Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

36 reviews

afroheaux's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense slow-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

4.0

This book is an extremely interesting character study, but not for the faint of heart. I kept thinking to myself, “Why did he include this in such detail?” But I think that’s the point. This is how someone with Patrick’s sick and twisted mind actually acts.
The book is self aware in the way that it’s trying to show you that evil is often found in the places where we’ve been told it doesn’t: behind perfectly trimmed haircuts, handsome smiles, and wealthy apartments. We’ve deconstructed this idea a bit more since the time of this book’s publishing due to shows like SVU and Criminal Minds yet these ideas still linger in the places of power where they matter. 
This book illustrates why so many of the rich and powerful are so indifferent to human suffering. Their lives are vapid and empty, exchanges and people are interchangeable, and everything is a show. Nothing matters.
I believe Patrick is as prolific as he claims to be. The only reason why he hasn’t gotten caught is because his life is an alibi. Most of his victims are homeless or working class people that he has no connection to. Even his world, his victims are forgotten because none of them truly care about each other. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Antisemitism, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Cannibalism, Child death, Gore, Hate crime, Murder, Pedophilia, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Classism, Death, Dysphoria, and Drug use

ejr1904's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

4.75

A grotesque critique of capitalism. 

You either love it or you hate it. It’s vile and unwavering. One of the few books that made my stomach turn. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Antisemitism, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Gore, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Transphobia, and Xenophobia

_jennaalbright_'s review against another edition

challenging dark 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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Torture, Violence, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Ableism and Alcohol

meschisss's review against another edition

challenging dark funny tense medium-paced

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

4.25

my god these bitches are a gay allegory. good for them. good for them

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, Torture, Stalking, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Mass/school shootings, Homophobia, Hate crime, Gun violence, Gore, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death, Cursing, Child death, Cannibalism, Body horror, Antisemitism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Alcohol, and Abortion

allonsythornraxx's review against another edition

I had every intention of finishing this but it was honestly too brutal and traumatising. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Murder, Torture, Rape, Vomit, Violence, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Homophobia, Hate crime, Gore, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Blood, Animal death, and Alcoholism

laval's review against another edition

challenging dark funny tense slow-paced

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

4.5

I found out about this book after watching the movie, so I am just a tad biased because I found the movie hilarious and wanted more. This book is a great commentary about the yuppie culture and an interesting take on how capitalism fuels this toxicity. It is disturbing at times, do not get me wrong. very disturbing. the layers of symbolism and care written into each sentence of this book should not be overlooked, and Patrick is written perfectly. We truly get a glimpse of what is going on inside his head and how disturbing his thought process really is. The author does a wonderful job making sure the audience knows that Patrick is bad, and a loser. He is shown to not be cool, hot yuppie, but instead a massive, mentally deranged loser. Many times are shown where Patrick is just outright making a fool of himself just to fit in.

Take for example the small scene where he is in a hip hop bar with a primarily black crowd and proceeds to try and "act cool" by throwing up peace signs and "talking hip." Or in my personal favourite chapter "A Glimpse into Thursday Afternoon." Patrick is having some sort of mental breakdown and proceeds to shoplift a can of spam. He then takes it to a luxury apartment building where he is only let in for his looks, but then is immediately kicked out when he opens the spam and violently shoves handfuls of it into his mouth

  The author really does make a point to show that Patrick is no better than the people he mocks, he just thinks he is better because he is rich and looks good. I think this has to be a favourite for me personally due to all the care put into it, plus it is all I could ask for really. I picked this book up wanting more funny moments with Patrick and I got so many more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

Minor: Antisemitism, Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Self harm, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia

This book is a satire and if you think any of Patrick Bateman's actions are justified at all, please see someone. Nothing presented in this book is meant to give the reader that the impression of this is okay. Be weary of one's mental state before reading this as Patrick has many intrusive and negative thoughts. Also be warned of graphic sex and violence. And when I say graphic I put heavy emphasis on that word.