Reviews tagging 'Gore'

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

433 reviews

callanmh's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark medium-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

2.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

isabel_is_reading's review against another edition

Go to review page

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


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

sanrio_snail's review against another edition

Go to review page

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


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

butchjadeharley's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark reflective 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

5.0

i think im a different person now. great book, five stars, no notes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

grassgoat's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark funny sad 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

4.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

_alyosha_'s review against another edition

Go to review page

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

2.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

carlytenille's review against another edition

Go to review page

I could keep reading for the sake of finishing but I won’t enjoy it. I can’t read about
animals being tortured

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

deathmetalheron's review against another edition

Go to review page

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. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

molly_au's review against another edition

Go to review page

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.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

emmaluisa's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging 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

3.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings