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gawdz0rz'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
2.75
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
- 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
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.
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
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: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Abortion, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Extreme violence.itsbethanynixon's review against another edition
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gore, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, and Sexual harassment
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: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Abortion, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
clowningaround'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: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, 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, Toxic relationship, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Antisemitism, and Abortion
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: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Abortion, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
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: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, and Misogyny
Minor: Ableism
bethany_rose5'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
2.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, Murder, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
emadisonc'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
4.0
A curtain of stars, miles of them, are scattered, glowing, across the sky and their multitude humbles me, which I have a hard time tolerating. She shrugs and nods after I say something about forms of anxiety. It’s as if her mind is having a hard time communicating with her mouth, as if she is searching for a rational analysis of who I am, which is, of course, an impossibility: there… is… no… key.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Cannibalism, and Classism
Moderate: Child death, Fatphobia, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Antisemitism and Abortion