Reviews tagging 'Murder'

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

324 reviews

momoqtz's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

"American Psycho" by Bret Easton Ellis is such a twisted satire of the American Dream and a superficial culture of the 1980s that i LOVE it. it tells the story of Patrick Bateman, a handsome and successful Wall Street executive who seems to have it all. but underneath his handsome face and friendly smile, lies a cold-blooded serial killer who takes pleasure in murdering his victims in gruesome ways.

the novel is narrated in first-person by Patrick, who describes his daily routine in excruciating detail before delving into his disturbing thoughts and actions. almost making you feel his exact emotions as if you were him. the book is often graphic and violent, and it can be difficult to read at times if you get grossed out by gore.

"American Psycho" is a dark and disturbing commentary on consumerism, corporate culture, and the emptiness of 80s yuppie culture. it also explores the isolation and alienation that can result from living in a society that values wealth and status above everything else. (which Patrick obvi experiences)

overall, "American Psycho" is a thought-provoking and challenging read that will leave you questioning the nature of masculinity, capitalism, and the human condition. though it's a controversial novel that has sparked debate and discussion for decades, it remains a classic of contemporary literature.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Gore, Violence, Murder, Sexual violence, Mental illness, and Blood

ewalshy's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Violence, Cannibalism, Domestic abuse, Blood, Racism, Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Torture, Sexual violence, Hate crime, Gore, Drug use, and Rape

felicity98's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Gun violence, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Classism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual harassment, Blood, Cannibalism, Homophobia, and Murder

tsalani's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

mr ellis is everything ok at home

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Torture, Death, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Violence, Child death, Sexism, Sexual assault, Drug use, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Blood, Cannibalism, Classism, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Murder, and Rape

caitdanger's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Gore, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Xenophobia, Violence, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Murder, Transphobia, Torture, Misogyny, Sexual content, Physical abuse, and Racial slurs

ella43688's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Murder, Violence, Sexual violence, and Drug abuse

notlikethebeer's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

• 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

4.25

My first buddy read! And uh... what a place to start.

To be really honest, I still don't know what to make of this book. 

It was so incredibly clever - and so incredibly, unbelieveably grim. It's been interesting to see how much of a 'big deal' it is within mainstream culture, yet how much of that is probably largely attributable to just the movie. Part of me wants to say that the violence, horror and general atrocity is gratuitous, and goes beyond the level 'required' to make the points that BEE was making. But then I wonder whether to say that is to dismiss some of the point? Similarly, it's easy to go for the whole 'okay but clearly none of this could possibly have happened' stance - but that, too, feels like a kind of betrayal of the actual book, a way of making it more palatable.

The racism, misogyny and homophobia present within this book are really unparalleled to any other book within mainstream culture. I think that raises questions though, particularly regarding separating the author from the work, and whether a work that portrays x view necessarily promotes that same view.

Mostly, I just have a lot of questions. I felt quite relieved once I finished reading it, and I've felt a bit nervous about writing this review. I want to sit with my thoughts and feelings on it for a lot longer, to try and figure out a bit more about what it is I want to say!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Misogyny, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Murder, Gore, Blood, Torture, Sexual violence, Racism, and Homophobia

If you can think of a content warning, it probably applies, not gonna lie.

lachiemorris's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

i got the point ellis was trying to convey throughout the book, but yet i couldn’t help that it felt…underwhelming? i can’t tell if the fact nothing purely happens in the book is an intended result, but it’s something you notice. apart from the

grotesquely detailed killings that bateman does

nothing of substance happens. i’d classify this book as ‘a book about nothing, but also a lot of killing’ 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Torture, and Sexual violence

chickenstripped's review against another edition

challenging dark funny reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racism, Animal death, Child death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racial slurs, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, and Xenophobia

lizzardbreath's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I understand that this book is satire; however, the content of the book was extremely upsetting and disturbing that I would not recommend anyone to take it upon themselves to read it. This is one of the first books I have ever read where I had to take active breaks away from it for the sake of my mental health. A short video essay explaining the satire was much better than actually putting yourself through the torture of reading this novel. Nonetheless, Ellis portrayed great horror on the white American man, so if you can stomach the gory details, I won’t stop you. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Violence, Drug use, Homophobia, Murder, Alcohol, and Classism