The Rules of Attraction

From the New York Times bestselling author or Less Than Zero and American Psycho—a startlingly funny, kaleidoscopic novel about three students at a small, affluent liberal-arts college in New England with no plans for the future—or even the present—who become entangled in a romantic triangle. • “An extraordinary writer.” —LA Weekly

Bret Easton Ellis trains his incisive gaze on the kids at self-consciously bohemian Camden College and treats their sexual posturings and agonies with a mixture of acrid hilarity and compassion while exposing the moral vacuum at the center of their lives.

Lauren changes boyfriends every time she changes majors and still pines for Victor who split for Europe months ago and she might or might not be writing anonymous love letter to ambivalent, hard-drinking Sean, a hopeless romantic who only has eyes for Lauren, even if he ends up in bed with half the campus, and Paul, Lauren's ex, forthrightly bisexual and whose passion masks a shrewd pragmatism. They waste time getting wasted, race from Thirsty Thursday Happy Hours to Dressed To Get Screwed parties to drinks at The Edge of the World or The Graveyard. The Rules of Attraction is a poignant, hilarious take on the death of romance.

The basis for the major motion picture starring James Van Der Beek, Shannyn Sossamon, Jessica Biel, and Kate Bosworth.

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Published Jun 30, 1998

288 pages

Average rating: 6.55

20 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Anilatac
May 20, 2024
4/10 stars
A bunch of disillusioned, without direction college addicts and alcoholics. Honestly just finished it to finish it. Did really enjoy the one off completely subtleless The Secret History reference!!
Robert O'Mahony
Feb 02, 2023
6/10 stars
This was an easy read and I enjoyed it. It got a little wearing towards the end reading about these awful people doing awful things to each other, but I suppose that was kind of the point. Pairs well with Lorde's Melodrama.

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