Less Than Zero Book

Less Than Zero, the novel's protagonist, Clay, comes home to Los Angeles on break from his East Coast college. He reenters a landscape of limitless privilege and absolute moral entropy, where the natives drive Porsches, dine at Spago, and gobble their quaaludes from Pez dispensers. While home, Clay tries to renew his romance with his old girlfriend, Blair, and attempts to reestablish his close friendship with his best bud, Julian, who is careering into hustling and heroin. Clay's holiday turns into a dizzying spiral of desperation that takes him through relentless parties in glitzy mansions, seedy bars, and underground rock clubs, and also into the seamy world of L.A. after dark.

In the 1988 novel The Rules of Attraction, Ellis brings readers to the world of the students at the self-consciously bohemian Camden College. Paul wants Sean, but is quite willing to console himself with Richard. Lauren pines for Victor, who split for Europe months ago, but she may also be writing anonymous love letters to Sean. And the booze-abusing but hopelessly romantic Sean only has eyes for Lauren -- even though he keeps ending up in bed with Deirdre, Richard, and Judy. The result is a story of acrid hilarity and genuine compassion that exposes the moral vacuum at the center of their lives.