I'm reading his latest novel,
Imperial Bedrooms, which is the sequel to his 1980s novel (written at the age of 21)
Less Than Zero. The later changed the way I wrote. That along with Raymond Carver pushed my early work towards a minimalist style. So, you may be saying, "Josh, maybe you're taste has changed, like how you're not that into Mineral anymore, or other emo-ish bands. But I say, "No, this new novel is a copy of a copy of a copy of
Less Than Zero." The characters aren't the same people. They're pathetic versions of the author's perception of them, and HE'S WAY FUCKING OFF. It's like he doesn't even know his own work. Even the way in which these characters act feel contrived. There isn't a loose feeling, that roving cinema verite feeling of his first novel, is absent. BEE wants to do it, but he can't. He can't reach back into those characters, because fame and his ego has prevented him from doing so, because he THINKS he knows these characters and then tells us what happened to them how many years after LTZ. But the best part about ALL of his novels is the the writer doesn't seem to know his characters. They exist within that diegetic space of his books without any contrivance or plan. They only exist and react. But in
Imperial Bedrooms, you can tell Ellis wants his novel to DO something. Which makes the book fail. OK. I'll stop. I've got 30 pages left. So, I should shut up and finish the book, but I've been struggling ten pages at a time. I read his
Less Than Zero in one day, and this, I don't even want to continue. I don't even care what happens to these pathetic fucks. Who cares they're awful and there's nothing that keeps the reader in. At least with LTZ, you could hang onto the hope that there's decency in some of them, that some of them will leave LA. And people might say, "Yeah, all these things you're saying is what BEE's intentions were." Bullshit. He doesn't know his characters anymore. That's clear as shit.
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Expect an update in 30 pages.
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Elliot wore a Charlie Brown outfit today. Check it on facebook. Now he's dress in his T-Rex one-sie. My son is so cute!.
Later,
JJJJJJJJJJJJ
1 comment:
I told you! I told you it would be disappointing. Hopefully it hasn't ruined Less Than Zero for you.
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