Reviews

American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis

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adamgolden's review

3.0

(3/5★)
Being a pretty big fan of the movie adaption of this book, I really looked forward to reading it. On one hand, the ambiguity of Patrick's credibility (is this all actually happening, or is it all in is head?) and the way the story is left open to interpretation was great, as were the cultural references to the time the story took place in. On the other hand, the exaggerated, gruesome violence was just over the top - I could almost see Ellis writing these scenes, snickering at how much this was going to shock people. We get it, he's a sick fuck! Almost worse than the violence however, are the parts in which Bateman describes 'who is wearing what', which got old really fast. Dial this book back a hundred pages, tone down the violence and excessive details that get repeated every other chapter, and this would have been a much more enjoyable read.

tyler_duren101's review

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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? It's complicated

5.0

victor200122's review

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challenging dark reflective sad 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

American Psycho was a really interesting reading for me, its unsettling, quite disturbing and not just from the terror point of view, which was hard to read at times, but because of all the social criticism and the dehumanisation of society. This book is super reflexive and metaphorical, although it might seem that Mr. Bateman is the most inhuman person on earth, he's not, he's actually more of a human being than anybody else in his story (in a non conventional way, naturally).

All in all, this book is a raw reflection of a reality, full of consumerism, selfishness, isolation and cruelty.

Content Warnings

mirandawood's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

5.0

I don’t WANT to rate this 5 stars because I hated it, but giving it any less would just be unfair. THIS is horror. That queasy unsettling feeling that keeps you up at night, that’s what this book gave me. I had a hard time sleeping because of the graphic scenes in this. I’ve dipped my toes into “extreme horror” and was still able to sleep like a baby. But this book? No no no no no. This book is just terrible, but in the best way. This was actually scary. I could never imagine anything like this.

It’s completely disgusting and it’s haunting that on the outside, Bateman is just an average businessman. He’s educated, great at his job, very fit body, and oh so rich. But when you look closer there’s just something off. Something you can’t quite put your finger on, but you know it’s there. Is it the obsession with working out and having his body in the best possible shape at all times? The obsession designer clothes and how to properly put together an outfit? Or how about the constant looking down on others less fortunate, or of different races, or animals. Because you can do whatever you want as long as your Patrick Bateman.

Never again will I pick this up, but it will always have a place on my shelf.

Content Warnings