Bret Easton Ellis – The Rules of Attraction (1987)
Novel – 320 – my copy (paperback; 2006) purchased from Plymouth Waterstone’s in late 2008
- 2 nods out of 5 -
The Worm is a self-confessed Bret Easton Ellis fan. Perhaps one may have already guessed, considering the amount of space this author has taken up in previous reviews, including his first novel Less Than Zero and his most recent offering, Imperial Bedrooms.
However, The Rules of Attraction was not an instant attention grabber. Wrongly bought as the Worm foolishly believed, in a sheepishly tired state, to be Less Than Zero, thirty pages were initially read before it was ominously put upon the ‘To Read’ pile. Flash forward two years: and it was the turn of The Rules of Attraction once more.
The novel is Ellis’ second; narrated by multiple characters. It focuses its attentions primarily on Paul, Sean and Lauren; all of whom end up fucking one another, as well as a host of others. The story is the trauma of them dealing with one another, trying to make sense of themselves, in a tumultuous time when at university. Ellis, as ever, regales the reader with endless parties, with drug use (and abuse), pointless conversations, and, of course, the fucking.
The characters go round in circles, their lives are repetitious; perhaps this is Ellis’ will – or perhaps he is bereft of a greater idea. Whenever a chance to jump ship to a different view point, Ellis is ever willing to do so, mostly with pointless consequences. Due to the lack of actual plot, the novel drags in many places, before racing off, frustratingly refusing to solve the initial problems posed.
The Rules of Attraction acts as Ellis’ interim fallow period, just after the big success of Less Than Zero, and before the breakthrough that became American Psycho. And some later themes are seen in fermentation in this novel, most notably the troubling character of Sean Bateman – the psychotic Patrick Bateman’s younger brother (indeed, Patrick even makes a brief appearance). Never admitting his true feelings, leaving a life-like-dream, Sean has the infant characteristics that Ellis would use to such dramatic and sensational effect.
Within Ellis’ back catalogue, The Rules of Attraction is a book left alone. Although at times it has the author’s touch of hilarity and his bleak look upon the modern world, it fails to inspire and entertain for sustained periods. So, it is back to the pile with this book, this time labelled: ‘To Give-Away’.
Novel – 320 – my copy (paperback; 2006) purchased from Plymouth Waterstone’s in late 2008
- 2 nods out of 5 -
The Worm is a self-confessed Bret Easton Ellis fan. Perhaps one may have already guessed, considering the amount of space this author has taken up in previous reviews, including his first novel Less Than Zero and his most recent offering, Imperial Bedrooms.
However, The Rules of Attraction was not an instant attention grabber. Wrongly bought as the Worm foolishly believed, in a sheepishly tired state, to be Less Than Zero, thirty pages were initially read before it was ominously put upon the ‘To Read’ pile. Flash forward two years: and it was the turn of The Rules of Attraction once more.
The novel is Ellis’ second; narrated by multiple characters. It focuses its attentions primarily on Paul, Sean and Lauren; all of whom end up fucking one another, as well as a host of others. The story is the trauma of them dealing with one another, trying to make sense of themselves, in a tumultuous time when at university. Ellis, as ever, regales the reader with endless parties, with drug use (and abuse), pointless conversations, and, of course, the fucking.
The characters go round in circles, their lives are repetitious; perhaps this is Ellis’ will – or perhaps he is bereft of a greater idea. Whenever a chance to jump ship to a different view point, Ellis is ever willing to do so, mostly with pointless consequences. Due to the lack of actual plot, the novel drags in many places, before racing off, frustratingly refusing to solve the initial problems posed.
The Rules of Attraction acts as Ellis’ interim fallow period, just after the big success of Less Than Zero, and before the breakthrough that became American Psycho. And some later themes are seen in fermentation in this novel, most notably the troubling character of Sean Bateman – the psychotic Patrick Bateman’s younger brother (indeed, Patrick even makes a brief appearance). Never admitting his true feelings, leaving a life-like-dream, Sean has the infant characteristics that Ellis would use to such dramatic and sensational effect.
Within Ellis’ back catalogue, The Rules of Attraction is a book left alone. Although at times it has the author’s touch of hilarity and his bleak look upon the modern world, it fails to inspire and entertain for sustained periods. So, it is back to the pile with this book, this time labelled: ‘To Give-Away’.
