Less Than Zero

Reception

The author stated in 2005:

I read it for the first time in about 20 years this year—recently. It was so great. I get it. I get fan mail now from people who weren't really born yet when the book came out. I don't think it's a perfect book by any means, but it's valid. I get where it comes from. I get what it is. I know that sounds so ambiguous. It's sort of out of my hands and it has its reputation, so what can you do about it? There's a lot of it that I wish was slightly more elegantly written. Overall, I was pretty shocked. It was pretty good writing for someone who was 19. I was pretty surprised by the level of writing.[14]

Upon the release of Imperial Bedrooms, Details commented on Less than Zero and its original reviews, stating: "Years ago people could have read some of your books and said, 'Oh, this is just nihilism. These people don't exist! There's nobody that rich and stupid and narcissistic!'". (The article states, "When Michiko Kakutani first reviewed Less Than Zero in The New York Times in June of 1985, she began the review this way: 'This is one of the most disturbing novels I've read in a long time.'")[15] Ellis remarks "surprise!". They also credit him with "In a way, [inventing] Paris Hilton and Spencer Pratt and the Kardashians."[16]


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