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A review by corporateballerina
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
challenging
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
4.5
I love this book and (believe it or not) have read it a couple times, but its recommendation comes with major caveats.
Absolutely no reader should go in blind. Know that there are many scenes of explicit violence, sex (consensual and non-consensual), and language. It is not an easy book to read. Also know that it’s a dark comedy and a criticism of yuppie culture, capitalism, and toxic masculinity. It requires a deeper look and shouldn’t be taken at face-value.
If you can get past that, the postmodern satire is impeccable. Serial murders are interspersed with reviews of Phil Collins’s music, with Patrick Bateman serving as the ultimate unreliable narrator. What adds to this effect, in a meta way, are readers’ reactions to it; anyone who treats the novel as a handbook is completely missing the point.
I’ll also note that I listened to this on audiobook, narrated by Pablo Schreiber. I don’t quite know how he managed to get through reading it aloud.
I suppose the final verdict is this: IYKYK, and you have to know.
Absolutely no reader should go in blind. Know that there are many scenes of explicit violence, sex (consensual and non-consensual), and language. It is not an easy book to read. Also know that it’s a dark comedy and a criticism of yuppie culture, capitalism, and toxic masculinity. It requires a deeper look and shouldn’t be taken at face-value.
If you can get past that, the postmodern satire is impeccable. Serial murders are interspersed with reviews of Phil Collins’s music, with Patrick Bateman serving as the ultimate unreliable narrator. What adds to this effect, in a meta way, are readers’ reactions to it; anyone who treats the novel as a handbook is completely missing the point.
I’ll also note that I listened to this on audiobook, narrated by Pablo Schreiber. I don’t quite know how he managed to get through reading it aloud.
I suppose the final verdict is this: IYKYK, and you have to know.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Classism