I like books, me
I've always read, voraciously in fact and my dad was a massive influence on my reading from a very young age. Because of him I had read seven Irvine Welsh novels before I turned 16 for example - he lent me 'Porno' when I was about 14, and it's a great read. Another book my dad gave me at a young age was Tom Sharpe's 'The Throwback' - still genuinely the funniest book I have read.

As for now I love anything by Bret Easton Ellis (The Rules of Attraction is his best work) and Raymond Carver (Where I'm Calling From is the greatest collection of short stories ever published, fact.) and I am half-way through an English degree which has taken me from Victorian Britain to American Literature from 1776, stopping off at Realism, Naturalism (try Emile Zola's Therese Raquin) and Modernism, and I even enjoyed Jane Eyre!

Books is good, and I guess I owe my dad a massive thanks for influencing me to take the path I eventually did (I'll save that story for another time).

First post, be gentle.
(Maverickjames 's name is not James, Fri 6 Jan 2012, 23:42, 6 replies)

The Rules of Attraction is quite clearly not Ellis's best work.
In fact, it ranks alongside Lunar Park as his worst. Best is American Psycho. And Less Than Zero was an incredible achievement.
(dozers, do fuck off ur a nob m8, Sat 7 Jan 2012, 22:35, closed)

Thérèse Raquin is also shit.
As my French degree will attest.
( b3th Not shit. Not mod., Sat 7 Jan 2012, 22:42, closed)

I love Michel Houellebecq's work.
But I am a pleb and an ignoramus, so have only read the English translations.
(dozers, do fuck off ur a nob m8, Sat 7 Jan 2012, 22:50, closed)

It must be better in English then.
(Maverickjames 's name is not James, Sun 8 Jan 2012, 12:04, closed)

Massive idiot here
I meant Less Than Zero - I wrote the last page in a hurry and got confused. Rules of Attraction is my favourite film adap of Ellis' work, Less Than Zero is my favourite book. I feel pretty stupid right now.
(Maverickjames 's name is not James, Sun 8 Jan 2012, 12:03, closed)

Tom Sharpes
Riotous Assembly and Indecent Exposure are very very funny
(andythepieman Is surfing the waves of indifference on, Wed 11 Jan 2012, 13:25, closed)