Lunar Park by Brett Easton Ellis

Comfortably Ellis' best novel to date, Lunar Park is a pleasure to read. From the outset, the reader is persuaded to believe that the book is factual - an account of the writer's turbulent recent life. Ellis then begins twisting elements of his personal life into an alternate reality where not only does the reader doubt his writings, but confusingly, he does too.

Ostensibly a story about the trappings of fame and responsibility, a healthy dose of macabre (immeasurably more affecting than anything Stephen King has written) pulls the book in another direction before the over-arching theme of family resolves (but not quite) the narrative. As with his previous books, his raw talent for capturing people shines through - particularly their shortcomings.

Lunar Park contains elements of horror, suspense, drama, satire and comedy, yet none of these sufficiently describe its undoubted brilliance. Ellis has created a novel that immediately takes hold and convincingly places the reader into his world.

This is a book that will happily reward a second and third reading... highly recommended!