The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis – Reviewed by Guy Portman
The book is written in the first person from the perspective primarily of three students – Lauren, Sean and Paul. All are pupils of Camden College, an exclusive New Hampshire-based liberal arts establishment. Lauren is infatuated with a Camden alumnus but she is having sex with Sean, and others. Sean thinks he is in love with Lauren. He is also sleeping with Paul.
The Rules of Attraction is a transgressive work which was published in 1987. It adroitly captures the era’s zeitgeist with regards to drugs, music and, above all, attitudes to relationships. The text’s plotless nature mirrors the vapid, aimless characters that populate it. Themes include bi-sexuality, drugs and despair. Easton Ellis is a master of dialogue and inner monologue. Both are to be found in abundance here.
This nihilistic novel about lost kids with no direction is chilling and authentic.
