Since it has been many years since I first read Less Than Zero, my memory leaves a lot to be desired. But one line I clearly remember contains the words "I want to see the worst." Yeah, me too. Did this book ever shock me, though? With its blase and soulless young characters and their callous "adventures?" I don't think so. I've been reading unorthodox literature since I was in my double digits (less than twenty).

I dug Brett Easton Ellis' work when I was in my twenties, and I still enjoy it equally as much in my (**grumblestuttermutter**)ies. Thank goodness my memory makes old books new again. Disappear here.

Unloved rich kids in 80s L.A. desperately try to feel something. It's depressing and disheartening, but worth it if you can stomach the apathy and hedonism. It's pretty awful at times (the events of the book).

azooooooom!

Okay I am giving this book five stars for the exact opposite reason I gave amphibian five stars. This book is everything that I want from a book. Moral bankruptcy, intense boredom, and of course a good dose of spoiled rich kids. Although I have to say that Clay is clearly a device being used to stop you from becoming too angry with the books inherent moral bankruptcy, after all the main character is disgusted too, not that he intends to do anything about it but hell at least he isn't jumping in to help Sade and Bataille. Well there is probably some legal repercussion to driving the rapist home, but I mean right, whatever.

This book is fluid, sexuality is fluid, plot is amorphous, people are fluid I mean which one was Alana again? Who is the drug dealer today? I have no idea. Even morality seems to be a reasonably fluid construct when it decides to exist, which is only when the immoral act is occurring in Clay's line of vision from what I can tell. Weirdly this is all foiled by inflexibility. Apparently "people are afraid to merge". This among a few other statements come back several times unchanged in the text. These reflect Clay's inability to truly belong in the LA society. I believe he has clearly been poisoned by the East Coast. I mean I grew up on the east coast, reasonably close to new hampshire and to be honest no matter how nihilistic and postmodern you manage to become you still have this weird subconscious, "people don't act like that" thing in the back of your head. It is not unlike being catholic and you can only understand it if you grew up in a place where it exists. I can't explain my actions to people who didn't grow up with me when I refuse to call multiple times and instead will sit on a stoop and wait for them to notice that I called once. I feel like Clay got infected with this in New Hampshire and when he goes home he just can't remember how to be a part of what he once was, poor Clay. I really feel for him.

This is exactly the kind of book that I like and people like Greg tend not to because it is about rich spoiled brats and how messed up their various lives are, and I love it. I feel like I am missing something in this review, I may or may not remember later and add it so no one can read it.

Also Karen, Courtney may want to borrow this book next.
Now I read Imperial Bedrooms.

Drugs, sex, more drugs, sex, sex, drugs. Repeat. Drive around some. Go to parties. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD make it stop.