kymzii'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
3.0
zoes_human's review against another edition
2.0
There's a brilliant novella buried somewhere in this 400 page book.
Ultimately, it became tiresome to read the endless descriptions of brutality and clothes. Somewhere along the line, it all just started to run together for me. "Oh, yeah, decapitation by Christian Dior. Very hip this season, but never ear-shtup a dead hooker in a pinstriped suit. Too contrived."
Ultimately, it became tiresome to read the endless descriptions of brutality and clothes. Somewhere along the line, it all just started to run together for me. "Oh, yeah, decapitation by Christian Dior. Very hip this season, but never ear-shtup a dead hooker in a pinstriped suit. Too contrived."
rosesus's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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
2.0
danieecalifornia'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
3.0
I forgot how intense & graphic the last 100ish pages are…
graceyamamoto's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-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
3.25
kaylathecat'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
3.5
alexandr1ne's review against another edition
I'm abstaining from a star rating on this one. Not something I do often - or ever, before now - but in this case I just don't think a number is capable of encapsulating the many, many thoughts I have about American Psycho.
Pages 1 to approximately 120 were insufferably boring. I rejoiced when we started getting some action, purely for the reprieve it provided from Patrick Batemen's internal monologue. P120 to about 250 struck a nice balance between mind-numbing (which I mean in a positive way; occupying Patrick Bateman's head is intentionally exhausting) and pages 250 onward were gruelling in a way I can't fault anyone for finding too much (unlike author Bret Easton Ellis, who remarked that while he "wasn't a misogynist when [he] wrote the book[...] the unearned feminist hysteria briefly turned [him] into one"). Obviously, this decline in the final third is meant to reflect Patrick Bateman's own decline, but that didn't make it any less nauseating.
Which is precisely why I'm refraining from quantifying my feelings on this novel with a rating. So much of what it attempts and achieves as a satire is incredibly clever, but personally, I assign stars based on enjoyment, because I read for enjoyment, for pleasure, and I can't honestly say (for myself personally) that there was any to be had here. Reading this book felt like falling through an NSFL internet gore rabbit hole, except it's 1991 and everyone keeps talking about Donald Trump.
I can absolutely appreciate what American Psycho does. I can. As a black comedy, as satire, as social commentary, I can, and do, see its merit. Bateman (and by extension, I suppose, Ellis's) encyclopedic knowledge of designer brands, clothing and cologne, the difference between this and that restaurant, the merits of each establishment for a lunch date versus a dinner date versus a business meeting, the substitution of one colleague's name for another in an endless carousel of tanned white businessmen, each vying for this or that account, and, ultimately, the insistence - through the sheer amount of real estate that each of these subjects holds in his tanned, moussed, bespectacled head - that this inane, shallow drivel matters.
But I can't pretend that I enjoyed it, or that I think it's a worthwhile book. As far as the 'moral' - Bret Easton Ellis himself identifies as a moralist, whatever that means - I was right there with him, hating the all-American businessman that Patrick Bateman represents, disbelieving in the American dream that his existence so thoroughly torpedoes, laughing and cringing at the sheer absurdity of it all.
At a certain point, though (if you were to ask me, past p250) the narrative ceased to be productive, and proceeded instead to bludgeon me over the head with a cleverness that had worn out its welcome a long time ago, and a revelry in violence the likes of which I have truly never experienced before, and which, past its value as juxtaposition and shock, began actively detracting from the experience.
Pages 1 to approximately 120 were insufferably boring. I rejoiced when we started getting some action, purely for the reprieve it provided from Patrick Batemen's internal monologue. P120 to about 250 struck a nice balance between mind-numbing (which I mean in a positive way; occupying Patrick Bateman's head is intentionally exhausting) and pages 250 onward were gruelling in a way I can't fault anyone for finding too much (unlike author Bret Easton Ellis, who remarked that while he "wasn't a misogynist when [he] wrote the book[...] the unearned feminist hysteria briefly turned [him] into one"). Obviously, this decline in the final third is meant to reflect Patrick Bateman's own decline, but that didn't make it any less nauseating.
Which is precisely why I'm refraining from quantifying my feelings on this novel with a rating. So much of what it attempts and achieves as a satire is incredibly clever, but personally, I assign stars based on enjoyment, because I read for enjoyment, for pleasure, and I can't honestly say (for myself personally) that there was any to be had here. Reading this book felt like falling through an NSFL internet gore rabbit hole, except it's 1991 and everyone keeps talking about Donald Trump.
I can absolutely appreciate what American Psycho does. I can. As a black comedy, as satire, as social commentary, I can, and do, see its merit. Bateman (and by extension, I suppose, Ellis's) encyclopedic knowledge of designer brands, clothing and cologne, the difference between this and that restaurant, the merits of each establishment for a lunch date versus a dinner date versus a business meeting, the substitution of one colleague's name for another in an endless carousel of tanned white businessmen, each vying for this or that account, and, ultimately, the insistence - through the sheer amount of real estate that each of these subjects holds in his tanned, moussed, bespectacled head - that this inane, shallow drivel matters.
But I can't pretend that I enjoyed it, or that I think it's a worthwhile book. As far as the 'moral' - Bret Easton Ellis himself identifies as a moralist, whatever that means - I was right there with him, hating the all-American businessman that Patrick Bateman represents, disbelieving in the American dream that his existence so thoroughly torpedoes, laughing and cringing at the sheer absurdity of it all.
At a certain point, though (if you were to ask me, past p250) the narrative ceased to be productive, and proceeded instead to bludgeon me over the head with a cleverness that had worn out its welcome a long time ago, and a revelry in violence the likes of which I have truly never experienced before, and which, past its value as juxtaposition and shock, began actively detracting from the experience.
k4tno3lle's review against another edition
2.0
i haven’t read that many books but this is the first book that i’m genuinely relieved and happy to have finished.
i didn’t like it from the first few pages (opening dinner scene was confusing, already too many names to remember) but i thought i’d give it the benefit of the doubt, maybe it’ll get better. it didn’t. i ended up reading like 60 pages today because i just wanted to get it over with. (yes i could’ve simply stopped reading but i’m no quitter, also i was curious to see if it would ever get better… again, it didn’t)
cons:
-one major thing i noticed (and disliked) was how repetitive it was. the most common occurrence was patrick bringing home girls and proceeding to torture and murder them in the worst, most brutal and violent way possible. (basically torture porn, it makes me wonder what the author was feeling when he was describing these parts)
- also the story itself was… nonexistent? other than him killing women, assaulting homeless people, abusing animals, going to dinners, doing drugs, making reservations, calling women “hardbodies”, there was really no actual start, middle or end.
-i’m not one to get offended by things so idk if what i felt was offended but a lot of the stuff definitely didn’t sit right with me (which is the point i think but still, there’s a line between casual offended and wtf-i-hate-this-i-wish-this-book-was never-made-offended)
- the characters are all terrible and annoying and pretentious. except jean i guess, but what could she possibly see in patrick
i didn’t like it from the first few pages (opening dinner scene was confusing, already too many names to remember) but i thought i’d give it the benefit of the doubt, maybe it’ll get better. it didn’t. i ended up reading like 60 pages today because i just wanted to get it over with. (yes i could’ve simply stopped reading but i’m no quitter, also i was curious to see if it would ever get better… again, it didn’t)
cons:
-one major thing i noticed (and disliked) was how repetitive it was. the most common occurrence was patrick bringing home girls and proceeding to torture and murder them in the worst, most brutal and violent way possible. (basically torture porn, it makes me wonder what the author was feeling when he was describing these parts)
- also the story itself was… nonexistent? other than him killing women, assaulting homeless people, abusing animals, going to dinners, doing drugs, making reservations, calling women “hardbodies”, there was really no actual start, middle or end.
-i’m not one to get offended by things so idk if what i felt was offended but a lot of the stuff definitely didn’t sit right with me (which is the point i think but still, there’s a line between casual offended and wtf-i-hate-this-i-wish-this-book-was never-made-offended)
- the characters are all terrible and annoying and pretentious. except jean i guess, but what could she possibly see in patrick