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3.07 AVERAGE
3.07 AVERAGE
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.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Stalking, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment
Hmm, dunno. A bit of an incoherent but ok story, with a weird ending that I had not needed to read.
It's obviously noir and twisted. I haven't read much books where the lead character is an antagonist, and I didn't think of him like that at first, but that's how I feel at the end of the book. Either that or a victim. Well, either way it made me very sad, and mostly confused. But I'm slow, so it's expected. I don't understand parts of it, and I'm not sure I want to understand.
As for the writings, I'm also not sure whether I like his 'very-minimal-use-of-comma' style. It's interesting and different and sort of a signature, but sometimes it's slowing me in understanding the story to the point that it gets tiring and I have to put the book down for a few minutes. Obviously, the story was captivating that I continued reading it soon after. The fact that I finished it in 4 days says something positive about the book, because lately it's become an accomplishment that I could finish a book in under a month. But just for information, the book itself isn't very thick.
As for the writings, I'm also not sure whether I like his 'very-minimal-use-of-comma' style. It's interesting and different and sort of a signature, but sometimes it's slowing me in understanding the story to the point that it gets tiring and I have to put the book down for a few minutes. Obviously, the story was captivating that I continued reading it soon after. The fact that I finished it in 4 days says something positive about the book, because lately it's become an accomplishment that I could finish a book in under a month. But just for information, the book itself isn't very thick.
Seems to be one long uninteresting fight amongst a bunch of spoiled male brats over a girl. The dialogue is maddeningly vague, always alluding to some kind of mysterious external forces operating behind the scenes. Clay is just not a convincing or interesting villain. And what’s with the gratuitous Palm Springs debauchery? Cringingly bad at times.
challenging
dark
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
Read this book today, yessir, and...what can I say? I don't like it much. Not because, as another member so smugly put it, I can't deal with not liking characters in a book, or because it's misanthropic and misogynistic. Nope, the reason I don't like this book is, simply put, because I. Just. Don't. Give. A. Fuck.
I don't give a fuck about the banal characters, the boring ass storyline, the mediocre writing. I don't give a fuck about the trite "Hollywood is empty and everyone is awful" sentiment that seems to be swirling throughout the pages or the douchey looking photo of the author on the back cover. I just don't give a fuck.
Do you give a fuck? Good for you. More power to you. Maybe I'm just not sophisticated enough for this sort of novel. Maybe it's because I didn't read its prequel and am in no way invested in the story of these characters. Maybe it's because I can't see the deeper meaning of what seems to me like a superficial plot that's just perfect to be made into a shitty movie with overpaid, under-skilled actors.
Or maybe it just isn't that good.
It doesn't contain any hidden truth about human nature. It's just fucking boring.
I don't give a fuck about the banal characters, the boring ass storyline, the mediocre writing. I don't give a fuck about the trite "Hollywood is empty and everyone is awful" sentiment that seems to be swirling throughout the pages or the douchey looking photo of the author on the back cover. I just don't give a fuck.
Do you give a fuck? Good for you. More power to you. Maybe I'm just not sophisticated enough for this sort of novel. Maybe it's because I didn't read its prequel and am in no way invested in the story of these characters. Maybe it's because I can't see the deeper meaning of what seems to me like a superficial plot that's just perfect to be made into a shitty movie with overpaid, under-skilled actors.
Or maybe it just isn't that good.
It doesn't contain any hidden truth about human nature. It's just fucking boring.
Pretty undignified dredging from the crypt for some of my favourite characters. Not recommend.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
not a review, just thoughts and comments I had while reading
- this felt WAY too much like reverse N G Evangelion, where people with way more info than the protagonist tell the protagonist NOT to do something, for the protagonist to go and do it, and then repeat. Two-thirds of the book is this format. I didn't hate it, as it helped with building tension in a way, since the warnings were there, and then they were there again, and again, and the protagonist ignored them, doing something more serious and threatening each time.
- I didn't understand the climax though, what made Clay take the final decision. It may be obvious and I just didn't get it, as I was going back and forth to search names and relationships between the characters ,I might have lost a plot point somewhere there.
- Yes, I read the sequel first, and I liked it enough to read the first novel next time, since the characters are there and a good story to be told is there. This isn't that much it.
- it's not bad though, I LOVED the first two chapters that were meta in a way. I liked the last 25 pages or so, with their more transgressive nature.
- it reminded me too much of a toned down Dennis Cooper. I hope Bret Easton Ellis in his first novels that I'm about to read is not that much of a coward, otherwise I'm pretty sad that he is the famous one and not my Dennis.
- too little gay sex in this
- this felt WAY too much like reverse N G Evangelion, where people with way more info than the protagonist tell the protagonist NOT to do something, for the protagonist to go and do it, and then repeat. Two-thirds of the book is this format. I didn't hate it, as it helped with building tension in a way, since the warnings were there, and then they were there again, and again, and the protagonist ignored them, doing something more serious and threatening each time.
- I didn't understand the climax though, what made Clay take the final decision. It may be obvious and I just didn't get it, as I was going back and forth to search names and relationships between the characters ,I might have lost a plot point somewhere there.
- Yes, I read the sequel first, and I liked it enough to read the first novel next time, since the characters are there and a good story to be told is there. This isn't that much it.
- it's not bad though, I LOVED the first two chapters that were meta in a way. I liked the last 25 pages or so, with their more transgressive nature.
- it reminded me too much of a toned down Dennis Cooper. I hope Bret Easton Ellis in his first novels that I'm about to read is not that much of a coward, otherwise I'm pretty sad that he is the famous one and not my Dennis.
- too little gay sex in this
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
Wonderful enthralling juicy. There is something so high trash about bret easton ellis; very rich powerful characters falling to the same fates and failing to escape the footsteps left by their parents. much like less than zero the graphic content 10xs in the last 25 pages which makes the book vv jarring. the worst bret easton ellis, which is to self referential.