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The Rules of Attraction

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Set in the 1980s on a New England college campus, 'The Rules of Attraction' follows a period in the lives of Lauren, Paul, and Sean who get caught up in a love triangle. The book explores a bisexual love triangle filled with misinformation, misidentity, self-obsession, emotional blackmail, immaturity, substance abuse, and a lack of self-respect among privileged college students. The narrative style shifts between different characters' perspectives, offering insight into their personalities and relationships, often highlighting their delusions and self-inflicted struggles.

The story unfolds through multiple narrators, showcasing the same events from vastly different viewpoints, creating a Rashomon-like quality that delves into the complexities of personal relationships and individual interpretations. The novel provides an interesting study on how navigating personal relationships can be challenging, especially in an environment saturated with alcohol, drugs, and youthful beauty, resonating with college students across generations.

Characters:

The characters are depicted as self-absorbed and morally ambiguous, often showcasing the emptiness of their college experiences.

Writing/Prose:

The prose employs a fragmented and satirical style, utilizing multiple viewpoints to expose the characters' delusions and superficial lives.

Plot/Storyline:

The story revolves around a love triangle among college students, reflecting themes of disillusionment, sexual exploration, and the unpredictability of desire.

Setting:

The setting is a fictional New England liberal arts college, reflecting the hedonistic and morally ambiguous atmosphere of the 1980s.

Pacing:

The pacing is inconsistent, with a mix of rapid shifts between narratives and a meandering plot that may frustrate some readers.
SEAN The party is starting to end. I get to Windham House right when the last keg is being tapped. The deal in town went okay and I have some cash so I buy some weed from this Freshman who lives in th...

Notes:

The Rules of Attraction was published in 1987 and addresses themes of youth culture that resonate today.
The novel features a love triangle between three main characters: Lauren, Paul, and Sean.
Sean Bateman, one of the protagonists, is the brother of Patrick Bateman from Ellis's other novel, American Psycho.
Ellis uses fragmented narration to reflect the misguided and narcissistic behaviors of his characters.
The book satirizes the 1980s youth culture, contrasting with the more romanticized depictions often seen in movies from that era.
The characters' emotional reactions often highlight societal flaws, such as how divorce is viewed in their social circles.
Ellis's writing often features unreliable narrators and a non-linear narrative style, presenting events from multiple perspectives and emphasizing miscommunication.
The novel portrays a hedonistic lifestyle, focusing on parties, drugs, and sexual encounters among college students.
Paul represents a settled bisexual in a campus culture of experimentation, while Lauren, as a poetry major, is critiqued for lacking depth in her narrative.
The book is noted for its connections with other authors and their works, particularly Donna Tartt's The Secret History, as both authors were classmates.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Triggers include drug use, sexual content, nihilism, themes of emotional neglect, and characters engaging in reckless behavior.

From The Publisher:

From the bestselling author or Less Than Zero and American Psycho, The Rules of Attraction is a startlingly funny, kaleidoscopic novel about three students at a small, affluent liberal-arts college in New England with no plans for the future-or even the present-who become entangled in a curious romantic triangle. Bret Easton Ellis trains his incisive gaze on the kids at self-consciously bohemian Camden College and treats their sexual posturings and agonies with a mixture of acrid hilarity and compassion while exposing the moral vacuum at the center of their lives.

Lauren changes boyfriends every time she changes majors and still pines for Victor who split for Europe months ago and she might or might not be writing anonymous love letter to ambivalent, hard-drinking Sean, a hopeless romantic who only has eyes for Lauren, even if he ends up in bed with half the campus, and Paul, Lauren's ex, forthrightly bisexual and whose passion masks a shrewd pragmatism. They waste time getting wasted, race from Thirsty Thursday Happy Hours to Dressed To Get Screwed parties to drinks at The Edge of the World or The Graveyard. The Rules of Attraction is a poignant, hilarious take on the death of romance.

The basis for the major motion picture starring James Van Der Beek, Shannyn Sossamon, Jessica Biel, and Kate Bosworth.

Ratings (10)

Incredible (3)
Liked It (4)
It Was OK (2)
Did Not Like (1)

Reader Stats (32):

Read It (10)
Want To Read (17)
Not Interested (5)

1 comment(s)

Did Not Like
5 days

2.5 stars. It wasn't terrible but I couldn't get invested in the story or characters, nothing about it was able to grab me but might reread this on a later date as I have the physical version

 

About the Author:

BRET EASTON ELLIS is the author of six novels and a collection of stories, which have been translated into thirty-two languages. He lives in Los Angeles and is the host of The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast available on Patreon.

 
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