The first time I read this book, I almost threw it away. Eventually I picked it back up again, finished it, and then proceeded to reread it over and over. While I find the characters morally reprehensible, Ellis has an undeniable flair for characterizing the absurd. These characters remind me of the cyphers who drifted through college drinking, smoking and screwing (but never studying or going to class). The mere fact that they graduated only proves that there exists a reality parallel to mine -- a reality that this book seems to document. Perhaps the most intriguing part of the book is how each character has a different perspective on the "truth". As a result, you're never quite sure what really happened.