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A review by beyondthevalley
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
challenging
dark
funny
medium-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
Really loving going through Ellis' work although this made me nauseous and viscerally upset multiple times. Was a bit surreal reading this as someone with harm OCD because strangely Ellis portrays intrusive thoughts pitch-perfectly here — just with a man for whom they are not ego-dystonic for.
Probably taking a mini-Ellis break though it is not good for the psyche to take all this in at once! However it's worth noting that he has great humor and commentary on the excess and sociopathy of rich young white men who all strive for a paradoxical individuality through rigid conformity to the point of constantly being confused for each other, and seeing him touch ever so slightly on the early 90s and the descent from that peak was an interesting touch not seen in Less Than Zero.
Probably taking a mini-Ellis break though it is not good for the psyche to take all this in at once! However it's worth noting that he has great humor and commentary on the excess and sociopathy of rich young white men who all strive for a paradoxical individuality through rigid conformity to the point of constantly being confused for each other, and seeing him touch ever so slightly on the early 90s and the descent from that peak was an interesting touch not seen in Less Than Zero.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Cannibalism, and Murder
Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Vomit, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Abortion
I have a thick skin but it's certainly one of the toughest books I've read. If extreme violence (especially sexual violence) is triggering, avoid this book. Or proceed with extreme caution.