Bret Easton Ellis Books In Order

Publication Order of Clay Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Bret Easton Ellis is one of the popular American novelist who is famous for writing several successful novels based on the satire, fiction, and black comedy genres. Other than being a novelist, he is also popular as a short story writer and screenwriter. Many of the successful works of author Ellis have been translated into as many as 27 languages. At first, he was one of the recognized members of the literary Brat Pack, along with other members like Jay McInerney and Tama Janowitz. Being a self proclaimed satirist, author Ellis uses a trademark technique in his writings of the expression of opinions and extreme acts in a very affectless manner. He uses the technique of linking his novels with recurring and common characters. Author Ellis was born on March 7, 1964 in Los Angeles, California, United States. His famous works are mostly influenced by the popular personalities such as Francis Scott Fitzgerald, Stephen King, Ernest Hemingway, Don DeLillo, Philip Roth, James Joyce, Raymond Carver, Joan Didion, Gustave Flaubert, etc.

At the age of 21, Ellis mad his literary debut with the controversial novel called ‘Less Than Zero’ in the year 1985. This novel was based on the life of rich and amoral young people living in Los Angeles. However, he is most popularly known his 1991 book called as American Psycho, which is the third novel of his literary career. Upon its release, the novel was very much condemned, as overly misogynistic and violent by the literary establishment at that time. And because of the numerous petitions for banning the book, author Ellis was eventually dropped by the Simon and Schuster publishers. But, due to the continuous controversy and extended literary coverage, Alfred Knoph decided to release the novel once again as a paperback at the end of its release year. As the time went by, the controversies faded and author Ellis continued to write his satirical novels as usual. As many as 4 books written by him have been made into movies. The Less Than Zero novel was adapted into a movie of the same name in the year 1987. The movie adaptation of American Psycho, also with the same title, was opened to positive reviews worldwide. It went on to achieve the cult status in the year 2000. In the later years, the books written by author Ellis have become more metafictional. This can be very well seen in the 2005 novel Lunar Park, a ghost story and pseudo-memoir, as well as in the sequel of Less Than Zero titled Imperial Bedrooms, both of which went on to receive highly positive reviews.

Author Ellis was once asked in an interview in the year 2002 whether he was a gay. He explained his sexual orientation in a different manner and said that he does not like to identify himself as straight or gay. Rather, he is more comfortable as being considered as a heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual. He even said that he enjoys to play with his persona, and has identified himself differently to various people as straight, bisexual, and gay. After being born in a middle class household in California, author Ellis was brought up in Sherman Oaks, San Fernando Valley. His father, Robert Ellis, used to work as a property developer, while his mother, Dennis Ellis, was a homemaker. His parents got divorced when author Ellis was 18 years old and he claims that the abusive nature of his father became the basis of the popular character of the novel American Psycho, named as Patrick Bateman.

One of the initial books written by author Bret Easton Ellis was published under the title ‘Less Than Zero’. This novel was released by the Vintage Book publishers in the year 1985. The story of this book features the lead characters in the form of Clay, Blair, Kim, Alana, Julian, Trent, Rip, Griffin, Daniel, and Finn. The overall story of the novel takes place in Los Angeles, California, during the time of the 1980’s. The novel appears to be a coolly mesmerizing, raw, and powerful depiction of a lost young generation who experience drugs, disaffection, and sex at a very early age. The world depicted in the novel seems to be shaped by passivity, casual nihilism, devoid of hope and feelings, and too much money. At the start of the novel, it is depicted that Clay returns home from his Eastern college on the occasion of Christmas. He finds it joyful to re-enter into the landscape of extreme privilege and moral entropy. Just like his friends at home, he also dines at the Spago, drives Porsche, and consumes a lot of cocaine. In the middle of the enjoyment, Clay tries to renew his feelings towards his girlfriend named Blair, as well as his high school best friend named Julian, who seems to be careering into heroin and hustling. As a result, his holiday turns into a spiral of dizziness and desperation, which take him to numerous relentless parties in seedy bars, glitzy mansions, rock clubs located underground, and in the seamy and after dark world of Los Angeles.

One of the other early novels written by author Bret Easton Ellis was released under the title ‘Glamorama’, which was published by the Vintage Books USA in the year 19898. The story of this novel is set in the New York City, New York, United States. With this novel, author Ellis continues to haunt and shock the readers with his brilliant and incisive description of the modern world. It is considered to be his most gripping and ambitious book yet, in which he has taken the celebrity obsessed culture present in the modern world and has exponentially increased the volume. At the beginning of the story of the novel, Victor Ward is depicted as a model having the most perfect abs in the city. He mainly exists in the gossip columns and magazines. Victor Ward’s life resembles a movie of the ultra hip type as he lives with one of the beautiful models in his profession and indulges into a love affair with another. And then, a time comes when he is required to move to a different stage. But, the future that his life gets into is not the one that he had hoped for. Anyhow, he has to live with it for the rest of his life as he himself is solely responsible for his situation.