Bret Easton Ellis
Biography of Bret Easton Ellis
Full Name and Common Aliases
Full Name: Bret Easton Ellis
Common Aliases: None
Birth and Death Dates
Born: March 7, 1964
Died: N/A
Nationality and Profession(s)
Nationality: American
Profession(s): Novelist, Screenwriter, Short Story Writer, Essayist
Early Life and Background
Bret Easton Ellis was born on March 7, 1964, in Los Angeles, California. Raised in the affluent suburb of Sherman Oaks, Ellis was exposed to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood from a young age. His father, Robert Martin Ellis, was a property developer, while his mother, Dale Ellis, was a homemaker. The environment of privilege and excess that surrounded him would later become a central theme in his writing.
Ellis attended The Buckley School, a private institution in Sherman Oaks, where he began to cultivate his interest in literature and writing. He later enrolled at Bennington College in Vermont, a liberal arts college known for its progressive approach to education. It was here that Ellis began to hone his craft, studying under notable writers such as Joe McGinniss and John Gardner. His time at Bennington was instrumental in shaping his literary voice, characterized by its sharp wit and incisive social commentary.
Major Accomplishments
Bret Easton Ellis burst onto the literary scene with his debut novel, "Less Than Zero," published in 1985 when he was just 21 years old. The novel, which he began writing while still a student at Bennington, was an immediate success, capturing the disillusionment and moral vacuity of the Los Angeles youth culture. "Less Than Zero" established Ellis as a significant new voice in American literature and set the stage for his future works.
Ellis's most controversial and perhaps most famous novel, "American Psycho," was published in 1991. The book, which follows the life of Patrick Bateman, a wealthy New York City investment banker with a secret life as a serial killer, sparked significant controversy due to its graphic depictions of violence and its satirical take on the consumerism and superficiality of the 1980s. Despite the initial backlash, "American Psycho" has since been recognized as a seminal work of modern literature, praised for its dark humor and biting social critique.
Notable Works or Actions
In addition to "Less Than Zero" and "American Psycho," Ellis has authored several other notable works, including "The Rules of Attraction" (1987), "Glamorama" (1998), and "Lunar Park" (2005). Each of these novels explores themes of alienation, identity, and the dark underbelly of the American dream, solidifying Ellis's reputation as a master of transgressive fiction.
Ellis has also ventured into screenwriting, contributing to the scripts of films such as "The Canyons" (2013) and adapting his own work for the screen. His foray into film and television has allowed him to reach a broader audience, further cementing his status as a cultural commentator.
Impact and Legacy
Bret Easton Ellis's work has had a profound impact on contemporary literature and popular culture. His novels, characterized by their unflinching portrayal of the darker aspects of human nature, have resonated with readers worldwide. Ellis's ability to capture the zeitgeist of the 1980s and 1990s, with its focus on materialism, excess, and moral ambiguity, has made his work both timeless and relevant.
Ellis's influence extends beyond literature, as his novels have been adapted into successful films, including "Less Than Zero" (1987) and "American Psycho" (2000). These adaptations have introduced his work to new generations, ensuring that his voice continues to be heard.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Bret Easton Ellis is widely quoted and remembered for his incisive social commentary and his ability to capture the essence of a generation. His work, often controversial and provocative, challenges readers to confront uncomfortable truths about society and themselves. Ellis's unique narrative style, characterized by its detached, minimalist prose, has inspired countless writers and continues to influence the literary landscape.
Ellis's quotes, often drawn from his novels, resonate with readers for their wit, insight, and unflinching honesty. Whether exploring the emptiness of consumer culture or the complexities of human relationships, Ellis's words have a lasting impact, prompting reflection and discussion long after the final page is turned. His legacy as a chronicler of modern life ensures that his work will continue to be quoted and remembered for years to come.
Quotes by Bret Easton Ellis
Bret Easton Ellis's insights on:
If you cannot read Shakespeare, or Melville, or Toni Morrison because it will trigger something traumatic in you, and you’ll be harmed by the read of the text because you are still defining yourself through your self-victimization, then you need to see a doctor.
This is reality, and as my loathsome brother Sean would say, I have to deal with it. The.
I stare into a thin, web-like crack above the urinal’s handle and think to myself that if I were to disappear into that crack, say somehow miniaturize and slip into it, the odds are good that no one would notice I was gone. No... one... would... care. In fact some, if they noticed my absence, might feel an odd, indefinable sense of relief. This is true: the world is better off with some people gone. Our lives are not all interconnected. That theory is crock. Some people truly do not need to be here.
Why not end up with her? floats into my line of vision. An answer: she has a better body than most other girls I know. Another one: everyone is interchangeable anyway.
The reassuring smile was now useless. I was plastic. Everything was veiled. Objectivity, facts, hard information – these were things only in the outline stage. There was nothing tying anything together yet, so the mind built up a defense, and the evidence was restructured, and that was what I tried to do on that morning – to restructure the evidence so it made sense – and that is what I failed at.
She immediately moves into me and says she is sorry and then she’s guiding me toward the bedroom and this is the way I always wanted the scene to play out and then it does and it has to because it doesnt really work for me unless it happens like this.
So many people died last year: the accidental overdose, the car wreck in East Hampton, the surprise illness. People just disappeared. I fall asleep to the music coming from the Abbey, a song from the past, “Hungry Like the Wolf,” rising faintly above the leaping chatter of the club, transporting me for one long moment into someone both young and old. Sadness: it’s everywhere.