The Shards: A novel
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER - A novel of sensational literary and psychological suspense from the best-selling author of Less Than Zero and American Psycho that tracks a group of privileged high school friends in a vibrantly fictionalized 1980s Los Angeles as a serial killer strikes across the city "A thrilling page turner from Ellis, who revisits the world that made him a literary star with a stylish scary new story that doesn't disappoint." -Town & Country Bret Easton Ellis's masterful new novel is a story about the end of innocence, and the perilous passage from adolescence into adulthood, set in a vibrantly fictionalized Los Angeles in 1981 as a serial killer begins targeting teenagers throughout the city. Seventeen-year-old Bret is a senior at the exclusive Buckley prep school when a new student arrives with a mysterious past. Robert Mallory is bright, handsome, charismatic, and shielding a secret from Bret and his friends even as he becomes a part of their tightly knit circle. Bret's obsession with Mallory is equaled only by his increasingly unsettling preoccupation with the Trawler, a serial killer on the loose who seems to be drawing ever closer to Bret and his friends, taunting them--and Bret in particular--with grotesque threats and horrific, sharply local acts of violence. The coincidences are uncanny, but they are also filtered through the imagination of a teenager whose gifts for constructing narrative from the filaments of his own life are about to make him one of the most explosive literary sensations of his generation. Can he trust his friends--or his own mind--to make sense of the danger they appear to be in? Thwarted by the world and by his own innate desires, buffeted by unhealthy fixations, he spirals into paranoia and isolation as the relationship between the Trawler and Robert Mallory hurtles inexorably toward a collision. Set against the intensely vivid and nostalgic backdrop of pre-Less Than Zero L.A., The Shards is a mesmerizing fusing of fact and fiction, the real and the imagined, that brilliantly explores the emotional fabric of Bret's life at seventeen--sex and jealousy, obsession and murderous rage. Gripping, sly, suspenseful, deeply haunting, and often darkly funny, The Shards is Ellis at his inimitable best.
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Community Reviews
The book features a range of different characters and scenarios, from wealthy elites to struggling artists, all set against the backdrop of modern society.
One of the book's strengths is its writing style. Ellis has a unique voice that is both sharp and insightful, and his writing is often darkly humorous. The stories are also well-crafted, with each one capturing a distinct mood and tone.
The book's pacing is well-done, with each story flowing seamlessly into the next. The use of different perspectives and narrative styles adds variety and interest to the collection.
One of the book's weaknesses, however, is its overall lack of coherence. While the stories are all well-written, they do not seem to add up to a cohesive whole. Additionally, some readers may find the book's preoccupation with wealth and privilege to be off-putting.
Overall, The Shards is a well-written and engaging collection of short stories. While it may not be for everyone, fans of Bret Easton Ellis and literary fiction in general will likely enjoy it.
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