paulocosta's review against another edition
2.0
They should make a book just about the classics major background characters. I couldn't relate to the main characters in this one!
debbiesf's review against another edition
4.0
*3.75
drugs, sex, rock, and a lot of really really sad college students. I appreciated the references to the secret history though
drugs, sex, rock, and a lot of really really sad college students. I appreciated the references to the secret history though
charlottekaas's review against another edition
5.0
Bret Easton Ellis has had an enormous influence on my taste in literature. So I was afraid going back to this book after almost 20 years would make me realize, that he's not actually that good and that it was all a silly teen crush. But he is and it wasn't. Throw in a few iPhones and update the music references (or maybe don't) and this could be today.
Ellis is forever relevant and I hereby swear that I will never not love this book.
Ellis is forever relevant and I hereby swear that I will never not love this book.
meredithw20's review against another edition
1.0
The most disturbing part was the references to The Secret History. I don't like imagining this intimate writerly friendship.
rosiedriver16's review against another edition
dark
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
somebody109's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
niwdog's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ulrikemaria's review against another edition
2.0
bruuhhhhh i hated this book. also i wanted to read this book before i realised how much i hated bret easton ellis and i read it knowing that i hate him so. idk. (also oh my god the fact that on the copy i have his name is quadruple the size of the title. like its not like hes sitting there like a supervillain saying 'yes.... make my name bigger than the title so that when u show the book to anyone when they ask what youre reading they all have a moment of confusion'. but still. what a massive cunt)
i like. expected this book to?? be good?????? im disappointed in donna tartt honestly (also dont think i didnt catch all the little similarities between this and the secret history)
anyway, the characters were incredibly unlikeable. especially like. they just kept changing their majors and going on about how much they hated college and i was like WHY... WHY ARE YOU AT UNI. u do not have to be there!!! dumbasses! (i read this book in the last few weeks of high school and im so excited to go to university next year and love going there and learning lol. and i guess i'll probably reread it after ive been at uni for a few years, but i doubt my opinion will change too much). & their thoughts didnt line up with their actions & they were just so fucking mean and bitchy.
this book was so FUCKING pretentious like... shut up! and just bc ur characters call other prententious doesnt mean the book isnt pretentious as fuck. some of the lines had me cringingggg ew
the prose was like. yeugh. like it was trying to be beat prose (like and the hippos were boiled in their tanks kind of style) but it just didnt go far enough, and as a result it felt gross and uncomfortable but not gross and uncomfortable enough that it worked.
ALSO the weird grammar things that would have worked (but still would have been pretentious) if they were just... fucking repeated oh my god. like the speaking without speech marks or the J: [line that the character said] only happened once or twice and it would have worked as a style if they had just happened more. as a result it was just a very messy book. it was just incredible inconsistent.
i gave this book two stars bc lowkey there were some funny moments. also the whole thing of Sean is obsessed with Paul who is obsessed with Lauren who is obsessed with Victor, but no one gives a shit about the person who is obsessed with them, and there were these 3 or 4 chapters where this was illustrated perfectly, one after the other, and that actually made an impression on me and i thought it was good. and about halfway throught the book i got this awful feeling that i liked it. and i mean, i did finish it. (but no for real this book sucks and people who like it are lame)
i like. expected this book to?? be good?????? im disappointed in donna tartt honestly (also dont think i didnt catch all the little similarities between this and the secret history)
anyway, the characters were incredibly unlikeable. especially like. they just kept changing their majors and going on about how much they hated college and i was like WHY... WHY ARE YOU AT UNI. u do not have to be there!!! dumbasses! (i read this book in the last few weeks of high school and im so excited to go to university next year and love going there and learning lol. and i guess i'll probably reread it after ive been at uni for a few years, but i doubt my opinion will change too much). & their thoughts didnt line up with their actions & they were just so fucking mean and bitchy.
this book was so FUCKING pretentious like... shut up! and just bc ur characters call other prententious doesnt mean the book isnt pretentious as fuck. some of the lines had me cringingggg ew
the prose was like. yeugh. like it was trying to be beat prose (like and the hippos were boiled in their tanks kind of style) but it just didnt go far enough, and as a result it felt gross and uncomfortable but not gross and uncomfortable enough that it worked.
ALSO the weird grammar things that would have worked (but still would have been pretentious) if they were just... fucking repeated oh my god. like the speaking without speech marks or the J: [line that the character said] only happened once or twice and it would have worked as a style if they had just happened more. as a result it was just a very messy book. it was just incredible inconsistent.
i gave this book two stars bc lowkey there were some funny moments. also the whole thing of Sean is obsessed with Paul who is obsessed with Lauren who is obsessed with Victor, but no one gives a shit about the person who is obsessed with them, and there were these 3 or 4 chapters where this was illustrated perfectly, one after the other, and that actually made an impression on me and i thought it was good. and about halfway throught the book i got this awful feeling that i liked it. and i mean, i did finish it. (but no for real this book sucks and people who like it are lame)