The Shards - Bret Easton Ellis BOOK REVIEW (Part 1 of 2)
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- čas přidán 28. 11. 2023
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The Shards - Bret Easton Ellis BOOK REVIEW (Part 2 of 2)
• The Shards - Bret East...
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Nowadays writers don't get so many death threats because people who send death threats usually don't read anymore
🤣🤣🤣😭😭😭
Lol
Or death threats sent in boost sales, perhaps ?
Wrong : they never read anything.
I'm incredibly grateful to have stumbled upon your channel. Without you, I wouldn't have discovered so many obscure and beautiful literary gems. Your insightful reviews have broadened my reading horizons, and I'm constantly inspired to explore new and unique books ❤️✨
Currently writing my dissertation at university in the UK on Cormac McCarthy, William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor. Thanks so much for getting me into southern gothic lit mate. Love your work
Excellent. I love all of them.
Great taste
I can't wait for Part 2, this was a fantastic review, I'm really looking forward to reading it.
These reviews are so much more than reviews. Thank you.
I mean, your channel never dissapoints. Thanks for the book recommendations, this is my go to channel. Cheers.
I loved this book! Chose to read it as something „light“ in between my McCarthy marathon. And boy was I wrong! I am still shocked by this book. Been a long time since I actually felt scared while reading a literary text. This is really one of the great novels of our time!
Damn man, we're in the exact same situation. Lol. Im about to start reading this after having finished Stella Maris.
Highly recommend Ellis' podcast too. He's an extremely insightful movie critic and pop cultural thinker. Also, he serialized the Shards as he was writing it on there, so there is this cool unedited version you can hear him read if you go back into his archive.
I was looking forward to your review. I love the book.
Fantastic video. I loved this novel and think it may be his best. I still think about it loads and read it almost a year ago. His writing is incredible in this novel. Loved listening to you talk about it in detail.
I have this one but I haven't started reading it yet. I'm looking forward to it.
The "rearranged furniture" that the Trawler did to his victims in The Shards is something Ellis wrote about in Lunar Park too.
cool new set up
I'm currently reading The Secret History, where the author Donna Tartt dedicates the book to Bret Easton Ellis. So, seeing you do a video on him, was a highlight, because it gives me the perspective on why. Since her book was published in 1992(started in 1980s) and she'd wrote about college kids, murder, drugs, numbness etc. Any--I'll cut this short, thanks for the content!
Bret Easton Ellis and Donna Tartt both were in the same graduating class from Bennington College as well, which is the college that The Secret History is based on. Apparently they were good friends and Bret helped her with some early drafts of it while they were in school. Pretty cool connection
Ok, you convinced me to check the book out even before your summation video! I've been reading Ellis since he was first published and along with Jay McInerny they were being heralded as the Hemingway & Fitzgerald of the 80's. Not sure who was supposed to be who, but interesting you mentioned Ellis in this review as Hemingwayesque.
I don’t love all of his work. I thought Glamorama was perhaps a hundred pages too long, and I just couldn’t get into The Informers. However, there is no question of Ellis’s talent. To me, his best work hits a horrible nerve within me and leaves me with the cold dread that something somewhere is about to go very wrong.
Loved "American Psycho", the book and the film. Read "Less than Zero and watched the film adaptation. Really enjoying your channel and now I just bought a copy of "The Shards" as a Christmas present for myself. Thanks Clifford for helping people to love reading books 📚. You are awesome 👌🏽
Great room, great book. Thank you sir.
It took me about 19 minutes to fully accept that, while I 𝘸𝘢𝘴 aware of the titles keyword being *'review,'* I was [still] expecting a detailed talk-through of the entire novel that was not coming.
That's how engaging this review was; I had initially opted for an audio summary- giving in to an occasionally impatient excitement- but I may skip your 2nd review to avoid any further possibility of, albeit minor, spoilers.
This is the first video I've seen of yours; thank you for the quality and comfortable deliverance.
I'm Gen X and absolutely loved this book. There is something about it that is truly masterful but I cannot put my finger on what it is exactly. I don't really ever reread books but I am feeling pulled to do so with this one. I liked your analogy on the title The Shards about the broken glass pieces., I associated it more with the different shards of the mind. I am looking forward to the HBO adaptation which Ellis I believe will be writing the screenplay for.
Ah I was waiting for this review! Read it at the beginning of the year. I didn’t like it as much as American Psycho but it was quite the ride and I enjoyed it overall.
Your channel is my go to for book reviews, it's great. I've got so many great reads. At the moment I'm reading/listening to Outer Dark and it is wonderful. I've never really liked Bret Easton Ellis novels, too nihilistic and I just get a bad vibe. Since Blood Meridian I have totally switched to audiobooks, I just don't get the drama and immersion from reading anymore and some of the narrators are astonishing. I decided to check this out and the writer is doing the narration himself, generally not a great idea but I might give it a shot, the comments are very positive.
I went to a live interview he gave when he visited lisbon because of this new book of his coming out. Have loved his writing since American Psycho (even got my mother's old copy signed, which was fantastic) and Brett sure is an...interesting, yeah, let's use that, he's an interesting guy. I'll have to come back to this after I read the book, but I'm already looking forward to it.
This was the first Ellis I've ever read, and I enjoyed it enough to get through the 600 pages without a problem; but at the end, I could not help but be kind of unimpressed with it. It's about 200 pages too long and rather trivial contentwise. The repetition got a little bit on my nerves as the novel went on. I don't just mean the reappearing terms and phrases: Ellis does explain or repeat quite a bit off stuff he demonstrated or mentioned already, as if he himself had only a vague recollection of what he already wrote at times - it's a little bit like he was actually zoned out while working on the text.
I disagree. I think what you term as overuse of certain phrases and repetition was deliberate.The narrator is obsessing over a particular theme that he has fully embraced as reality.A continuous loop is playing in his mind.
@@joniheisenberg It did not come across in my original comment due to misleading phrasing, but I did perceive the repeating phrases like "tangible participant" or Bret going on about the narrative forming in his mind as intentional and largely inoffensive. But with the repetitive explications and exposition, like the multiple passages where Bret goes on and on about the paranoid atmosphere that L. A. developed in the 80's due to the cults and serial killers, I'm not so sure. They do reappear too, but with an odd irregularity.
In the end, of course, I don't know for sure what's intentional and what isn't. It's not like that would save these passages from being redundant either.
I've been quite curious to read this book. I really like American Psycho, and I have Less Than Zero on my tbr. Love him or hate him, Ellis is a real character, and maybe one of the last celebrity writers. I find it interesting how what was portrayed as soulless and vile in Less Than Zero seems to be revisited with the rose tinted glasses of nostalgia in The Shards. I should probably pick this book up sometime.
Please read Glamorama next, would love to hear your thoughts on it
I'm the same age as Ellis, and also grew up in the LA area. Middle class, though. Not a rich kid. Still, in Less than Zero and now in The Shards, Ellis really captures what it felt like in LA at the time, no matter what neighborhood you lived in. Beneath the surface of sunshine and beaches and restaurants and theaters, there was an undercurrent of DARKNESS.
Last night I was finishing the last 1/4 of the book in bed. It was around 8pm and my husband went to the gym for a late night work out. At one point I had to put the book down and listen because I thought I heard some noises in the house. This book by no means was scary, but the idea of the Trawler plot really must have been messing with my head... home alone... at night. I started totally relating to fictional 80s Bret in that moment haha. Really enjoyed this book. When I was younger I read American Psycho and The Rules of Attraction. He mentions Less than Zero a few times in this book and it's next on my list now!
This is a great review. I just finished the book a few days ago and after reading all of Ellis’ other books, I was initially disappointed. I agree that it contains some amazing set pieces and the overall tone is so great-as a GenXer, I just vibe with all the music and movie references. But I found it over long in places and the final 200 pages felt like Bret just driving around and sharing his street by street right and left turns. I loved the excess of this book, that doesn’t bother me at all., but I’m just not sure he stuck the landing. Having said that, your review has me reconsidering it and will need to go back and reread the beginning and ending again to see how it all ties together. Perhaps I missed something. Thanks for the quality content!
Okay, I’ve ordered that. Released January, 9 here. 👍
I loved this book. It has not received the praise it deserves.Ellis masterfully interweaves the cinematic suspense of Brian DePalma(“Dressed to Kill” tension)into the narrative.Strangely yet successfully the narrator is giving me Nick Carraway vibes.I was completely blown away by this novel. It was impossible to put down once I started.
The prodigal son returns with another video.
Can you give us a video reading a complete chapter of The Shards?
I'm working through this book now! May I suggest a review if you liked this? These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever. It is *gold*
Still my favourite read of the year, since January. Listened to a large chunk of it through his podcast as he was releasing it in parts, but found it difficult to piece it together in my head when there was a week or two gap between chapters. Reading the book was a fantastic experience, and did not feel like 600+ pages at all (on Kindle).
The flashlight scene had me screaming internally
I agree. Also,my favorite fiction read of the year. I can’t believe the lack of praise it has received. I think it has to with perceptions/objections regarding the author. I just saw Walter Kirn on Bill Maher’s show.He is good friends with Mr. Ellis. He mentioned that they recently discussed cancel culture.He commented that Ellis remarked he would not have been able to publish “American Psycho” in today’s climate. I do hope “The Shards” receives the recognition it deserves.
This was also Proustian in terms of autofiction as well as the sensory/memory pieces.
I need to read me some more Bret Easton Ellis
I am sure you get that a lot, but I have to ask too. Didnt you side hustle as an actor in a small indie series "Peaky Blinders" playing Arthur Shelby?
Don’t forget the Icehouse song!!
Tried doing some digging on Ellis’ possible stalker. All I found was that there’s a book titled Stalking Bret Easton Ellis: A Novel in Two Parts by Caroline Weiss and Margaret Wallace.
ever read the Air Conditioned Nightmare by Henry Miller? That seems like it would be right up your alley.
31:30 I’m getting it! On audible… I’m from la …
Oh jesus christ. I'm sitting on the toilet and just wondered when you would upload a new video. Thanks a lo!
The Shards was one of the most disturbing books I have ever read. That being said, I loved it. The 80's was such a cold, selfish, empty decade and this book certainly epitomizes that time.
It _is_ properly unsettling. I'm doing the Audiobook right now, and I am about half-way through. Then I _know_ I will want to devour the book.
Mate, I’ll use your link but I’m in Oz. Let’s see what happens. 🤷♂️
The thing about The Shards is that it's cinematic (Tarantino loves it) which leads me to say this: David Robert Mitchell needs to direct The Shards and / or Lunar Park if it comes up in the future. We need good Ellis film adaptations. I think the only adaptation of Ellis that Ellis himself liked was The Rules of Attraction.
First, speaking of authors and death threats, how could you forget Salman Rushdie? That's the most famous one. The Ayatollah declared a fatwah on his head after The Satanic Verses was published in '87 (great book). Just last year, some twat stabbed him.
Secondly, Ellis' most Stephen Kingy book was Lunar Park - which was literally Ellis' attempt at writing a Stephen King novel.
Third, shame you haven't read Glamorama - for me, that's his most fun one.
The sharts
The hate against Ellis reminds me of the hate Shirley Jackson received for writing The Lottery. Sending threats and hate towards a writer for writing a novel always seem so surreal to me, absurd even. Don't like it, don't read it. Thank you for the review! I'm looking forward to read this book.
Anyone commenting and liking here, should share the channel around... the algorithm burries anything that is not Mr Beast
Less than Zero
We don't wanna know the truth.
Uh oh, my boy's gone all woo woo opening his third eye in the thumbnail with the abracadabras like that; on top of that now he's got them 2 noses as well to doubly smell the coffee; coffee time is gonna be all aromas now innit; the aromas and the transcendent aura of the steam rising up off his cuppa. Steam rising up continuing it's journey through the cosmos into the stratosphere until condensing in the clouds and plummeting all the way back down with a hearty splish right in the back of someone's shirt collar. Oh...right...I gotta take my meds. Excuse me.
Did you take them?
Best fucking book !!!!
Bret. Present.
So.... WHO is the Trawler???
There are lots of fun speculations on Reddit. Some theorize Steven (the Schaffer’s assistant), some think it’s the cult idolizing Robert (and then Bret later tries to imitate them), etc
It’s clearly Bret… Robert is Bret as well I think that’s why he gave him the name of his father (although that’s messed up)
@@moroccansarenthumanbeings2640 wait
Robert and Bret are the same individual?
Spoiler!!! So I’m I the only one who thinks Bret is the trawler?
"Trawler"="Creepy Crawlers" ? (Manson Family coinage for entering homes at night and rearranging furniture). I can't read this guy though I admit he's a good writer.
I just found your channel and I want to say you look like you're from the 1800s
do Sally Rooney !
just to proove how bad she is !
or not...
Bret Easton Ellis is a Sigma male who writes Sigma male characters
Great vid man! Salman Rushdie also, almost killed for writing The Satanic Verses, last year actually stabbed on stage at a reading.
Wowy Zowy!
I will always be haunted by this book and “the empty house on Mulholland” 🥹 most influential novel I’ve ever lived through.