marisacarpico's review against another edition
Couldn’t get through it. Was going to power through, but life is too short to listen to a dude wrapping up his terror of irrelevance in pseudo logic.
thomp's review against another edition
2.0
I'm giving 2 stars because I was a big fan of American Psycho and getting more information about his mental state and process while writing it was pretty interesting. But other than that, I did not care for this book.
He has a few decent points and arguments regarding identity politics and free speech, but seldom backed up by real evidence, or taking into account all sides. The book is mostly a diatribe that includes excessive excuse making for tweets he's made and rambling opinions of random Hollywood pictures he did and did not like, all of which is so rich in hyperbole that it becomes obnoxious. Ironically, he ends up embodying a similar type of voice/stance that he is so vehemently arguing against throughout the book. It all comes across as narcissistic, short-sighted, and hypocritical in my opinion. I'd recommend passing on this one.
He has a few decent points and arguments regarding identity politics and free speech, but seldom backed up by real evidence, or taking into account all sides. The book is mostly a diatribe that includes excessive excuse making for tweets he's made and rambling opinions of random Hollywood pictures he did and did not like, all of which is so rich in hyperbole that it becomes obnoxious. Ironically, he ends up embodying a similar type of voice/stance that he is so vehemently arguing against throughout the book. It all comes across as narcissistic, short-sighted, and hypocritical in my opinion. I'd recommend passing on this one.
elinceciliacarlsson's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
opeyer's review
reflective
medium-paced
0.5
I'd only recommend this to people who have read everything else Ellis has written and would find value in the trivia this book has in the moment here and there where he discusses his career, the influences behind books, and so on. Most of the political philosophy contained within this book is the incredibly vapid ranting of an extremely privileged guy who is truly out of touch and clueless when it comes to what others are going through, seeing it more important to wag his finger than to empathize with the real pain that people are trying to discuss in the public eye. A lot of this book hits much differently in a post-Jan 6th world. Hopefully Ellis got a clue, but I doubt it. Still love most of his books and his writing in general, it's just a shame that he has such... Reddit ideas.
whaydengilbert's review against another edition
3.0
I will always owe Bret Easton Ellis a great debt in that he saved a part of my life. I was never a reader growing up. I simply could not bring myself to concentrate long enough and had to listen to books read to me or just read synopses, and I resented the activity and the people who enjoyed it because I just couldn’t bring myself to focus. And then one day during my freshman year in college, I picked up Rules of Attraction and it changed my life. Ever since I have loved reading, and further, began writing myself. It is my new preferential creative outlet, and to this, I owe BEE everything. And about ten years ago, I definitely enjoyed him as a personality. All these years later, this has changed quite a bit. He is libertarian. And proudly so. And so he is, like all libertarians, a funny and occasionally provocative asshole. Constantly posturing. A troll. He spends much of his time ranting about millennials bitching or how they cope with their lot in life, yet seems blissfully ignorant of the fact that he was incredibly fortunate and privileged to be young in a time when he could get one book published and never have to work again if he didn’t want to. It can be grating, but what kept me listening to his podcast before it was stuck behind a paywall, was that he is just so well spoken and is very versed in putting forward his opinion. The Trump apathy and Kanye apologism I can almost abide, but once he literally starts talking about Candace Owens with any real dignity, Ok BEE we onto you.
So I listened to him read WHITE, knowing this would be a pretty annoying, but hopefully insightful or at least thought provoking read like his rants on his podcast were every now and then. And it kind of is. When he isn’t just complaining about young people complaining, he is giving us stuff to chew on, like how horror prepares young minds for the world. That’s not a new take, but the way in which he portrays it is very relatable. It’s also pretty fun to listen to him dish on drama behind the scenes of his celebrity interviews on his podcast. He also airs a lot of he and his “millennial boyfriend’s” dirty laundry, to the point where it’s just uncomfortable at this point. There’s a part at which he is describing a dinner he’s having with another middle aged white dude, and they’re talking about how Black Lives Matter lacks an aesthetic and how it is an example of why Trump won, and I’m just getting douche chills thinking about how it reminds me of every obnoxiously loud conversation I hear drunk White people having in public.
This book is basically just the equivalent of a Michael Moore movies for liberals, or Fox News for conservatives; basically just a clap on the back from a contrarian to contrarians stuck in their own bubble, under the impression that they are the only ones who see things clearly.
I wanted to read/listen to this to come full circle with one of my first literary inspirations. As a member of “Generation Wuss” I’m proud to say I came out the other side unscathed. No, BEE, I didn’t find your book “offensive”, just kind of annoying.
So I listened to him read WHITE, knowing this would be a pretty annoying, but hopefully insightful or at least thought provoking read like his rants on his podcast were every now and then. And it kind of is. When he isn’t just complaining about young people complaining, he is giving us stuff to chew on, like how horror prepares young minds for the world. That’s not a new take, but the way in which he portrays it is very relatable. It’s also pretty fun to listen to him dish on drama behind the scenes of his celebrity interviews on his podcast. He also airs a lot of he and his “millennial boyfriend’s” dirty laundry, to the point where it’s just uncomfortable at this point. There’s a part at which he is describing a dinner he’s having with another middle aged white dude, and they’re talking about how Black Lives Matter lacks an aesthetic and how it is an example of why Trump won, and I’m just getting douche chills thinking about how it reminds me of every obnoxiously loud conversation I hear drunk White people having in public.
This book is basically just the equivalent of a Michael Moore movies for liberals, or Fox News for conservatives; basically just a clap on the back from a contrarian to contrarians stuck in their own bubble, under the impression that they are the only ones who see things clearly.
I wanted to read/listen to this to come full circle with one of my first literary inspirations. As a member of “Generation Wuss” I’m proud to say I came out the other side unscathed. No, BEE, I didn’t find your book “offensive”, just kind of annoying.
whogivesabook's review against another edition
3.0
The single most important takeaway, in all fields, from the last 10 years... Nothing is simple.
The single least accepted piece of information, in all fields, in the last 10 years?... Nothing is simple.
So it is, with history repeating itself until it hoarsely gasps and collapses. No one paying it a blind bit of notice and stepping over its floundering body trying to get wherever it is they think they want to go.
There aren't two sides. There's no good and evil. There is no wrong and right. There is a splendid, ever unfurling complexity at work in all things. And if you ignore that and try to simplify, people get hurt.
And that's not an exaggeration. It's evidenced. Heavily.
Ideal example: politics. You think you've picked your team. Let me shatter your illusions... they're all in it together and they're against you.
Anyway. The book's main focus is the craziness of the left and how they are hypocrites and fascists. Which, if you think fascism is not wanting to hear from bigots, is exactly right. They are hypocrites though. I can't say they're not when everyone is these days.
Ellis tries to paint himself as a political agnostic. As someone who couldn't be as evil as people say, but isn't especially interested in being a positive in the world either.
I don't know. A lot of what he says makes sense because I'm a similar character deep down. I'm morbidly contrary in discussions. I have very little interest in other people's feelings. I like to explore ideas and don't always remember that sometimes getting where I'm going makes other people uncomfortable.
But he does seem angry. Which proves that those people who attacked him only succeeded in making him even more closed off. Such is the way of twitter. We think it makes us open and chatty. All it is doing is making us violently closed off and angry.
Still, it seems to entertain. The book... It was 'okay'. Good message, seemed a little like he was trying to remind himself and failing slightly.
The single least accepted piece of information, in all fields, in the last 10 years?... Nothing is simple.
So it is, with history repeating itself until it hoarsely gasps and collapses. No one paying it a blind bit of notice and stepping over its floundering body trying to get wherever it is they think they want to go.
There aren't two sides. There's no good and evil. There is no wrong and right. There is a splendid, ever unfurling complexity at work in all things. And if you ignore that and try to simplify, people get hurt.
And that's not an exaggeration. It's evidenced. Heavily.
Ideal example: politics. You think you've picked your team. Let me shatter your illusions... they're all in it together and they're against you.
Anyway. The book's main focus is the craziness of the left and how they are hypocrites and fascists. Which, if you think fascism is not wanting to hear from bigots, is exactly right. They are hypocrites though. I can't say they're not when everyone is these days.
Ellis tries to paint himself as a political agnostic. As someone who couldn't be as evil as people say, but isn't especially interested in being a positive in the world either.
I don't know. A lot of what he says makes sense because I'm a similar character deep down. I'm morbidly contrary in discussions. I have very little interest in other people's feelings. I like to explore ideas and don't always remember that sometimes getting where I'm going makes other people uncomfortable.
But he does seem angry. Which proves that those people who attacked him only succeeded in making him even more closed off. Such is the way of twitter. We think it makes us open and chatty. All it is doing is making us violently closed off and angry.
Still, it seems to entertain. The book... It was 'okay'. Good message, seemed a little like he was trying to remind himself and failing slightly.
thatsciencedad's review against another edition
3.0
About 5 years late to the party, Bret.
Could have been incisive and or edgy back in the day. Now it feels toothless and unsubstantial.
Still good writing, tho.
Could have been incisive and or edgy back in the day. Now it feels toothless and unsubstantial.
Still good writing, tho.
dennyb1's review against another edition
4.0
Parte come un memoir, Bianco, poi Bret Easton Ellis svicola e inizia a sciorinare saggi lucidi e implacabili sulla società intrisa di ipocrisia dove qualsiasi opinione (diversa da quella della massa) pubblicata sui social e/o pronunciata in tv viene condannata e sbranata dai lupi delle Corporation i quali vogliono una massa obbediente, con gli stessi gusti, pensieri e opinioni. E in una società simile l'arte è in pericolo. L'ideologia rischia di soppiantare per sempre l'estetica. Oggi, di Bret Easton Ellis (incontrato a Torino: persona gentilissima, magnetica, suadente e divertente) ce ne bisogno più che mai.