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3.07 AVERAGE
3.07 AVERAGE
Could not put it down. I can understand why some people would hate this book, but I thought it was incredibly well-written. Compelling. DISTURBING. Makes me hope that they make the sequel movie.
Awful, awful, awful. I should have know better. 169 pages of rambling, stream-of-consciousness blather, more drugs, more alcohol, more snuff films, more depraved sex, characters I don't care about and for whom I wish the worst. The time it took to read this book is time I'll never get back, and that pisses me off.
I would be lying if I said I didn't feel some type of way while reading Imperial Bedrooms, because the sequel to Less Than Zero was not what I had expected from Bret Easton Ellis. However, the 2010 novel managed to win me over midway through its millennial Hollywood noir tapestry, with Ellis's wittily sadistic trademarks emerging through a somewhat, lucid narrative, or rather an ongoing nightmare in an equally twisted dreamscape.
I've read Less Than Zero twice (I consider it my favorite book, tied with The Vampire Lestat) and during each reading I spotted something different or overlooked during the previous reading. That's typical with most books, but with LTZ, it's a reawakening of sorts. I pray that a second reading of Imperial Bedrooms will dredge a similar sentiment of sorts, especially after Ellis pretty much declared the Clay of Less Than Zero "an imposter," and replaced him with The Real Clay of Imperial Bedrooms, a severely morally sadistic monster in wheels clothing.
I didn't give it the full five stars due to the length and lack of the original group of characters from LTZ, but, again, hopefully the inevitable second reading will earn that final star and I can appreciate Ellis's most recent commentary on the rapidly vacuous world we live in. Or rather what his characters perceive to be.
I've read Less Than Zero twice (I consider it my favorite book, tied with The Vampire Lestat) and during each reading I spotted something different or overlooked during the previous reading. That's typical with most books, but with LTZ, it's a reawakening of sorts. I pray that a second reading of Imperial Bedrooms will dredge a similar sentiment of sorts, especially after Ellis pretty much declared the Clay of Less Than Zero "an imposter," and replaced him with The Real Clay of Imperial Bedrooms, a severely morally sadistic monster in wheels clothing.
I didn't give it the full five stars due to the length and lack of the original group of characters from LTZ, but, again, hopefully the inevitable second reading will earn that final star and I can appreciate Ellis's most recent commentary on the rapidly vacuous world we live in. Or rather what his characters perceive to be.
Whenever I finish a Bret Easton Ellis book,I feel like one of his characters. Disconnected, a little discombobulated, and uncertain of what just transpired. So, yay for consistency. And if that first sentence makes sense to you, go ahead and read Imperial Bedrooms. It will be exactly what you expect.
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Did not enjoy this as much as Less Than Zero, partly because the "mystery" plot felt strange and convoluted/frustrating. However, all the meta conversation about the Less Than Zero film itself and the industry and the playing with narrative was really great to read and engage with. Definitely a much stronger first half!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Excrement, Trafficking, Stalking, Alcohol
Minor: Eating disorder
I probably would have given this book less stars if it weren’t for the fact that I really enjoy Ellis’s writing style. The plot was non-existent (though so was Less than Zero) but kept building up like it would reach some overarching grand finale. It didn’t though, it was a not so sensible conspiracy which I guess they allude to in the book. It doesn’t all make sense, it might not all add up, it might not even be connected. What I do enjoy is the disconnected narration, someone so out of touch with their empathy that they seem numb. It’s interesting to read a thought process of someone who seemingly doesn’t care, couldn’t care and then in the next sentence have an off-handed remark about how he’s crying so hard he can’t see. I guess Ellis’s work is kind of like life, you try to make sense of it but in the end it doesn’t really matter.
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is quite decent, I thought. Ellis fans - like myself - should find it worth a read, but the ending let me down a bit. I thought the final words seemed a bit obvious, like explaining why your joke is funny.
fast-paced
meh, I didn't like Clay's character at all here, the story got so confusing at times which I get we're reading from Clay's pov and he's not the sanest/most reliable narrator, but I keep feeling there is something we're not being told, sth everyone knows but us, Clay even hides it in his thoughts and only vaguely refers to it, I didn't care about this style of writing :/ it started good and I was hooked but it lost it half way, the story was just so boring lol.
and the torture porn was sooo unnecessary imo, but what's a BEE novel w/out it ig🙄 this man 100% has a deep resentment of women and this time the story wasn't good enough for me to ignore it.