Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

463 reviews

dark slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark funny 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

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark emotional funny sad 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

**Trigger warning: everything and they're severe! Specifically animal cruelty and death, human torture and death, sexual assault, but those are the main ones.**

Absolute masterpiece honestly. I don't know that I enjoyed this book exactly. I enjoyed certain aspects and it was actually hilarious at parts. There were other parts that made me want to tap out due to the horrific cruelty. It also seemed boring at times but that felt very intentional. Showing the mundane of the "American psycho's" life when not committing atrocious acts.

I have a theory on what it means and "did Patrick really commit these crimes or was it just his fantasy?"** So there are spoilers from here out:**
Yes, he did. However, he only involved those on the fringes of society (sex workers, homeless individuals) so it was like it didn't happen as far as the wall street elite were concerned because those people didn't matter to them. Patrick never involved his upper class dates in his gory acts though he did fantasize about it.
The way he is not believed/ flat out ignored when he confesses to these crimes to his peers goes to show they only see what they want to see in their world. They're blind to what doesn't fit their schema. On the other hand, the "bums" and cab drivers (the poor class) recognize Patrick and his crimes because his violence fits their schema.
People only see what the world typically shows them and ignore what doesn't fit their worldview. The privileged wealthy new yorkers can ignore Patrick's violence because it's too messy and scary and doesn't concern them. The lower rungs of new York society don't have that luxury and are all too acquainted with violence and mistreatment.
Patrick is then essentially two people which is reflective of the two realities in 1980s new york: boy next door, polite, handsome Patrick that reflects the experience of the upper class elite and monstrous, psychopathic, evil Patrick that reflects the brutal and violent experience of the impoverished.
The elite are indifferent to the suffering of the impoverished. Patrick's violence and confessions are a metaphor for this apathy.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark reflective tense
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
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

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging 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

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark funny mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark 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

My favourite part of the whole book is on page 333 when Evelyn says that Patrick is being a lunatic and he says “what do you mean being?? I fucking am one.”

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
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

put me into a reading slump.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings