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Every book Bret Easton Ellis recommended on podcasts
Bret Easton Ellis appeared on The Rubin Report to discuss media trust, contemporary culture, and the historical controversies surrounding his literary career. Ellis reflected extensively on his novel American Psycho, detailing how the book faced severe public outcry and how Simon & Schuster initially dropped the project due to media pressure. He recalled his prominent opponents at the time, such as Tammy Bruce, and noted how the subsequent film adaptation renewed public interest in the novel and kept it widely read. Ellis also addressed the political interpretations of American Psycho, clarifying that while the book critiqued the greed and yuppiedom of the Reagan era, he harbored no personal critique of Ronald Reagan himself. In addition to discussing his own work, Ellis shared his reading habits, mentioning that he was actively engaged with Andrew Marantz's book Antisocial, which explores the descent into alt-right movements and internet culture following events like the DeploraBall in Washington.
Books recommended by Bret Easton Ellis
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American Psycho
American Psycho is a controversial and satirical 1991 horror novel by Bret Easton Ellis that explores the hyper-materialistic, ultra-violent life of Wall Street yuppie and serial killer Patrick Bateman.
Discussed“So I really didn't think that many people were gonna read it, but I also think that one of the reasons why it's still, look, popular today and still in print and tons of people read the book, a lot of it has to do with the movie. The movie definitely made people re-interested in the book, was because Patrick”
Where to get it
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Antisocial
Antisocial by Andrew Marantz is a non-fiction book that explores online extremists, techno-utopians, and how digital platforms have hijacked the American conversation.
Discussed“- I'm reading this book called "Antisocial" by Andrew Marantz, who's a writer for "The New Yorker." And it really is about his hellish descent into, it started with the DeploraBall in Washington”
Where to get it
Books Bret Easton Ellis wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancel Culture, Trump & How I Lost Trust In The Media | Bret Easton Ellis | POLITICS | Rubin Report | The Rubin Report | 2020-04-05 | 5 |
Other mentions (3: passing, ad reads, own books)
“And I'm not here to plug the book, but what "White" is about. "White" really is about the trajectory of being a Gen X guy who had all of this freedom and this sense of possibility about expression”
“I talk a lot about the creation of "American Psycho" in the book "White," and for some reason, it's haunted me because it was something that I really thought was going to be this strange, experimental novel that maybe 3,000 people read.”
“- Well, look, I was surprised that this book was being published in as many countries as it was, because it's nonfiction and it seems to be specifically about the United States and what's been going on in the last five or 10 years here, culturally, politically to a degree.”