Customer Reviews

Glamorama

5 star:		(91)
4 star:		(59)
3 star:		(47)
2 star:		(21)
1 star:		(64)

 

 

This is the best book I have ever read. It was so out of control and engrossing I couldn't stop reading it. The confusion, heathenism, specs and stench is all too much.

Yes, this book is about international supermodel terrorists (the same idea, you might notice, poked fun at by Ben Stiller in Zoolander... except in Glamorama it's no joke). As rediculous as that sounds, it works in Glamorama. And even if the idea doesn't provoke you, there is so much more to this book that it almost doesn't matter.

The beginning, about 100 pages taking place in Manhatten in the 90s in which the main character is enjoying being the "It Boy" of the moment, is important. If you don't like that, don't give up yet, because what follows is not light-hearted at all.

The rest of the book is intense and at points confusing. However, every word is more intriguing then the last. Even if the book isn't fun to read, you will want to know what happens so badly that you will blow off your homework or job to finish it. Even after racing through hundreds of pages, you won't know what happens... well ever. Although in the last hundred or so pages of the book, questions do get answered, it seems that every answer in this book leads to more questions. Some parts of this book are just downright bazaar and its last few pages are vague. However, after racing through those pages until the last I realized that I did enjoy everyone of those pages even if I'm dying to have lunch with Bret Easton Ellis just to beg him to answer my million questions.

This book was incredible. I bought this book blind (not recommended by anyone) because I liked the cover. It was great reading. Ellis' writing is hard to follow and the story goes all over the place, but that's just a reflection of the story itself and the characters - everything is nuts. You never really know what's going so it keeps you on the edge of your seat. This may be difficult to swallow for readers who like worlds that are orderly and make sense - which this story does not most of the time. It was crazy and I loved it! Ellis' is smart but not intellectual. Can't wait for another great Ellis read.

It took me months to finish this book, it was so boring. I had to read other books for fun while I read it, but forced myself to read Glamorama, just to finish it. I love all the other B.E.Ellis books, but this one killed me. Don't waste your time, there are plenty of other good books out there.

It's like hanging out with a beautiful person at a happening hotspot in Manhattan: You have to spend the entire night listening before s/he says one insightful thing right before the lights come on.

This book seems to have gained mixed reviews from readers - the most common complaint is that it has "no plot". This is a redundant complaint IMHO - there is much more to a book than a clever plot, deep characterisation or laugh/cry moments. The irony in this book astounded me - as a showpiece in postmodernist narrative its hard to beat. Especially when half way through the book, the main man Victor Ward begins to notice he is being followed by a film crew which, it turns out, seem to be making a film of the book itself. This is a brilliantly ironic postmodern device and Ellis pulls it off with aplomb, treating modern celeb culture with literary mimesis and horrific satire.

The book is, in short, very clever and at times hilariously entertaining - it may not have a bog-standard plot structure nor does it offer itself to deep character analysis but why should it? Books and writers can offer more than this nowadays and its nice to see that some are still attempting to do more than just "spin a good yarn".

I appreciate reading books that challenge the brain and this one certainly does that - I have to agree with the reviewer on this site that suggested others may have "missed the point". We're too used to having "the point" spoon fed to us by Grisham style thrillers and solely plot-based narratives. This offers so much more...

I read the Amazon reviews and synopsis of Glamorama and picked it up expecting a good read. I have honestly never read a more pointless book in my life. This novel had so much potential, and Ellis just threw it all away. He created a protagonist too stupid and annoying to grab you. And because the character is too stupid and high to notice anything that goes on around him, you miss tons of possible storylines and character development. The main character's self absorbtion and stupidity made me almost physically ill. Ellis took a subject matter that could have been used to create a great social satire and instead used it to create more manufactured and movie ready tripe. Skip this one, unless you dislike thinking for yourself.

Glamorama is easily Ellis' best novel yet. He has created a great character in Victor Ward, and even though I hated his guts I couldn't help but want things to turn out ok for him, but this is a Bret Easton Ellis novel, and "redemption" never comes easily!!! The name dropping and pop culture references are very entertaining and the plot leaves some huge holes that allow the reader to plug in their own conclusions with a little work, which is very rewarding. The way Glamorama so rapidly changes tone is genius, and you feel as hopeless as Victor when he's pulled from his NY fashion model world into...something else!! Highly recommended, a brillant commentary on both fashion and terrorism, two topics I never realized had something in common....

I've read Mr. Ellis's Less Then Zero, Amer. Psycho and Rules of Attraction and enjoyed all three of them more then Glamorama.

Glamorama takes similiar themes from Amer Psycho and makes them more outlandish but Patrick Bateman is a far more intriguing character then Victor Ward/Johnson.

The book does get better after Victor leaves NYC and heads toward Europe (the only reason I gave it 2 stars instead of 1)but I was at this point reading the book just to finish it as I was fairly bored by the non-stop celebrity babble.

Lastly some of the characters were still in college in Rules of Attraction so if you've read Amer Psycho and are dying to read more by Ellis at least read Rules... first and then Glamorama but don't be surprised if Glamorama is a disappointment.

This book is quite possibly the worst thing I have ever read. The author just clipped every magazine and wrote down all the designers, actors, models, etc. and put them into a 500 page book. A monkey with a typewriter could have done a better job. Do not waste your money on this one. It quite frankly... [stinks].