Less than Zero

About “Less than Zero”

Set in Los Angeles in the early 1980s, this novel follows Clay, who returns home for Christmas after attending an Eastern college. He reenters a world of wealth and moral decay, where people drive Porches, dine at Spago, and use large amounts of cocaine. Clay attempts to reconnect with his girlfriend, Blair, and his friend Julian, who is turning to hustling and heroin. His holiday becomes a chaotic descent into the city's party scene, including lavish homes, run-down bars, and underground music venues, as he navigates a life filled with emptiness and despair. The 1985 novel by Bret Easton Ellis portrays a generation shaped by excess and emotional detachment.