Rules of Attraction

Book: Rules of Attraction

Author: Bret Easton Ellis

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Release Date: September 1987

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars

Their Summary:

       The main narrators are three students: Paul, Sean, and Lauren. A number of other characters also provide first-hand accounts throughout the story, which takes place at the fictional Camden College, a liberal arts school on the east coast of the United States. The three main characters (who rarely attend class) end up in a love triangle within a sequence of drug runs, "Dress to Get Screwed" and "End of the World" parties.

Loved to Read:

       The best part was, by far, the alternating point of views. Seeing the different takes each character has on the same situation was eye-opening. Amazing how the simplest things can have multiple and complex meanings.

Not so Much:

      Sometimes it could get confusing, with the alternate viewpoints and random extra characters. It is a book that makes you think, but its not a bad thing.

Read Another?:

    It was such a crazy and eye-opening book that I am anxious to read another of Ellis's books. However, for now I am sticking to the YA books :)

Characters:

                - Sean Bateman - Hard partier and drug user, Sean is very 'promiscuous'. He gets around and no one seems to mind. He becomes involved with Paul and Lauren during the book, though both are rocky at best. Also, for a majority of the book he is stalked by a secret admirer that he wrongly believes to be Laura.  

               - Lauren Hynde - Changes her major likes clothes, although seems to stick to the arts (poetry and art). She is in a constant state of longing for her ex-boyfriend who is in Europe. Her other ex (Paul) came out of the closet after they dated. Though she dates Sean, she doesn't seem to ever care about him. 

               - Paul Denton - Self-proclaimed as bi-sexual, he also has many sexual relationships throughout the book. He truly believes that Sean and himself are in a committed relationship and is heartbroken when he starts dating Lauren. He is very passionate and complex, personally my favorite. 

Need to Know:

          Just pay attention to the details. If you ignore one entry, you can miss an important detail!

**SPOILER**

How It Ends:

         When I finished this book I found myself thinking "What was the point of reading that? How could that affect my life at all." The ending leaves the characters how we found them, no connections, no relationships. So technically the story between the covers had no benefit. Actually, it helps to see that the everyday things we do in our lives can make a huge (or no) difference. And that we cannot dissect the actions or words of other people. We all have our own take on the world, and this book encompasses it perfectly.