I really liked this book. The shifting point of view can be a little jarring at times, but seeing the same events through the eyes of different characters gives you more insight into them. My favorite scene is when Paul and his mother are talking in a hotel bar: up until this point we have only seen her through Paul’s less than sympathetic eyes, but Ellis switches to her p.o.v. for this scene and you see that she truly cares for and worries about her son.

If you liked the movie, read the book; it’s a thousand times better. ( )

I picked this up after finishing "American Psycho", an Ellis novel that I enjoyed. Ultimately, though, I was underwhelmed.

None of the characters really stuck out. They all seemed to blend in with each other, a flaw made all the more obvious by the repetitive nature of the book. Often I don't have a problem with books that don't have much action, because I enjoy getting into the minds of the characters and thinking about why they are who they are. But with "The Rules of Attraction", I didn't want to get into the minds of the characters. They were just "there", and while such characters can be interesting sometimes, they were not in this book.

Yet I closed the book knowing that I enjoyed it, despite not being able to get into it. Ellis's style of writing just clicks with me. While the story and characters of "The Rules of Attraction" were bland and forgettable, I can't deny that Ellis is a good writer. The narrative style is great, and there are some wonderful sentences in the book. I'm glad I read this book. There isn't a great story, and there aren't great characters, but it's told in a good style that makes me think - not deeply, and not about anything that actually happened in the book, but about the writing itself. I can't say that about very many other books. ( )

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/4... ( )

I loved this book. I started reading it after seeing the movie, and I was not disappointed. I sped through this book in no time. I loved the characters, the way the narratives shift, and the overall style of the book. My first Ellis novel, but not my last. ( )

In a nutshell the story of a bisexual love triangle, with added misinformation, misidentity, self-obsession, utter lack of self respect, emotional blackmail, immaturity, drink, drugs and the ability to always remind me why I hated university so much! ( )