Bret Easton Ellis, an accomplished American novelist and short story writer, gained recognition as a prominent figure within the literary Brat Pack, a group that also consisted of notable writers Tama Janowitz and Jay McInerney. Notably, Ellis has proclaimed himself a satirist, distinguished by his unique writing style, which involves the expression of extreme actions and opinions in a detached manner.
Ellis's literary technique is characterized by the integration of recurring characters across his novels. His debut novel, Less Than Zero, published in 1985 when he was just 21 years old, sparked controversy with its portrayal of amoral young people in Los Angeles, cementing its status as a zeitgeist novel.
However, it is his third novel, American Psycho, released in 1991, that has had the most lasting impact on his career. Upon its publication, the literary establishment widely criticized the novel for its graphic violence and perceived misogyny. The backlash led to petitions calling for the book's ban, resulting in Ellis being dropped by his publisher, Simon & Schuster. Despite this, the novel's notoriety ultimately contributed to its success as a paperback bestseller for Alfred A. Knopf later that year.
