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Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Patrick Bateman, the sociopath of American Psycho, is back, or at least Bret Easton Ellis thinks so. That's Bret Easton Ellis the character, not Bret Easton Ellis the author, except the character is also the author of American Psycho. The truth is, it's hard to sort truth from fiction in Ellis' latest novel. Van Der Beek (who starred as Sean Bateman, Patrick's younger brother in the film adaptation of Ellis's Rules of Attraction) does a fabulous job of playing a nihilistic, bored, paranoid and endlessly irresponsible writer. Though the character is drug-addled for a large portion of the book, Van Der Beek does not portray the stupor in his voice; instead he recounts Ellis's keen observations with the perfect sense of removal and lack of ownership. This distance serves well the horror genre that Ellis flirts with: the listener experiences everything through the main character's eyes, though that character has a reputation for being less than reliable. The Ellis character is done so smoothly that one may think that we are hearing Van Der Beek's natural tone. It is not until hearing him read the smaller roles of the other characters that the listener realizes the range of his capabilities.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From AudioFile
James Van Der Beek affects the flat tone and world-weary attitude of burned-out, drug-addicted novelist Bret Easton Ellis in this fictional memoir of a novelist named Bret Easton Ellis. Van Der Beek shines in the first chapter as Ellis mixes real and imagined scenes from his tabloid-documented life. The story contrasts the heightened reality of his life among the million-dollar mansions of the newly rich with details of his adjustment to his new roles as husband and father. There's social satire mixed with true horror and pathos as Ellis deals with issues related to finding himself in a family. As always, Ellis's take on modern life can be jolting. R.O. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Metafiction from hell,
By E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (HALL OF FAME) (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Lunar Park (Paperback)
If there's ever a book with a split personality, that book is "Lunar Park."
In his fifth full-length novel, Bret Easton Ellis seems torn between writing a fictionalized memoir and a Stephen King horrorfest, complete with leaf beasties and ghastly bird dolls. He builds up a confusing if compelling storyline, only to have it spill into an unholy mess at the climax. Bret Easton Ellis wrote a gloriously nihilistic novel called "Less than Zero," sparking off a bestselling career, drug addictions, and a hedonistic lifestyle. A few years later, he's wed to girlfriend Jayne, and living in dysfunctional tranquillity in the countryside with two kids. He's working on a new book, the perpetually pornographic "Teenage Pussy," and still doing lots of drugs with pal Jay McInerney. Then weird things happen: A bird toy is killing animals. Bret's dad's grave appears. Monsters are invading his house. And a mysterious police inspector tells Bret that someone is emulating the gruesome murders from "American Psycho." And as he tries to keep his family safe, Bret finds that his own fiction is what is spawning all this horror. "Lunar Park" is an intriguing self-exmination; I can only imagine what spurred Ellis to write it. It seems like an exorcism of the cynical, drug-dealing demons of excess that ran rampant throughout his novels. And in the world of "Lunar Park," those novels -- especially the controversial "American Psycho" -- have an influence on the real world, whether it's bringing horrors to life or inspiring a serial killer. It's a fascinating look at fiction vs. reality. And despite the literary conceit of having himself as the lead character, Ellis' examination of his fiction is a thorough and brutal one. He even goes down to his writing style. The book opens with him looking back on his books, and noticing how the Spartan style of "Less Than Zero" evolved into babbly rambling. With this book, he's settled into a comfortable middle-of-the-road style. Unfortunately, Ellis also gets locked into a Stephen King fantasy, complete with a see-it-a-mile-away plot twist right out of "Rear Window." He creates some genuinely chilling moments, such as when his alter ego starts seeing graves and monsters. But by turning all that good horror into self-examination, it loses most of its punch. And as the novel builds to its anticlimax, Ellis doesn't seem sure what to do with the plot threads he's woven together, like the disappearing boys. Metafiction runs wild in "Lunar Park," a novel split between literary study and total horror. But Ellis seems to lose the grip on his plot, and it spins out of control like the book's events themselves.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Looney Park,
By Warren P.B. (Montreal) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Lunar Park (Paperback)
Ah, the lost art of self-deprecation. Fans of Ellis will most likely enjoy LUNAR PARK. I also think, however, that fans of horror will also enjoy it a ton. Being a fan of both, I have to say this novel is probably my favorite of his. Its been a long time coming and, for me, it was more than worth the wait. I hope it hasn't been too late. Ellis's previous novels are disturbing, but they usually escape being categorized as horror. LUNAR PARK, despite its classification as literature, absolutely earns itself a place among the top works of horror. Interestingly, this is Ellis's least graphic and gruesome work. If you enjoyed books such as LESS THAN ZERO or the novel KATZENJAMMER by McCrae, then this will be right up your alley.
1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loony Park,
By Warren P.B. (Montreal) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Lunar Park (Hardcover)
Ah, the lost art of self-deprecation. Fans of Ellis will most likely enjoy LUNAR PARK. I also think, however, that fans of horror will also enjoy it a ton. Being a fan of both, I have to say this novel is probably my favorite of his. Its been a long time coming and, for me, it was more than worth the wait. I hope it hasn't been too late. Ellis's previous novels are disturbing, but they usually escape being categorized as horror. LUNAR PARK, despite its classification as literature, absolutely earns itself a place among the top works of horror. Interestingly, this is Ellis's least graphic and gruesome work. If you enjoyed books such as LESS THAN ZERO or the novel KATZENJAMMER by McCrae, then this will be right up your alley.
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