Lunar Park

By: Bret Easton Ellis

Narrated by: James Van Der Beek

Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the New York Times bestselling author of American Psycho and Less Than Zero comes a chilling tale that combines reality, memoir, and fantasy to create a fascinating portrait of this most controversial writer but also a deeply moving novel about love and loss, parents and children, and ultimately forgiveness.

“John Cheever writes The Shining.” —Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly

Bret Ellis, the narrator of Lunar Park, is the bestselling writer whose first novel Less Than Zero catapulted him to international stardom while he was still in college. In the years that followed he found himself adrift in a world of wealth, drugs, and fame, as well as dealing with the unexpected death of his abusive father.

After a decade of decadence a chance for salvation arrives; the chance to reconnect with an actress he was once involved with, and their son. But almost immediately his new life is threatened by a freak sequence of events and a bizarre series of murders that all seem to connect to Ellis’s past. His attempts to save his new world from his own demons makes Lunar Park Ellis’s most suspenseful novel.

Look for Bret Easton Ellis’s new novel, The Shards!

Listen to a conversation with Bret Easton Ellis.

©2005 Bret Easton Ellis (P)2005 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"[Ellis's] most enjoyable novel . . . The story of a doomed marriage blends with a satirical take on upscale suburban angst, a campy horror story about a haunted house, a Frankenstein-like case of a monster unchained and a serious rumination on the damage fathers can do to sons. Ellis stirs these elements into a steamy witches' brew and works his way through to a marvelously elegiac ending, displaying real artistic discipline . . . Even his harshest critics may now have to acknowledge that this versatile, resourceful writer has formidable skills." --Kirkus, starred review

First Ellis Book

It seemed that I stepped into a story at the very end, missing much of the information a true Ellis reader would have. When I chose Lunar Park, I did not know what to expect. Brett Ellis has done a great job of walking the thin line between reality and fantasy; he kept me guessing for most of the Novel. I suggest reading his previous books to have a true understanding of Lunar Park.

My Bret Easton Ellis Bias May Be Showing, But...

Would you listen to Lunar Park again? Why?

I don't know that I would listen to this again, but that should not prevent anyone from picking it up. If you like any Bret Easton Ellis book, you will love this.

What other book might you compare Lunar Park to and why?

Augusten Burroughs' memoirs. I know this one is more fictionalized, but Ellis gives off the same naked sense of self that Burroughs possesses.

Any additional comments?

James Van der Beek is *perfect.

Awesome

Reread this book and really enjoyed it. It helps to have read his other books but not necessary. Unlike anything else.

Meh

Did it meet your expectations?

No. Well I bought it by accented after reading Rules Of Attraction I wanted to buy Less Than Zero but bought this instead and couldn't return it.

Most memorable moment?

Brett, [the character,] describing his state of being during one of his book tours was a highlight. Intriguing writing there.

How was the narrator?

James Van Der Beek narration was the best part of this audiobook.

Unique, a fun journey

I really enjoyed the narrator, whose dry style seemed well-suited to Ellis's writing style. I loved the very unique, interesting, witty plot which blended reality and fantasy quite seamlessly. I also loved the semi-autobiographical element which tricks the reader at first before launching into the rest of the plot, but also keeps threading back through the entire book in clever ways. I love Ellis's writing.

horror story..?

Great, tragic father and son story. Laughable scary though. Hard to take serious. The doubt you feel about whether the supernatural is real or not ends up being annoying.

I enjoyed it

I actually didn't know it was going to take a supernatural turn. I enjoyed it.

Absolutely loved it

I loved it. I happened to have listened to the audiobook version of American Psycho right before listening to this and I'm so glad it worked out that way. I didn't really know much about the story of Lunar Park going in, but I saw that James Van Der Beek was narrating and I was sold. He was wonderful and I can't imagine anyone else having voiced Lunar Park. This feels like a book that people with either love or not really get and that's ok! This I have a feeling this book isn't for everyone but I found it to be deeply emotional, creepy, and wonderfully constructed. There is also a short interview with Brett Easton Ellis at the end that I recommend sticking around for, normally I don't listened to author interviews especially right after a book but I ended up catching this one by chance and enjoyed it.

Excellent story

Very interesting book. Jumps between several genres and is simultaneously simple and complex. Will definitely revisit in the future.

Read all his stuff, this is the best

Though American Psycho and Glamorama are better aesthetically and thematically in my wheelhouse, this is his most plot driven, funny, fast pace, interesting book.