Reviews tagging 'Antisemitism'

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

145 reviews

chuuper's review against another edition

dark funny 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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

thelambliesdown1974's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Darkly funny and much meatier than the movie (no pun intended). Even though Ellis is super weird I do think this book does exactly what it’s supposed to, especially in the era of the AIDS epidemic. Sony TVs, Krizia Uomo, automated tellers, red paint, a darkened apartment, cold pavement, a crucifixion. Rats.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Sexual violence, Antisemitism, and Cannibalism

isabel_is_reading's review against another edition

challenging dark funny tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol

Moderate: Cursing, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Antisemitism, Toxic friendship, and Classism

sanrio_snail's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

deathmetalheron's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-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

2.25

vAmerican Psycho is a battle between its concept and its execution. It is genuinely hard to argue that conceptually, American Psycho is basically perfect--it's an ahead of its time, notable satire that has done nothing but age incredibly well. Every critique that exists, textually or subtextually, reigns true of both the era it is set in and the modern age--Wall Street, Reagan, capitalism, masculinity, sexual violence--all of it is still sadly so, so relevant and so poignant that the underlying text just oozes with "thinkability"--the implications of so many little moments have as much, if not more, to say than the text as a whole. The real meat and essence of this story is placed within the subtle exchanges of dialogue Bateman has with his colleague and romantic partners/future victims.
And yet, in execution, AP is nothing but a slog. I read an interview with Ellis before reading where he was frustrated by the 2000 film of the book, saying that the medium of film "demands answers" and didn't let the ambiguity of the book shine through. 
The presentation of this text does nothing to aid the ambiguity. The themes are already there. I remember thinking Ellis was onto something after the first chapter until Bateman commits a murder, and despite each murder and torture sequence ramping up the pain and suffering each one loses me as a reader more and more. By the end of the book you slowly discover that there are different types of chapters--Bateman talks with colleagues, Bateman tolerates women he hates, Bateman waxes lyrical, Bateman consumes, Bateman kills. And by the end of the book I was truly sick of the mind-numbing repetitive nature of each chapter type and how little they continued to add. In spite of the little nuggets towards the end of the book (that make up some of the most memorable lines in the movie) they placed among word vomit of misogynistic killings and goofy product endorsement. 
I give credit to the concept, but if you've seen the movie, you can skip this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Antisemitism, Car accident, Abortion, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

If you are a generally squeamish person/not interested in reading explicitly described violence/sex/sexual violence I would just avoid this book.

molly_au's review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny reflective 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

4.0

Very, very gruesome.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Antisemitism, and Alcohol

elons_love_child's review against another edition

challenging funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Ellis owes me therapy

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Blood, Cannibalism, Abortion, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Classism

Moderate: Drug use, Infidelity, Antisemitism, Abortion, and Cultural appropriation

gawdz0rz'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

2.75

i never want to see the word “hardbody” ever again 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Cannibalism, and Classism

Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Vomit, Antisemitism, and Abortion

crock_potiii's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense 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

3.5

Acid trip. 

Was it real? Or some of it real? Or not at all?

But as a satirical story it does an incredibly good job and really tearing down toxic masculinity and just how depraved Patrick is mentally. It critiques so many things that, while prevalent at the time of the books publishing, is still prevalent or even more so than before. 

However, I also think that the message it was trying to give sort of failed too. Many people want to be Patrick, they strive for his everything and THAT'S NOT THE POINT OF THE BOOK OR MOVIE. 

But whatever. I made a pretty great slideshow presentation and analysis on this book in the 10th grade and accidentally read it during Holy Week so it made the stakes higher than ever lol. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Vomit, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, Abortion, Murder, and Gaslighting

spherocytosis's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

swore i would never reread this book, yet here i am… rereading it…

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Drug use, Antisemitism, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Pedophilia