Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

148 reviews

blueghost's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, 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, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, and Alcohol

parkinglotking's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

I went into this novel already loving the movie, so perhaps I am a bit biased. I love a good, meaty character study and the novel absolutely did not disappoint.

I will start by saying this is the most violent book I have ever read and it makes the movie look like a PG film, but I was expecting that. The thing that still has me thinking weeks after finishing it with several other books between then and me writing this is the way that perspective and tense are utilized; I don’t usually like first person or present tense points of view, but they’re used masterfully here- in reinforcing Bateman’s self-centeredness and bringing the reader into his stream of consciousness. 

This is a pretty dense read and I really recommend a palette cleanser book after finishing it (and pacing yourself; the only reason I took over a week reading this is because I had to take a breather after some of the worst scenes in the escalating violence) but it’s incredible if you enjoy a really clever literary character study and can handle a staggering amount of violence.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

jacobalenciaga's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, 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, Blood, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Hate crime, and Vomit

Minor: Self harm, Abortion, and Pregnancy

getyourghosts'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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Animal death, Homophobia, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, and Car accident

Minor: Body shaming, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, Islamophobia, and Classism

csx's review against another edition

dark funny tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, Stalking, Car accident, Abortion, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

perth_is's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, 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, Excrement, Vomit, Antisemitism, Medical content, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Stalking, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

merle_ma's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious tense slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Cannibalism, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

n3verm0r3's review against another edition

challenging dark sad 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

3.0

this book swung violently between boring and the most disgusting thing i’ve ever read. plz just watch the movie

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Self harm and Cannibalism

spaghetti_noodle's review against another edition

dark funny reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.25

There are different interpretations of this book. One suggests that Patrick Bateman is hallcuinating his bouts of violence. While I don't dismiss this interpretation, my first reading of American Psycho was done under the interpretation that this was all happening. Patrick Bateman was able to get away with his murders because of the self-centered perspective of everyone else. He also had a lot more power, wealth, and prestige compared to most of the people he murdered and the people who recognized that he was a killer. 
At first, I found myself confused and bored by Bateman's mind, then I hated it and wanted to get this over with, and then I found it amusing, especially after realizing how pathetic Bateman is. He is obsessed with himself and sees others as inferior, but his need to be better than everyone else reveals a deep insecurity. 
There's a lot that can be taken away from this book: performance of upper-class white masculinity, privilege and power, misogyny and other forms of bigotry, superficiality and consumerism and identity creation... lol I saw a Tumblr post comparing the morning routines of white women doing the "That Girl" trend to Patrick Bateman's morning routine. This is one of those stories that a lot of people take what they want from it. Maybe when I feel like being a smarter person, I'll reread and dissect this book further. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Cannibalism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

cashboulder7's review against another edition

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Blood, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism