Vogue Book Club Selects Bret Easton Ellis's 'Less Than Zero'
Vogue's Book Club has chosen Bret Easton Ellis's debut novel 'Less Than Zero' as its third installment. Published in 1986 when Ellis was 21 and a student at Bennington College, the novel depicts teenage life in Los Angeles, focusing on emotional numbness, drugs, and rich-kid culture. Influenced by Joan Didion and Ernest Hemingway, the book was praised by New York Times critic Michiko Kakutani as 'one of the most disturbing novels I've read in a long time.' It became a bestseller and launched Ellis's career, leading to works like 'American Psycho' and 'The Shards.' In 2023, Ellis returned to similar themes with 'The Shards,' which is being adapted by Ryan Murphy for FX, premiering in August. The book club will read the novel in two segments: July 30–August 6 (pages 9–118) and August 7–13 (pages 119 to end). A 15% discount is available via Bookshop.org with code Vogue15.
Key facts
- Vogue's Book Club picks Bret Easton Ellis's 'Less Than Zero' as third installment.
- The novel was published in 1986 when Ellis was 21 and a Bennington College undergraduate.
- The book is influenced by Joan Didion and Ernest Hemingway.
- New York Times critic Michiko Kakutani called it 'one of the most disturbing novels I've read in a long time.'
- The novel became a bestseller and made Ellis a celebrity.
- Ellis's later works include 'The Rules of Attraction,' 'American Psycho,' 'Glamorama,' and 'Lunar Park.'
- In 2023, Ellis published 'The Shards,' which is being adapted by Ryan Murphy for FX, premiering in August.
- Reading schedule: July 30–August 6 (pages 9–118) and August 7–13 (pages 119 to end).
Entities
Artists
- Bret Easton Ellis
- Joan Didion
- Ernest Hemingway
- Michiko Kakutani
- Ryan Murphy
Institutions
- Vogue
- Bennington College
- New York Times
- FX
- Bookshop.org
Locations
- Los Angeles
- California
- New Hampshire
- Palm Springs
- Holmby Hills