Scan barcode
spherocytosis's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Misogyny, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Torture, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Gore, Blood, Death, Rape, Sexual violence, Cursing, Murder, Violence, Animal death, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Drug use, Ableism, Antisemitism, Alcohol, Body shaming, and Classism
Minor: Pedophilia
dubtronius15's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Drug use, Torture, Violence, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Animal death, Body shaming, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Child death, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Bullying, Cannibalism, Death, Rape, Classism, Homophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cursing, Gore, and Murder
aliclare's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Addiction, Alcoholism, Murder, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, Abortion, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, Alcohol, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Fatphobia, Racial slurs, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Mass/school shootings, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Child death, Torture, Excrement, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Cannibalism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship
Extreme violence.serenspace's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Abortion, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Drug abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Murder, Torture, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Cannibalism, Misogyny, and Pedophilia
veggiebettyy's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, Violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cannibalism, Drug use, Gore, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Child death, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Hate crime, Classism, Cursing, Gun violence, Homophobia, Vomit, Alcoholism, and Blood
dupeskara's review against another edition
Graphic: Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Violence, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Stalking, Vomit, Ableism, Blood, Body horror, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Classism, Murder, Death, Drug use, Gore, Infidelity, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Xenophobia, and Antisemitism
ok damn too many warnings the book store owner was right this shit crazy asfclowningaround's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Tldr: he is really an american psycho.
Graphic: Racial slurs, Cursing, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual violence, Blood, Child death, Death, Rape, Classism, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Cannibalism, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Lesbophobia, Animal death, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual content
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Abortion, Antisemitism, and Pedophilia
solspringsreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Cannibalism, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Racial slurs, Antisemitism, Death, Ableism, Addiction, Animal death, Excrement, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Stalking, Cursing, Drug use, Gaslighting, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Violence, Vomit, Abortion, Alcoholism, Child death, Classism, Gun violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, and Sexism
pilvinentaivas's review against another edition
- 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
2.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Violence, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Rape, Physical abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Homophobia, Gore, Death, and Cursing
Moderate: Child death, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Gun violence, Racism, Emotional abuse, and Drug use
flatstrahmly's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Patrick Bateman is a Wall Street broker, unhappy with his career (alluded to by his girlfriend Evelyn) but he won't quit as he wants to fit in with his social circle and uphold his image. There is nothing behind his mask of sanity and faux charm. Throughout the book, the narration drones on in a mundane tone and this does not switch from whether he’s discussing his materialistic possessions or whether he’s detailing a brutal assault or murder or cheating on his fiancee. It is all one note.
Patrick likes music. Well, he listens to it. He reads about it. He regurgitates reviews from newspapers and critics, all to fit in and seem like he is something other than a shell of a human. You can see his unreliable narration slipping in when he speaks about Whitney Houston, and he says that a song is about how ‘we cannot emphasize with others, only with ourselves’. — stop projecting, Patrick.
He is consistently ignored throughout the book and when presented with his admissions of evil, they act as though he said something that wasn’t at all out of the ordinary. I think this alludes to the fact that if you have enough money and status, you can get away with anything even if you don’t hide your true views and you are outwardly spoken. There are plenty of people in our society who have done terrible things, yet gotten away with it due to money or connections.
(There’s a quote at some point throughout the book where Timothy Price states ‘Once they hear how much I make, my behavior couldn’t matter less.’ and I think that sums it up.)
People constantly mistake their colleagues and those among their social circles for other people, as they’re too vapid and wrapped up in their own lives to take a minute to genuinely pay attention, get to know people, and recall them. Everyone fits in and dresses the same - their social standing requires them to. No indiviuality. No distinction.
It is alluded to during a meal with his ex-girlfriend from Harvard that Bateman is maybe some form of “nepo-baby”. This ties into social issues the book presents, the privilege and advantage that can come with having connections, status and money.
Throughout the book, he consumes a lot of drugs, pops a lot of pills (some used for insomniacs - thanks Google), and drinks a lot. It is possible that sleep deprivation, along with the cocktail of drugs and alcohol could make his delusional state worse and cause hallucinations. He states many small things throughout the book that any sane person can tell are all in his head, like bones in chocolate bars, etc.
Also, during the scene with the escorts (I don’t know if this was on purpose), a lot of what Patrick describes is porn-ideals. Which is what we’d EXPECT from him with the videotapes he watches. Either he’s doing his little unreliable narrator job or it’s just another reason to believe he is delusional.
I love unreliable narrators and Patrick Bateman is no acception. You cannot believe a word he says, the recounting of events he gives.
As far as adaptions go, the movie is amazing though it is a LOT more diluted than the content in the book, which is far more disturbing. It is not REALLY a horror though. At its core it is almost a running commentary and if you dig a little deeper, you will find the excellence beneath.
If you can get through his yapping about Huey Lewis and The News.
It is really up to the interpretation of the reader to not only determine if Bateman is infact a serial killer, or just a very mentally unwell man suffering from delusions, but to take certain things from the book - whether you think it’s commentating on the state of America, social issues or capitalism.
I could write a lot more regarding this novel after sitting on it for a little while but this review is already long enough and a bit rambly, I don’t intend this to be perfect - my first ever review on Goodreads, woohoo!
Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Racism, Gore, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Sexual violence, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Death, and Child death
Moderate: Drug abuse, Misogyny, Homophobia, and Drug use
Minor: Ableism