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The Shards

Bret Easton Ellis

  • Published
  • Psychological suspense, autofiction and coming of age
  • 608 pages
  • Vintage
  • 2023
Published
ISBN
9780593469163

The Shards is a literary psychological suspense novel set in a fictionalised Los Angeles in 1981. Seventeen-year-old Bret narrates the arrival of charismatic new student Robert Mallory while a serial killer known as the Trawler targets teenagers across the city. Because every event passes through Bret’s obsession, jealousy and narrative imagination, the uncertainty of his account is part of the book’s design.

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The Shards

Story background and highlights

  • 1981 Los Angeles is both a social world and a source of danger
  • Bret shares the author’s name but remains a fictionalised narrator
  • The 2026 FX drama is an adaptation, not a continuation of the novel

Visual guide

Original editorial scenes shaped by this novel's setting, mood, and themes.

Thriller · Psychological suspense, autofiction and coming of age
Story world and signature settingOriginal NovelRove editorial visualization; not publisher artwork or an official adaptation still.
Characters facing the central conflictOriginal NovelRove editorial visualization; not publisher artwork or an official adaptation still.
An emotional turning pointOriginal NovelRove editorial visualization; not publisher artwork or an official adaptation still.

Characters

Bret
First-person narrator · Buckley school circle

A seventeen-year-old aspiring writer whose fear and fixation shape everything the reader receives.

Robert Mallory
Mysterious new student · Buckley school circle

A charismatic classmate whose guarded past becomes the centre of Bret’s suspicion.

Susan Reynolds
Friend · Buckley school circle

A member of Bret’s tightly connected group as the threat around them intensifies.

The Trawler
Serial killer · Unknown

The name given to the killer whose attacks and threats dominate the city’s atmosphere.

Character notes are limited to names and relationships disclosed by the publisher or author. They avoid unverified fan claims.

About the author

Bret Easton Ellis

Bret Easton Ellis is an American novelist and essayist whose fiction includes Less Than Zero and American Psycho. The Shards deliberately blends autobiographical signals with fiction, but its narrator should not be treated as a documentary record of the author.

Profile source

Other books by the author

The Shards: novel versus FX series

FX’s 2026 drama is based on the novel and has its own episode structure and screen characterisation. Search results for episodes, cast and streaming refer to the series; this page focuses on the book and links to FX for screen information.

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Book record

ISBN
9780593469163
Length
608
Publication year
2023-10-24

The current Vintage paperback edition (ISBN 9780593469163) is 608 pages. Hardcover, ebook and international editions may paginate the text differently.

Frequently asked questions

What is The Shards about?

Bret’s final school year becomes increasingly unstable after Robert Mallory enters his close circle and the Trawler’s crimes appear to draw nearer. Bret tries to connect Robert, the killings and threats against his friends while questioning what he has actually seen.

Who wrote The Shards?

The Shards was written by Bret Easton Ellis. This page links its factual claims to the publisher or author source.

Do I need to read another book first?

This is a standalone work and can be read without another book first.

How many pages is The Shards?

The current Vintage paperback edition (ISBN 9780593469163) is 608 pages. Hardcover, ebook and international editions may paginate the text differently.

Is The Shards also a film or television series?

FX’s 2026 drama is based on the novel and has its own episode structure and screen characterisation. Search results for episodes, cast and streaming refer to the series; this page focuses on the book and links to FX for screen information.

Official adaptation page
Is Bret in The Shards the author?

The narrator shares Bret Easton Ellis’s name and autobiographical context, but the publisher presents The Shards as a novel. Readers should treat the character as a constructed, unreliable narrator rather than a verified memoir.

Where can I read or buy The Shards legally?

Use the Penguin Random House page to see the authorised print, ebook, audiobook or sample options available in your market. NovelRove does not host the book text or unauthorised downloads.

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