Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

341 reviews

dwsampson's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Great writing and a lot to unpack and consider, but this was not pleasant. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Abortion, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Trigger warning: quite literally almost everything

felicity98's review against another edition

dark 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

1.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Classism

p0ndscum's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

3.75

"Sometimes, Jean," I explain, "the lines separating appearance - what you see - and reality - what you don't - become, well, blurred."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Excrement and Abortion

lizzardbreath's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

2.5

I understand that this book is satire; however, the content of the book was extremely upsetting and disturbing that I would not recommend anyone to take it upon themselves to read it. This is one of the first books I have ever read where I had to take active breaks away from it for the sake of my mental health. A short video essay explaining the satire was much better than actually putting yourself through the torture of reading this novel. Nonetheless, Ellis portrayed great horror on the white American man, so if you can stomach the gory details, I won’t stop you. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

alexisg1109'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

bthkly's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

swaggle's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Blood, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Vomit, and Trafficking

obviouslag's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, and Blood

Minor: Racial slurs

Not for the faint of heart. I knew it wasn't going to be a light reading and there was violence but I was not expecting THAT much gore.

sidekicksam's review against another edition

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

5.0

Is evil something you are? Or is evil something you do?

I won't be giving a summary of the premise - we all know the story. I don't think I've ever written such an extensive brain dump before, but then again, American Psycho will evoke strong feelings. If you're planning on reading this, don't read on and just go ahead and read it. But beware of the trigger warnings because the violence and gore is everything you heard about and worse. Also: if you do read this in its entirety: thank you and I'm sorry for all the rambling.

Some random thoughts that have floated in and out of my mind when I just finished it:
- Is this how men feel when they read unhinged women books?
- I don't think I've ever had such physical reactions to reading passages in a book, ever.
- Is this the most fucked up thing I've ever read?

(And I read the book with the underage gangbang and the ones about humans being bred and slaughtered for consumption

- Is this one of the best things I've ever read? Is it?

After sleeping on it, and letting it simmer for a bit (

like Bateman did with the various women he ate

), I've come to the conclusion that it must be one of the best written books I've read in a while. It was slow and torturous, not just because of the heinous acts Bateman commits and their increasing frequency and intensity, but also just Bateman's personality and world we get to go into. 

Pat Bateman is a white, rich, and handsome man, but those who have it all and never have to worry a day in their life also bear a great deal of boredom and emptiness. We see it in the characters other than the protagonist of The Secret History, as well as the main character of My Year of Rest and Relaxation. For some reason, these people don't seem to be equipped to deal with the mundanity of the world. Of life.
 
Who would? If you don't cook a day in your life because going out to a different restaurant every night is something everyone in your social circle does, and if you can get cocaine as easily as a pack of gum in the supermarket, what else is special anymore? What do you have to make you feel something? Bear in mind that dysfunctional families that value appearances and out-shining each other over actual loving and caring relationships are the norm in the upper class, and it's no wonder our protagonist doesn't feel anything. 

The ego-centric mindset of the characters in this book is so well written, I don’t think I’ve rolled my eyes even once. Despite having followed them on several nights out, dates and dinners, I have no real sense of who the characters besides Bateman actually were or did. I don’t think he did either. But then again, they also mistake each other for other people all the time too, and they all don't care about being mistaken for someone else either.

I even wondered at times whether Bateman actually makes those confessions of being a murderer and torturer of women to his “friends”, or whether he imagines himself confessing it to them. The further I got into the book it became apparent that he did actually try to cross the boundaries of secrecy and recklessness, to the point where he is almost caught. The cop-chase scene is so intense he even dissociates for a bit which makes it even more intense.

The consumer state-of-mind, with the (imagined?) competition for who has the best clothing, taste in women/restaurants/drugs, uses the proper skin care products and who takes care of their body best, is central to the book, and is what makes it such a relatable work of satire. I (obviously) can’t relate to Bateman’s homicidal tendencies, but I can sure understand why he’d be obsessed with having the fanciest business card or the newest of the new stuff. 

And to just state the most insanely amazing thing about this book: I don’t think I’ve ever had any other feelings for a serial killer than pure loathing, but he’s so well written: you get what drives him to do it? He’s an absolute repugnant, foul, disgusting human being, but if you don’t have to worry a day in your life about money, retaining your job, or even getting caught, it's little wonder this is what money and power drives you to.

I mean, isn't his behavior and lack of human emotion reminiscent of what Jeffrey Epstein, Harvey Weinstein, etc. etc. have done? No, they didn't murder, but they used people the same way Bateman did. If you want to compare him to serial killers, Jeffrey Dahmer comes closest, be it not for the fact that he wasn't a rich snob that got away with it all. Who knows who's out there being an ACTUAL Pat Bateman.

 

It would have made him a better person if he decided to get a thrill or some feeling by helping in war zones or doing another extreme sport every day, but it wouldn’t have made him such a compelling character. (I hereby promise that if I ever get that filthy rich, I'll just buy libraries and drown myself in books rather than go down the Bateman road)

And yet. There is also still a hint of doubt that it might all have just been an elaborate fantasy. There are some clues as to the guy who doesn’t believe he killed Paul because he had dinner with him the week before, the apartment that was suddenly cleaned out of all the bodies. But then again, there is that taxi driver who recognizes him from the posters... And the fact that the rich can also just use their money and influence to make things (disappearances, murders and other atrocities to people who no one cares about anyway (i.e. sex workers)) disappear (again: Epstein, Weinstein, Trump, etc. etc.). So many layers, theories, and mystery that still surrounds the guy after 400 pages. Brilliant.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, Alcohol, and Classism

froschgefuehle's review against another edition

challenging tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Cannibalism, and Murder