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jade_smith's review against another edition
- 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
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.
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
mariowlie's review against another edition
The only thing that kept me reading past a certain point was morbid curiosity. "What is this guy going to do next? Do I want to know?" I would ask that question with every new chapter and around the Christmas party chapter I decided I was not interested anymore.
I believe that some recent real-life political news made it so the book left an extra bad taste in my mouth and I really could not finish it.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
It's as bad as everyone says it is, but maybe not for the reasons you might be imagining.soswiin's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child death, Drug abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and Murder
kimberlydrabik's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, Abortion, Murder, and Classism
birdy_books's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Murder, and Classism
ckopack's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
mhill423's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Drug use, Sexual assault, Torture, and Murder
kjmil's review against another edition
- 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
So do be aware of the content before reading
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Drug use, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Violence, Cannibalism, and Murder
gaviaroma's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Rape, and Murder
nellse's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Animal cruelty