was driving ? i don't think even people who actually live in LA and know the streets do). just an unnervingly SLOOOOOW build up (to nothing essentially) filled with annoying sexual fantasies about any adult man bret even gets a glimpse of.
i guess the only fun i'm having is by writing this review. what a waste of time lol.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Drug use, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Murder
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual assault, Sexual content
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Stalking, Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol
Minor: Pedophilia, Rape