Bret Easton Ellis - Less Than Zero/Imperial Bedrooms
One of my favourite books I have ever read (and the screen adaption too, Christian Bale is simply stunning and it's a brilliant picture) is American Psycho. I've never been so gripped by a book. I've read it three times, and in my own copy I have notes in the margin... inner geek!
So, when I heard Easton Ellis had a new book coming out in Spring 2011, I knew I had to get it. I saw Imperial Bedrooms advertised on the side of a black cab near Liverpool Street station in London, and I eagerly looked it up! I then realised that this new book was in fact a sequel of one of his books which I had not yet read, named Less Than Zero. And since it obviously makes logical sense to read the original before the sequel, this is what I did.
Less Than Zero is Easton Ellis' first novel, so I was keen to read it and uncover where the literary genius of this man began. Both of these books are relatively short, and because of my admiration for the author and zeal to read them, I devoured them both. If you're not reading Easton Ellis impulsively, then as far as I'm concerned you're not reading them properly! I had finished them within 2 days of starting.
Less Than Zero is a brilliant piece of work for a debut novel, and was rightly recognised so at the time of it's publication. Undoubtedly his technique and style have improved over time, and perhaps because I came to this novel from reading his most accomplished work I was bound to find the style slightly more primitive, simply because I knew full well what he is capable of. One thing I really love about Easton Ellis is the continuity of his characters. Rules of Attraction and American Psycho revolve around the same family but are entirely different in content and style, and I was delighted to discover that some of the characters in Less Than Zero reappear in American Psycho. Admittedly, there could have been a little more development; I felt the book was very dialogue and psychologically focused, by which I mean when the characters weren't speaking it felt like you were stuck in their heads. I've never been to LA and I wasn't alive in the 1980s, so this perhaps hindered my appreciation of the scene.
There wasn't much plot either, but I think that is the point. Everyone thinks that rich teenagers in America, especially in California (and now New York thanks to Gossip Girl!) have the life. Everyone wants to be like them, dress like them, and thinks their lives are endlessly dramatic and therefore completely consuming and interesting to the outside eye. But, as depicted in Less Than Zero, it is all actually pretty monotonous. Countless parties, drugs, sex, and controversy do surround these people, but never at any point when I was reading Less Than Zero did I think "god I wish I knew people who had parties like this" or "I wish I was there". I think things that may well have shocked the original audience when it was first published fell a little short for me because I know Easton Ellis gets very much more controversial and outrageous in his later publications. But I still really enjoyed the read, and can see why it was so ground breaking and well reviewed when it came out.
I immediately moved on to read Imperial Bedrooms. This is set several years in the future, and you are kind of shocked to see who has ended up with who, what they are all doing, and in the end you realise that not only are they all exactly the same (haven't changed one teensy little bit!) but also that it's still a boring life that they lead. What maintains main character Clay's intensity and interest is the fact that he has left LA, and been somewhere else, and what he comes back to is a bit of a disaster zone. Having said all this, I feel like I can't really give a good review of this book yet, because as much as I enjoyed it I read it extremely quickly, and I feel I would definitely benefit from a second reading.
The plot in this later installment is significantly more enthralling, perhaps showing how teenage dramatics mature with age and become actually dangerous situations with real concequences. A metaphor for what happens when you do grow up and become responsible for your actions. Easton Ellis' accomplished writing style also makes it an easier read than the prequel, and there are a great number of fantastic lyrical flourishes. It is a very comfortable read, even though the subject matter in question is extremely uncomfortable. The ending puzzled me slightly also, which is why I shall definitely be returning to this book. I really enjoyed it though, and I would recommend reading them in conjunction with one another if you haven't read Less Than Zero already.
I think American Psycho will always remain Easton Ellis' masterpiece.
