Less Than Zero cover art

Less Than Zero

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Less Than Zero

By: Bret Easton Ellis
Narrated by: Davis Brooks
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About this listen

A disturbing portrayal of privileged and immoral LA teenagers, Less Than Zero is a cult classic.

In 1985, Bret Easton Ellis shocked, stunned and disturbed with his debut novel, Less Than Zero. Filled with relentless drinking in seamy bars and glamorous nightclubs, wild, drug-fuelled parties, and dispassionate sexual encounters, Less than Zero - narrated by Clay, an 18-year-old student returning home to Los Angeles for Christmas - is a fierce coming-of-age story, justifiably celebrated for its unflinching depiction of hedonistic youth, its brutal portrayal of the inexorable consequences of such moral depravity and its author’s refusal to condone or chastise such behaviour.

©2010 Bret Easton Ellis (P)2019 W.F. Howes Ltd Coming of Age Dark Humour Genre Fiction Literature & Fiction Satire Fiction Comedy

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All stars
Most relevant
A very bleak and harshly real story of a misanthropic world of soulless excess that is very well narrated at times but can occasionally be flat and easy to lost track of who is who at times. I think the different chapters could have been labelled and sectioned better but overall this was worth a listen but isn't one I am craving to go back to like I have with so many other great books I have on here. Maybe this is the ultimate one night stand of audio books - great for a listen but not something worth returning to. It is a very good story but I can't help but feel as empty as some of the characters in after finishing this as if something is missing. A very solid 4 star effort but not quite up to getting a perfect 5 for me.

Very good but falls just short of great

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I first read this in the early 90s. I didn't remember much other than I liked it but I preferred the rules of attraction at the time. it still reads very modern and contemporary despite ubiquitous 80s references. I still love the 'minimalist' writing style that is seemingly detached and emotionless, yet provokes emotional response in the reader. The alienation and despair is all present. There is no plot, intentionally. The characters are aimless and lost. Very clever writing. I don't give it 5 stars because there are some gross parts that I don't enjoy reading, however fitting and probably necessary they are. Narration is perfect. I guess I will need to reread the Rules now too.

This booked aged well

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Holy fuck, I’d heard a lot about this book and it was even better than expected.

Excellent!

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Great book. The writing and pacing is so enticingly mundane making it impossible to look away. The narration is great and complements the writing well.

Incredible

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In the world of literature, some books possess the rare ability to unravel the intricate threads of human existence, exposing the dark underbelly of society with an unflinching gaze. This book stands as a haunting testament to this raw portrayal of modern desolation.

Moshfegh's eloquent foreword serves as the perfect introduction to the disorienting and unsettling journey that awaits within these pages. With prose that is both piercing and reflective, she sets the stage for a narrative that dives headfirst into the lives of disenchanted youth and the disillusionment that envelopes their world.

Ellis's masterful storytelling brings to life a cast of characters who are seemingly lost in a haze of privilege, decadence, and emptiness. The pages are drenched in an atmosphere of existential despair, where opulent parties and material excess serve as mere distractions from the existential void that gnaws at the core of their existence. Ellis's prose possesses a chilling lucidity that strikes like a dagger to the soul. The narrative's rhythmic cadence belies the heart-wrenching themes it unravels. Through Clay's eyes, we witness the emptiness that festers beneath extravagant parties and superficial relationships—a void that cannot be filled by materialism.

Chilling

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