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brennach'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
4.75
Graphic: Excrement, Gore, Rape, Racial slurs, Animal death, Cannibalism, Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Gun violence, Hate crime, Murder, Sexual assault, Addiction, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Alcohol, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Transphobia, Antisemitism, Ableism, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Pregnancy, Dementia, and Abortion
suchsweetsorrow89's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
though i understand that ellis deliberately makes it so that this book is satirically exaggerated to emphasize bateman's character (as a reflection of our own), the oversaturation of these moments (which he constantly relies on throughout the text, even at moments when it is not needed) come across as if a 12-year-old is telling the same joke over and over again until it just becomes the same. mindless. punchline. on top of that, the overuse of slurs when ellis actually didn't need to use them at all comes across as lazy character-building (and this is only emphasized by his explicit statement that he doesn't care if he's "canceled" for using the slurs when interviewers brought it up). you can always show a bad character is a bad person without depicting him beating up the homeless over and over, using slurs when not needed, and adding in filler scenes of overt antisemitism that could have been easily erased and made the same points (and made the book more powerful, in my opinion).
though the gore seemed to draw on society's fascination with gore and all things horror (as well as sex), 400 pages of this very particular fascination in the kind of "rinse and repeat" style results in something that loses its significance, dulling and eating in on itself as it goes on.
frankly, i do not know whether i recommend this book. though the ending was actually quite good (and guess what? it did it WITHOUT 4 paragraphs of intense misogyny and hate crimes every five pages! wow- shocker) the oversaturation with which ellis relies on obscures the meaning entirely, almost watering the point down in places where it could have been a memorable text. however, if you want to read it, please take the trigger warnings seriously— and i suggest an audiobook as an aid from pages 60-360, since the middle really isn't worth your time or really worth any meaningful pen-to-page analytical thoughts.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Stalking, Sexual assault, Child death, Sexism, Physical abuse, Blood, Racial slurs, Grief, Death, Alcohol, Vomit, Abortion, Outing, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Animal death, Violence, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Cannibalism, Racism, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Torture, Addiction, Murder, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Hate crime, Gore, Drug use, Cursing, Child abuse, Body horror, Body shaming, Antisemitism, Animal cruelty, and Alcoholism
astrono9's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Torture, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Drug use, Gun violence, Rape, Physical abuse, Body shaming, Addiction, Cannibalism, Gore, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Murder, Homophobia, Body horror, and Child death
lynxpardinus's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual content, Torture, Classism, Murder, Racism, Sexual violence, Addiction, Cannibalism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Antisemitism, Blood, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Car accident, Child abuse, Confinement, Xenophobia, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Islamophobia, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Suicide, Vomit, and War
Minor: Dementia, Genocide, and Death of parent
pierreadsbooks'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
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Blood, Classism, Drug use, Sexual violence, Violence, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Torture
lenny69's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Rape, Racism, Xenophobia, Murder, Racial slurs, and Vomit
isusp_65'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
Graphic: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Classism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Antisemitism, Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Murder, Racism, Rape, and Sexual harassment
hollystopreading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Classism, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Homophobia, Gun violence, Cannibalism, Misogyny, Murder, Domestic abuse, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Abortion, Addiction, Ableism, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
schlong01'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
2.5
It's a wonderful critique of businessman and capitalism in general with very many details woven into it. But those details often become dreadful as a whole chapter can be just Patrick's opinion on a newly released album or the things he bought yesterday. Although the author is a genius at writing in great detail, this often becomes his downfall, as he does not seem to know when to use said detailism.
Graphic: Torture, Blood, Child death, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Cannibalism, Gaslighting, Medical content, Misogyny, Violence, Animal death, Cursing, Rape, Toxic friendship, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Antisemitism, Bullying, Gore, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Death, Gun violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Car accident, Classism, Domestic abuse, Murder, Sexism, Xenophobia, and Emotional abuse
addythebookbat's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Racism, Rape, Animal cruelty, Blood, Cannibalism, Child death, Body horror, Child abuse, Classism, Murder, Sexism, Torture, Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Antisemitism, Gore, Gun violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Cursing, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Abortion