suchsweetsorrow89's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
though i understand that ellis deliberately makes it so that this book is satirically exaggerated to emphasize bateman's character (as a reflection of our own), the oversaturation of these moments (which he constantly relies on throughout the text, even at moments when it is not needed) come across as if a 12-year-old is telling the same joke over and over again until it just becomes the same. mindless. punchline. on top of that, the overuse of slurs when ellis actually didn't need to use them at all comes across as lazy character-building (and this is only emphasized by his explicit statement that he doesn't care if he's "canceled" for using the slurs when interviewers brought it up). you can always show a bad character is a bad person without depicting him beating up the homeless over and over, using slurs when not needed, and adding in filler scenes of overt antisemitism that could have been easily erased and made the same points (and made the book more powerful, in my opinion).
though the gore seemed to draw on society's fascination with gore and all things horror (as well as sex), 400 pages of this very particular fascination in the kind of "rinse and repeat" style results in something that loses its significance, dulling and eating in on itself as it goes on.
frankly, i do not know whether i recommend this book. though the ending was actually quite good (and guess what? it did it WITHOUT 4 paragraphs of intense misogyny and hate crimes every five pages! wow- shocker) the oversaturation with which ellis relies on obscures the meaning entirely, almost watering the point down in places where it could have been a memorable text. however, if you want to read it, please take the trigger warnings seriously— and i suggest an audiobook as an aid from pages 60-360, since the middle really isn't worth your time or really worth any meaningful pen-to-page analytical thoughts.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Stalking, Sexual assault, Child death, Sexism, Physical abuse, Blood, Racial slurs, Grief, Death, Alcohol, Vomit, Abortion, Outing, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Animal death, Violence, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Cannibalism, Racism, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Torture, Addiction, Murder, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Hate crime, Gore, Drug use, Cursing, Child abuse, Body horror, Body shaming, Antisemitism, Animal cruelty, and Alcoholism
cityiguana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Homophobia, Rape, Hate crime, Sexual violence, Torture, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Sexual assault, Sexism, Kidnapping, Racism, Murder, Violence, Racial slurs, and Gore
Moderate: Animal death, Drug use, Child death, Animal cruelty, and Alcohol
This would have been an interesting, albeit troubling, short story or novella. As a full-length novel, it becomes monotonous torture porn.caterpillar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Eating disorder, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Body horror, Abortion, Violence, Alcohol, Drug use, Cannibalism, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Death, Gun violence, Torture, Rape, Racism, Misogyny, and Injury/Injury detail
nemonobody11's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
So I'm not gonna rate this book. The more I thought about it, the more I knew I couldn't rate it.
Graphic: Animal death, Murder, Alcoholism, Classism, Hate crime, Drug use, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Blood, Body horror, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Torture, Toxic relationship, Cannibalism, Child death, Homophobia, Violence, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Alcohol, Rape, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
autumnwhite's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Gore, Violence, Torture, Stalking, Misogyny, Mental illness, Body horror, Death, Sexual content, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Murder, Abortion, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Infidelity, Homophobia, Hate crime, Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Car accident, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexism, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, and Gun violence
farheenfarheen's review against another edition
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Cannibalism, Car accident, Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Antisemitism, Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Murder, Vomit, Sexism, Ableism, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
scarlojazzy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Torture, Stalking, Lesbophobia, Violence, Sexual content, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Blood, Sexism, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Mental illness, Ableism, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Rape, Racism, Hate crime, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Gun violence, Gore, Fatphobia, Drug use, Drug abuse, Cursing, Alcohol, Gaslighting, and Death
darwynne's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Medical content, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Alcohol, Animal death, Antisemitism, Classism, Mental illness, Murder, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Xenophobia, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Stalking, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Racism, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Body shaming, Body horror, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Cannibalism, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Lesbophobia, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Torture, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Sexual harassment
ten_telegrams's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual violence, Child death, Drug use, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Classism, Racism, Violence, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Antisemitism, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Gaslighting, Infidelity, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Pregnancy, Addiction, Bullying, and Panic attacks/disorders
gringolet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Drug use, Torture, Sexual harassment, Drug abuse, Animal death, Antisemitism, Death, Homophobia, Cursing, Gun violence, Stalking, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Ableism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Cannibalism, Classism, Sexual violence, Mass/school shootings, Infidelity, Rape, Racism, Hate crime, Gore, Fatphobia, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Gaslighting, Cancer, and Body shaming