Monday, February 9, 2009

Burn After Reading/Bright Lights, Big City/ Bret Easton Ellis

My heart pounded like crazy at the border but the guy let me through. Thereafter, I immediately drank a 22 ounce beer and ate a crispy crunch.

I watched the first thirty minutes of Burn After Reading on the airplane. I was psyched that they had it on an airplane, and psyched that I had noise canceling headphones.

I watched it before with my friend Matt. This time, on the plane, reminded me how funny it is. Esp. John Malkovich.

On the weekend I read Bright Lights Big City, which Matt also recommended to me a little while ago. I thought it was okay. I can understand why McInerney has not grown into a great novelist.

But I did read the book all the way through, and quite quickly. So there is something. And Raymond Carver blurbed it. There is something else. Here is a picture of Jay and Bret Ellis in 1990 with a model, meant, presumably, to underscore the 'lifestyle' people were interested in them for writing about.

I don't want to put those guys in the same boat though. I really loved American Psycho.

I think what separates a writer like Ellis from a writer like McInerney is that Ellis makes a more convincing sad face.