frankiecully's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this book. One to give me a book hangover. Didn't want it to end.
Always loved the film and the book is really not far off.
Descriptions were OTT.
Dark Masterpiece
Love the scene with the business cards. Both film & book.
Always loved the film and the book is really not far off.
Descriptions were OTT.
Dark Masterpiece
Love the scene with the business cards. Both film & book.
gnothiseauton's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
0.5
tigerwolf31's review against another edition
2.0
This book goes to the extreme with details. The main character is obsessed with clothing, going to dinner, and violence (though no one seems to notice this last one). The first half of the book describes what every single person he knows is wearing, there are multiple debates on what restaurant to go to and there's a light peppering of random violent comments that no one acknowledges. The second half speeds up with horribly detailed murders and rapes. Every once in a while there is a full chapter inserted about the history of some music artist. I don't think it adds anything to the story.
supreeth's review against another edition
5.0
Literature is a mysterious thing, you read catcher in the rye and brood over the concept of the death while Mark Chapman assassinates John Lennon. You read American psycho and think about the materialism while some another yuppie idolizes Bateman, all excessively narcissistic.
Bret Easton Ellis might’ve had some sick ideas in his brain, so he writes it as an allegory for something else; Or, he really did hate the 80’s American yuppie culture and this is the best thing he could come up with.
Either way it makes sense in a weird way.
Patrick Bateman is a shallow cavity which sucks everything out there in his world, Music CDs, moisturizers, hardbodies, facepacks, video tapes, Donald Trump, chainsaws, axes, rats, cats, dogs, women, men, all flesh and brands. Rich, homeless, African, Armenian, American, everything. You don’t really find people in his head. A fancy suit and ‘talking-walking women/men’ aren’t any different. They’re all materials.
And what's scary is, he’s not alone,he talks with bunch of people who’re all his alter-egos in a way, all hardbodied-well-paid-good- looking men with same barbers.
“I had all the characteristics of a human being—flesh, blood, skin, hair—but my depersonalization was so intense, had gone so deep, that my normal ability to feel compassion had been eradicated, the victim of a slow, purposeful erasure. I was simply imitating reality, a rough resemblance of a human being, with only a dim corner of my mind functioning”
Every character in BEE’s book I read so far is apathetic, hedonistic, pessimistic, nihilistic, suicidal, homicidal and everything immoral. They cut throats, slit wrists and act all normal, not a bit fazed or perturbed.
His writing is something I seem to love, most of his books are pointless; this neutral, cold, flat, non-pretentious writing is basically why I tend to pick his books.
If you take away the violence and murders, there’s a sick world left out.
Bret Easton Ellis might’ve had some sick ideas in his brain, so he writes it as an allegory for something else; Or, he really did hate the 80’s American yuppie culture and this is the best thing he could come up with.
Either way it makes sense in a weird way.
Patrick Bateman is a shallow cavity which sucks everything out there in his world, Music CDs, moisturizers, hardbodies, facepacks, video tapes, Donald Trump, chainsaws, axes, rats, cats, dogs, women, men, all flesh and brands. Rich, homeless, African, Armenian, American, everything. You don’t really find people in his head. A fancy suit and ‘talking-walking women/men’ aren’t any different. They’re all materials.
And what's scary is, he’s not alone,he talks with bunch of people who’re all his alter-egos in a way, all hardbodied-well-paid-good- looking men with same barbers.
“I had all the characteristics of a human being—flesh, blood, skin, hair—but my depersonalization was so intense, had gone so deep, that my normal ability to feel compassion had been eradicated, the victim of a slow, purposeful erasure. I was simply imitating reality, a rough resemblance of a human being, with only a dim corner of my mind functioning”
Every character in BEE’s book I read so far is apathetic, hedonistic, pessimistic, nihilistic, suicidal, homicidal and everything immoral. They cut throats, slit wrists and act all normal, not a bit fazed or perturbed.
His writing is something I seem to love, most of his books are pointless; this neutral, cold, flat, non-pretentious writing is basically why I tend to pick his books.
Spoiler
The narration changes from first person to third person in the same sentence, around page 280. Is this supposed to imply it’s all in his head? It’s clever that author keeps things all vague, you go on and conclude yourself. I've written everything sick i could so far. You find the hidden meaning; which might not existIf you take away the violence and murders, there’s a sick world left out.
ohliviaanne's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
tense
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
marissapage'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
disagreeable's review against another edition
I am not even going to rate this book yet.. because I have no idea what to put. I don't know if I hated it or loved it. It was a horrible story. I hated him. I hate him. I hate that he's out there. I hate what he did, what he does. I hate that yuppie scumbag fuck.
Yet... I couldn't put it down. The nights I got to the point where I couldn't read anymore - His ex girlfriend - the child, I would lay there and wonder why I am still reading. I am just trying to get through it? Am I enjoying? I guess it's a little of both. I remember watching the movie as a young man who was accustomed to action movies, where lives are trival, where the good guy, even if he was the bad guy, was someone you always rooted for. I really liked that movie because it was wild, it was out there, it was a bit taboo even back then. I knew Bateman was bad, but I still rooted for him. In this book I was so fucking torn, because the same thing happened. I loathed everything he did, but I seemingly didn't want him to get caught. I had to stop myself and remember that I want him to pay for these horrors. Fuck this book. Fuck it.
It was genius.
Yet... I couldn't put it down. The nights I got to the point where I couldn't read anymore - His ex girlfriend - the child, I would lay there and wonder why I am still reading. I am just trying to get through it? Am I enjoying? I guess it's a little of both. I remember watching the movie as a young man who was accustomed to action movies, where lives are trival, where the good guy, even if he was the bad guy, was someone you always rooted for. I really liked that movie because it was wild, it was out there, it was a bit taboo even back then. I knew Bateman was bad, but I still rooted for him. In this book I was so fucking torn, because the same thing happened. I loathed everything he did, but I seemingly didn't want him to get caught. I had to stop myself and remember that I want him to pay for these horrors. Fuck this book. Fuck it.
It was genius.
safiaeva's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
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
4.5