“A maelstrom of lying”: Bret Easton Ellis and himself

Abstract

Bret Easton Ellis is one of the best known American writers of the XXI century. He published seven novels until now, and critics have been trying to solve his mysterious and bizarre work according to numerous approaches such as postmodernism, cultural studies, woman studies, among many others. Whereas these methods may have enlightened certain aspects of Ellis’ work, other elements, which are essential have remained unnoticed. The purpose of this essay is to call attention to the individual point of view of Ellis’ protagonists. I will, thus, challenge the frontier between reality and fiction, and prove that, by bringing the emotional experience of Ellis’ deranged and immoral characters to light, readers may undergo a much more intimate and intense experience.