I wish I liked this one more than I did. The satire is razor sharp, the story is deep and the pain is felt, the plight of Chinese (and AAPI by extensiI wish I liked this one more than I did. The satire is razor sharp, the story is deep and the pain is felt, the plight of Chinese (and AAPI by extension) actors is well expressed…but the structure does nothing for me. It was endearing at first but it prevented me from getting engaged with the narrative. Still a readable book, worth your time. ...more
So glad to be done with this one. I'm more of an admirer of Pynchon than a fan. His books are just too much for me, as much as I appreciate his talentSo glad to be done with this one. I'm more of an admirer of Pynchon than a fan. His books are just too much for me, as much as I appreciate his talent. This one is no exception. I read it in advance of next year's Paul Thomas Anderson film of which it is supposed to be based on. I've had my fill of Pynchon's Revenge of the Government Baddies work; it played out well enough in Inherent Vice but is too familiar here. It's probably good if you're more knowledgable about California history and culture than I, in the same way that Bleeding Edge is my favorite of his because of its New Yorkness. ...more
I don’t have any perspective of being a published writer but as an aspiring one, I know all writers have an ego. You kind of have to; I mean, it takesI don’t have any perspective of being a published writer but as an aspiring one, I know all writers have an ego. You kind of have to; I mean, it takes a certain level of arrogance to think people are going to pay their hard-earned money to read what comes out of your brain. Hours, days of their lives they’re never gonna get back they’re willingly going to give you money for this experience. So yeah, you have to have one.
However, I just attended Thrillerfest — the real-life event that is the basis for this book’s fictional Muderpalooza — and I have to say: the vast majority of published writers I met were salt of the earth humans. Exceedingly sweet, unfailingly polite, quick with advice or encouragement. No doubt there are egos behind the scenes but the biggest challenge for a writer is the publishing industry itself and not their fellow writer.
So I really encourage any potential reader of I Didn’t Do It to understand going in that this book is satire. A send up of the publishing industry and the fascination readers have with the creme de la creme bestselling writers.
If you do that, you’ll have a good time. It’s a fun book. The plot is predictable, the characters are thin but the story its telling about the mystery/thriller writing world is a lot of fun and quite clever. I enjoyed how she told the story through the eyes of grubby career advancers trying to prove they’re the best writer while also definitely not having murdered the murdered person.
It’s not what I would normally read but now that I’m familiar with this world, it’s fun to watch it skewered a bit. But again, know going in, most authors don’t act like the ones you meet in this book....more
I got hyped for this book just by reading the blurb. A literary mystery in mid-aughts NYC? Rock on, brother. And then I read interWhew this is rough.
I got hyped for this book just by reading the blurb. A literary mystery in mid-aughts NYC? Rock on, brother. And then I read interviews by Dwyer Murphy and got even more pumped. His favorite authors are my favorite authors and his views on crime fiction nine.
And THEN some favorite writers blurbed it, including dropping a Chinatown reference to the plot. So…this rocked right? Yes?
Sigh.
On some level, I’m sure folks will appreciate the metatextual commentary on the genre and the constant vomiting of literary references. People might also appreciate the hangout aspects of this (which I mostly enjoyed) over a complete lack of plot or momentum (which I didn’t).
I just feel like when you try to cram Macdonald and Bolaño and Wharton and Leonard and God knows how many other literary references, you’re putting way too much weight on the simple foundation of noir. Noir should be sparse, it should cut, it should sharpen. This book is bloated and over-referential.
There’s enough meat on the bone, enough New Yorkness that I’m giving this three stars. But barely. I may appreciate this one when I get older. For now, it feels like a missed opportunity. ...more
Yellowjackets by way of Josie and the Pussycats stuck in an episode of Lost. Some of the satire is too thick but unlike a lot of satirical works I reaYellowjackets by way of Josie and the Pussycats stuck in an episode of Lost. Some of the satire is too thick but unlike a lot of satirical works I read, it makes you care about the characters. A lot of fun. ...more
One shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Nevertheless, the cover on the first edition of this baby is one of the sweetest I’ve ever seen. I want it blOne shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Nevertheless, the cover on the first edition of this baby is one of the sweetest I’ve ever seen. I want it blown out to the size of a movie poster.
The book? Eh. It’s satire in the postmodern vein, which is not my bag. Yet I keep trying with DeLillo like a dog chasing cars. Some day I’ll catch it and “get” everything he’s saying. But then what? Anyway, some great scenes, some great commentary, and a whole lot of wasted dialogue and postmodern angst. I love DeLillo’s ideas and wish he found ways to streamline them more coherently. ...more
Brett Easton Ellis’ thing is never going to be my thing. Vomiting brand nTW: mentions of rape, violent murder
Welp, I guess the fourth time is a charm.
Brett Easton Ellis’ thing is never going to be my thing. Vomiting brand names, writing with a mix of flatness and kinetic energy, satirizing culture to the point where there’s no line. Glamorama was trash and the rest of his works have never done much for me.
However, I’ve read a lot lately about New York City in the 80s and what Wall Street was like in that time. I also read an interview by Mary Herron, the director of the movie adaptation of the novel (a movie I love) where she talked about how much she appreciated the book and what she took out of it.
Those combined forces put me in the right frame of mind to finally get to this one.
And dammit, it’s really good. If it wasn’t for Ellis’ vanities, it would be great.
New York City culture in the 80s was all about getting ahead, nowhere more so than on Wall Street. Designer clothes, latest fads, trendy restaurants, etc. It makes perfect sense that Patrick Bateman, literally an empty suit, would find no joy in his pursuits and turn instead to homicide.
Ellis opens with the famous line from Dante’s Inferno: Abandon all hope ye who enter. It’s scrawled on a Chemical Bank, which mirrors the entry way to Hell for Dante and from there, it’s all downhill. Bateman is trapped on the island of Manhattan and no amount of money or cultural consumerism or drugs or sex or even murder can get him off. It’s satire in the most effective way because Ellis knows the time and the place. This book could almost be set in the Gotham of Tim Burton’s Batman. The best satire takes reality and just slightly tilts it on its axis. Ellis has the right balance.
Along those lines, Bateman’s worship of Donald Trump is perfect. Who better for such a soulless New York elite to idolize than the Donald himself? I know Ellis has gone off the deep end the last few years writing about race but he accurately pegs the Donald for who he is and who he appeals to. The whole book is Bateman’s Fifth Avenue.
And while I do think the movie is superior and perhaps the best possible way to adapt the story, Ellis does a better job than Mary Herron of chronicling Bateman’s descent into madness.
The only reason it falls short of greatness for me is the graphic descriptions of rape and murder. I don’t think they’re necessary and I confess to skipping over large parts of them. People praise Ellis for his language in depicting them. To me, it’s him wallowing in sadism.
But aside from that, this is a hell of a book, both figuratively and literally. I may even reread it some day. It’s tough to see how someone can do satire more effectively....more
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