Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

104 reviews

wesly82's review against another edition

challenging dark fast-paced

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

5.0

It is a brutal book, but it is very clever and well written.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Antisemitism, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

imjamesmason's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad 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

3.75

This book is incredibly visceral and well written. You really feel like you’re inside the head of the main character, for better or worse.

It’s the kind of book I am glad I read, wouldn’t unread, but really cannot recommend to many people. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

waltjessexo'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

3.5

the point is that it's disturbing and on-the-nose, but it being "the point" doesn't mean you have to call it a good book. it accomplishes making you feel horrified and is necessary art but it's normal to not enjoy it anyway.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Murder, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Outing, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Antisemitism, Medical content, Cannibalism, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

this guy doesn't see minorities as human nor does anyone in the main cast.

maybbrenna's review against another edition

dark 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

fascinating way of writing, really captures the essence of a psychopath, but i have never been so disgusted by a book in my life. i now understand why this book is considered one of the most disturbing. never read something more bleak and hopeless in my life. i would go back to do a “slur/hate crime” count but i would rather shoot myself in the foot than ever read this again. i’d give it two stars, but there were some parts where I was still interested near the end and in the beginning, but over all, jesus fucking Christ. i need to start reading romance or something.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Cannibalism, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

jisrh's review against another edition

dark funny tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, and Murder

lyeelia's review against another edition

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

Well, it’s a book that has been on my TBR for a couple years and I finally finished it. I had to take breaks often because some of the scenes were extremely difficult to read. 
This isn’t a favorite and not something that I would ever recommend. I usually keep books after I read them but I don’t think I’d be upset about getting rid of it. I just don’t know how I would do so without someone else getting their eyes on it. 
There are a few mundane chapters that I think add to Patrick’s instability since he is so focused on the wrong things. I also hated how it seemed that others found out about what he did but he never faced any consequences and I think it was in part due to him being so rich. I know that this is some of the point of this story, but it’s a reflection of how life can be. 

Being glad that I’ve read this is an inaccurate statement especially given the nature of it but I’m not disappointed to have read it.

I just never want to read these words again. 

That said, the writing is great because of the ability to stir up all of these feelings even if the most prominent one is nausea.

---

Content Warnings

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

mollandra's review against another edition

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

literally the most gruesome book i’ve ever read. i was peeking through my hands to read some of it. the critique is good and it’s always fun to read source material (movie and stage musical both take a lot of verbatim passages) and find notable exclusions. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Abortion, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

do not read this book

flibusted's review against another edition

challenging dark funny 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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

viiolaceus's review against another edition

challenging 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

1.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Cannibalism, Abortion, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

jade_smith's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

 Okay, I have a lot to say about this book.

Much of which is indelibly shaped by my experience borrowing it from the library. In Australia, this book is heavily restricted. I had to show ID to prove that I'm over 18 (I seldom get ID'd buying alcohol anymore, so this was both flattering and amusing). The librarian then retrieved the book from back of house, and handed it to me in a sealed opaque bag, with strict instructions regarding the handling and returning of the book. She was equally bemused by the whole process.

The censorship of this book in Australia is genuinely baffling. To steal a quote from Irvine Walsh's introduction to the 2012 edition: "This is one of the great hypocrisies of our cultural life. Copious gore and representations of the dismemberment of young women are considered fair game in the name of mass entertainment, yet deemed unacceptable as devices of metaphor and symbol in a critical and conceptual (if also visceral), state-of-the-nation novel."

This book was unarguably graphic. I have a high tolerance for gore, and would not recommend this book to anyone who is even slightly squeamish. But also... perhaps I would. Because I think there is value in discomfort. And this novel is nothing if not uncomfortable. And that discomfort is core to it's success as the most brilliantly biting satire of American consumerism, greed, and chauvinism that I've ever read.

I did a bit of research into feminist critiques of this novel from the time of it's release in the 1990's, and while I get what they're saying... I kinda totally disagree. The character of Patrick Bateman is misogynistic. This novel is not misogynistic -- to me, it's quite clearly an indictment of the behaviour of "men like that." Good satire takes things to the extreme. And indeed, is this not the most extreme manifestation of the "misogynistic comments amongst mates" to femicide pipeline?

It was also incredibly funny. Patrick Bateman is one of the most pathetic point of view characters I've ever read, and there are points at which his ineptitude and insecurity provide points of genuinely brilliant black comedy.

There's something that I want to say here about this novel in a post-Trump age -- the way in which 1980's business mogul Trump is a near-mythologized figure in the eyes of Patrick Bateman. There's something here about how the cruelty, callousness, and selfishness of Bateman and his contemporaries has wormed it's way into 21st Century American society. There's something here about aesthetic consumption and ideology.

There's also something here about the way in which Patrick Bateman is constantly saying the quiet part out loud -- blatantly admitting to his associates that he's a serial killer. There's an ambiguity as to whether these deliberate slips are real, or whether they're part of Bateman's unreliable narration. But, if we are to assume that in the context of this novel as an exaggeration and as a satire that they are in-universe dialogue -- there's something here about how these people are willing to brush over and justify the articulation of the most callous tendencies, on account of the fact that they just don't care. Bateman feels and says externally what all of these people feel and say internally. There's something here about the rise of blatantly fascist dialogue in the USA. Perhaps we now live in a world full of Patrick Bateman's.

Anyway -- I truly have so much more I could say about this book. I'm glad I read it. I want to write an essay on it. I'm preemptively mortified by the fact of returning this to the library in it's opaque sleeve. If I ever start referencing a need to return library books at odd hours, know that I've gone the way of Bateman. And perhaps then the Australian government will feel justified in their censorship of this novel, for truly they must think it has some near-mystical ability to instigate harm. 

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Ableism, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Excrement, Antisemitism, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Minor: Bullying, Vomit, and Abortion