Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis

113 reviews

hydecircus's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

3.5

I mean obviously it's hard to rate a book like this without either sounding completely insane or completely ignoring its cultural impact and message. Trying to rate it on a technical level, it's a genuinely great read, but a very difficult one. One of the only books I've ever read to leave me genuinely sick to my stomach in some scenes. A lot of reading it is just going "oh I understand why that wasn't in the film", either because its so graphic it would just be completely impossible film/get approved for film, or because its just so downright boring. You don't go into this book expecting just how many clothing and product and music descriptions there are going to be. And the weird part is -- it really does work! Get through the endless brand names and pages of graphically described rape and you come to an ending that punches you directly in the gut, somehow everything that came before leading up to it perfectly. I don't mean the actual, last scene (which in the flim serves as one of the first scenes), I mean around page 349 (in my copy), when

Spoiler

the tense changes from first person to third. You've known Patrick was an unreliable narrator basically all along, but nothing cements it quite like him completely dissociatibg from himself, in the worst moment of his life, becoming another character rather than the protagonist, and then, when he recovers, shifting seamlessly back into first person.

It's not a book I'd recommend without reading the content warnings, and even then I might suggest watching the film first considering just how much nastier the book is. Even so, I'm glad I read it and I think if you can handle the subject matter you should give it a go, especially if you enjoy unreliable narrators.
EDIT: ok honestly after reflecting a bit i think its just one scene that is like. really bad and i probably just shouldve have read it while eating and you guys would probably be fine 👍 i think its better than the film but maybe the film makes the message more accessible also. still rotating this book around in my head maybe ill change my mind on this later

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Drug use, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child death, Excrement, Homophobia, Injury/injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Animal death, Cannibalism, Classism, Cursing, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, and Sexual violence

Minor: Abortion and Suicidal thoughts

sennaje's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Vomit, Addiction, Body horror, Body shaming, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Medical content, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Injury/injury detail, Sexual violence, Hate crime, and Homophobia

binaryenigma's review against another edition

dark sad 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

1.25

It's a waste of time, with the occasional torture and murder scene in between.
In concept, it's not bad, a satirical commentary on American society, but reading through it, I couldn't even be interested in it, just too boring.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Cannibalism, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Murder, Racial slurs, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Violence, Torture, Xenophobia, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, and Rape

It's just boring, then more boring, then more boring, then there's a murder scene, then even more boring, and boring again, then a murder scene, etc The book does not have any ending really, it just cuts off on a boring part, the main character doesn't even get caught for anything, even though he's extremely sloppy

annilikesbooks's review against another edition

emotional 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

3.75

It's a wild read. The first hundred pages are a bit dull but after that it's a crazy ride. Like some pages were so graphic I had to skip them but it's so gripping that you had to finish the book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Transphobia, Toxic friendship, Rape, Injury/injury detail, Homophobia, Hate crime, Xenophobia, Body horror, Abortion, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Grief, Cannibalism, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racism, Gun violence, Drug use, Drug abuse, Body shaming, Addiction, Violence, Torture, Domestic abuse, Animal cruelty, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Islamophobia, Physical abuse, Murder, Fatphobia, Child abuse, Mental illness, Gore, Gaslighting, Lesbophobia, Eating disorder, Animal death, Alcohol, Death, Child death, Car accident, and Antisemitism

catell'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

1.0

It only got interesting half way though. Skipped a few chapters at the start and the music chapters. 
Listened on audiobook on x2 speed to get through quicker than reading as it’s SO BORING to read
Enjoyed the murder scenes but if it weren’t for them I would never have finished the book 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Violence, Sexual violence, Gore, Classism, Torture, Domestic abuse, Body shaming, Racism, Physical abuse, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Abortion, Murder, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Hate crime, Body horror, Gun violence, Death, Cursing, Cannibalism, Blood, Alcohol, and Addiction

natapata's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense 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

4.5

so so good but fucking awful. like genuinely at some points made me want to throw up. but also some of the passages really made me think about life and all that and it's really well written. it's also occasionally quite funny? which is a nice reprieve from the quite literally nausea-inducing gore. what an odd book that will definitely stick with me for a long time, for better or worse.

(there's a review further down by user ulrikemaria that basically sums up all of my thoughts on this book)

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Content Warnings

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

literally every trigger warning ever it is an actually disgusting book lol

chickennoodlesoup's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

disgusting. absolutely gut wrenching while also horrifically boring. you read through way too much about “hardbodies” and designer brand names just to get to disturbing, sickening sex scenes followed by extremely detailed violence. the writer is amazing but i’d never want to meet him in my life. i don’t believe someone can just write this, so well in the mind of a murderer and phycopath without some insight. writing is amazing but the book is only for those who can stomach the utmost horrific events. never in my life would i recommend this book. i am so torn between giving kudos to this author while also being disgusted by him, which feels like the point. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Torture, Sexism, Racism, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Terminal illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Rape, and Transphobia

knmed's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• 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

3.5

Well I finished it. This is the definition of torture porn so be aware of that if you want to pick it up. It has very descriptive intense violence, sex, and sexual assault. It is also filled with bigotry towards all different kids of people, especially LGBTQ+ and POC.  This book has two sides of it. The first being endless lists of how to look good, luxury goods, and where everyone is going to go out to. The second is the detailed descriptions of violence and sex. Imagine being in the mind of Tom Buchanan in a cocaine fueled 80s New York, but he’s also a serial killer. At first I liked the satire of the super rich that was juxtaposed with a sick inner mind and a serial killer. But to be honest this book is a little over detailed and a little long. It started to feel like the author enjoyed writing the extreme violence and sex scenes to an extent that made me uncomfortable. I looked into the authors commentary on the book and it didn’t make me feel any better about him. It was worth reading once for me, but isn’t something I think I’ll return to. For me, I’m glad I listened to the audiobook. I don’t think I would have made it through reading through the mundane parts of Bateman’s mind. On the other side it may have made the violence worse though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Classism, Hate crime, Gore, Death, Death of parent, Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Murder, Misogyny, Injury/injury detail, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Sexism, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Drug use, Addiction, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Torture, Racism, Rape, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Child death and Body shaming

khoystoboy's review against another edition

dark 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Murder, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Alcohol, Blood, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Body horror, Gore, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Cannibalism, Classism, Racism, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Child abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Addiction

Minor: Abortion

tildagustafsson's review against another edition

dark 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Fatphobia, Gore, Misogyny, Cannibalism, Child death, Rape, Racism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Bullying, Drug use, Torture, Racial slurs, Death, Murder, Animal death, Physical abuse, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Ableism and Alcohol