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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
Absolutely horrifying but unfortunately quite hilarious
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The paradoxes within this novel is legendary. It has some of the most aesthetic words and lines used within a disturbing novel. Disgusting but beautifully written.
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow, wow, wow!!!
This book definitely accomplished everything that it set out to achieve. The reviews on the back of the book stating that it was Dostoyevsky-ian nailed it. The scope, the commentary, the social criticism, and the exploration of psychology and the human condition, all work to make this a seminal novel that is both smart and full of meaning.
First, I know that this is a very controversial novel and I understand where many people are coming from, trust me, by the end of this novel I was definitely ready for a break. However, I can't say that I agree with the reviews that say it is hogwash or that the violence is just gratuitous. While not for the faint of heart, this book does make you think critically (something that modern fiction often lacks), is well written, and causes visceral and emotional reactions (truly a feat when you consider how desensitized America has become to violence).
"American Psycho" begins innocently enough. By painting a picture of 1980s 1st class society in America, the reader immediately assumes that the novel is going to be a straightforward and critical social satire. The amount of detail and precise depictions of clothing, brand names, technology specifications, music, menu items at 5 star restaurants, the proper way to wear men's and women's fashions, and purified v. spring water, all start to lull the reader into a state of half-boredom and listlessness after awhile. Until suddenly in the middle of a meaningless description on the merits of one sound system over another, Easton will drop a small hint as to the true nature of Pat Bateman, which jolts the reader back into the novel, keeping them hooked, and reminding them that they are in fact reading about a psychopath.
This slow boil start, soon becomes a rapid-fire succession of depraved and gruesome acts of violence about halfway through the novel. Easton completely leaves behind all attempts at hiding Bateman's pathology and just begins to destroy the reader's sense of safety and stability. Disgusting and horrifying, this novel builds into a crescendo that left me feeling gross and in a mind-numbing state of shock and abject horror. The things that Patrick Bateman does to his victims are just unimaginable (think of the most graphic horror movie you have ever seen and multiply it by like a 1,000 and you might start to scratch the surface of the depravity in this novel), and like many other scenes in this novel, Easton goes into extreme detail when it comes to the torture and murder of Bateman's victims.
Also, Pat Bateman seems to be somewhat of a contradiction. I don’t know if he is really that concerned with appearance (brand names, etc.) or if he is just trying to fit in and blend into his yuppie socialite world, thereby concealing his true nature. However, he is constantly telling people that he is a psychopath, but his comments remain overlooked by his self-absorbed friends. So, how much he is trying to hide or reveal seems to be an unknowable question in this novel. I personally think he is frustrated that everyone around him is oblivious to just how evil he is and he wants his self-perceived power to be acknowledged. His bouts of anxiety are also interesting, in that they are caused by the most menial of things. I mean this guy is doing horrendous and unimaginable things to people and he panics about whether or not he is taping the right program on his VCR or if his hair is mussed.
Apathy and narcissism are at the fore-front here. Bateman is a petulant, shallow, self-important, vacuous, cruel, narcissistic, greedy, superficial, misogynistic, and insecure sociopath...and most of his friends are too. In fact it appears that everyone in America shares in some, if not all, of the qualities that make up Patrick Bateman, he just happens to be a serial killer too.
I think what Easton ultimately does in this novel is brilliant. Throughout the book, he juxtaposes the materialism, the greed, and the self-importance of a generation, with the vomit-inducing and over the top violence in the novel, thereby, forcing the reader to become just as horrified with the former as they are with the latter. This technique ultimately makes the reader draw comparisons between the behavior of Easton's characters and their own. Some will really identify with the characters and conversations that occur in this novel (think of all the mind-numbing conversations about Facebook friends and twitter feeds you may have had recently, I mean really, who gives a shit?), and some will feel like it is a distant world where they wouldn't even begin to fit in. Either way, I think this novel definitely holds up after 20+ years and continues to be just as true with today's American society, cultural expectations, and mores. Just turn on the television or read a newspaper or magazine, and the themes in this book will be staring right back at you.
This book definitely accomplished everything that it set out to achieve. The reviews on the back of the book stating that it was Dostoyevsky-ian nailed it. The scope, the commentary, the social criticism, and the exploration of psychology and the human condition, all work to make this a seminal novel that is both smart and full of meaning.
First, I know that this is a very controversial novel and I understand where many people are coming from, trust me, by the end of this novel I was definitely ready for a break. However, I can't say that I agree with the reviews that say it is hogwash or that the violence is just gratuitous. While not for the faint of heart, this book does make you think critically (something that modern fiction often lacks), is well written, and causes visceral and emotional reactions (truly a feat when you consider how desensitized America has become to violence).
"American Psycho" begins innocently enough. By painting a picture of 1980s 1st class society in America, the reader immediately assumes that the novel is going to be a straightforward and critical social satire. The amount of detail and precise depictions of clothing, brand names, technology specifications, music, menu items at 5 star restaurants, the proper way to wear men's and women's fashions, and purified v. spring water, all start to lull the reader into a state of half-boredom and listlessness after awhile. Until suddenly in the middle of a meaningless description on the merits of one sound system over another, Easton will drop a small hint as to the true nature of Pat Bateman, which jolts the reader back into the novel, keeping them hooked, and reminding them that they are in fact reading about a psychopath.
This slow boil start, soon becomes a rapid-fire succession of depraved and gruesome acts of violence about halfway through the novel. Easton completely leaves behind all attempts at hiding Bateman's pathology and just begins to destroy the reader's sense of safety and stability. Disgusting and horrifying, this novel builds into a crescendo that left me feeling gross and in a mind-numbing state of shock and abject horror. The things that Patrick Bateman does to his victims are just unimaginable (think of the most graphic horror movie you have ever seen and multiply it by like a 1,000 and you might start to scratch the surface of the depravity in this novel), and like many other scenes in this novel, Easton goes into extreme detail when it comes to the torture and murder of Bateman's victims.
Also, Pat Bateman seems to be somewhat of a contradiction. I don’t know if he is really that concerned with appearance (brand names, etc.) or if he is just trying to fit in and blend into his yuppie socialite world, thereby concealing his true nature. However, he is constantly telling people that he is a psychopath, but his comments remain overlooked by his self-absorbed friends. So, how much he is trying to hide or reveal seems to be an unknowable question in this novel. I personally think he is frustrated that everyone around him is oblivious to just how evil he is and he wants his self-perceived power to be acknowledged. His bouts of anxiety are also interesting, in that they are caused by the most menial of things. I mean this guy is doing horrendous and unimaginable things to people and he panics about whether or not he is taping the right program on his VCR or if his hair is mussed.
Apathy and narcissism are at the fore-front here. Bateman is a petulant, shallow, self-important, vacuous, cruel, narcissistic, greedy, superficial, misogynistic, and insecure sociopath...and most of his friends are too. In fact it appears that everyone in America shares in some, if not all, of the qualities that make up Patrick Bateman, he just happens to be a serial killer too.
I think what Easton ultimately does in this novel is brilliant. Throughout the book, he juxtaposes the materialism, the greed, and the self-importance of a generation, with the vomit-inducing and over the top violence in the novel, thereby, forcing the reader to become just as horrified with the former as they are with the latter. This technique ultimately makes the reader draw comparisons between the behavior of Easton's characters and their own. Some will really identify with the characters and conversations that occur in this novel (think of all the mind-numbing conversations about Facebook friends and twitter feeds you may have had recently, I mean really, who gives a shit?), and some will feel like it is a distant world where they wouldn't even begin to fit in. Either way, I think this novel definitely holds up after 20+ years and continues to be just as true with today's American society, cultural expectations, and mores. Just turn on the television or read a newspaper or magazine, and the themes in this book will be staring right back at you.
Ok so I was initially very excited to read this book, because it seemed so interesting, but when it came down to finally reading it I found it SOOOOO boring.
I get that the whole point is that Patrick’s boring life is meant to juxtapose the violent things he does and whatnot, but the impressively mundane scenes with his rich friends going on rants whilst spitting out 3 slurs per page, and his excessive descriptions of his outfits whilst naming so many brands, 90% of which I’d never even heard of, made me wonder - what the fuck is the point?!
After 20 pages I wanted to stop but I still pushed on and waited until I got to page 75 to officially DNF it.
I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed.
- Naomi :)
I get that the whole point is that Patrick’s boring life is meant to juxtapose the violent things he does and whatnot, but the impressively mundane scenes with his rich friends going on rants whilst spitting out 3 slurs per page, and his excessive descriptions of his outfits whilst naming so many brands, 90% of which I’d never even heard of, made me wonder - what the fuck is the point?!
After 20 pages I wanted to stop but I still pushed on and waited until I got to page 75 to officially DNF it.
I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed.
- Naomi :)
challenging
dark
reflective
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
This novel is deeply disturbing, not because of the extreme gore (which was heavily watered down for the film) but because of the cold, sharp realism in how it portrays men in positions of power. Patrick Bateman confesses to murder, and no one takes him seriously. People either laugh, ignore him, or assume he's joking, and that’s what makes this so unsettling: it's not just about a killer, it's about a world that enables him. The film is excellent and entertaining in its own way, but the novel gives you direct access to Bateman’s mind. You see how hollow, performative, and terrifying he really is. The gore and bigotry are sometimes overwhelming, and definitely not for everyone, but if you can push through that, the book's core is genuinely brilliant. It forces you to confront the blurred line between reality and delusion and reminds you that the most dangerous people often wear the best suits and hold the most power.
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this is straight up ass. i have geniune concerns for anyone who has rated this book anything above a 2.
see, the thing is, i went into this assuming it was going to be like the movie: satirical, truly ironic, exaggerating as a stylistic choice to show just how mundane and redundant the things discussed, the non-existant job, the oddly specific things bateman worries about are; the exaggeration highlighting how incredibly boring it is and how bateman succumbs to his "psychopathy" as a way to express himself when really the intrusions wouldnt take place (at least to this extent) if he wasnt stuck in this miserable life.
but absolutely tf not. you can tell that the movie was made by a woman and that she had to deal with a great deal of a book written by a man. i absolutely agree with the top reviews here criticizing the blatant, but also incredibly abundant misogyny of this book bc these two questions remain: 1) where do these intrusive thoughts, and ESPECIALLY these misogynistic intrusions come from? (one could make a similar argument for the homophobia, although that is mentioned slightly less here - yay?) and 2) when does the actually important depiction of the raise of hatred, resentment, hostility, instrusions, violence, etc. that occurs with more and more isolation and feelings of alienation and misunderstanding end and where does the blatant sensationalism, and one evil tongue might say, endorsement of what bateman is doing and thinking begin?
yikes...
see, the thing is, i went into this assuming it was going to be like the movie: satirical, truly ironic, exaggerating as a stylistic choice to show just how mundane and redundant the things discussed, the non-existant job, the oddly specific things bateman worries about are; the exaggeration highlighting how incredibly boring it is and how bateman succumbs to his "psychopathy" as a way to express himself when really the intrusions wouldnt take place (at least to this extent) if he wasnt stuck in this miserable life.
but absolutely tf not. you can tell that the movie was made by a woman and that she had to deal with a great deal of a book written by a man. i absolutely agree with the top reviews here criticizing the blatant, but also incredibly abundant misogyny of this book bc these two questions remain: 1) where do these intrusive thoughts, and ESPECIALLY these misogynistic intrusions come from? (one could make a similar argument for the homophobia, although that is mentioned slightly less here - yay?) and 2) when does the actually important depiction of the raise of hatred, resentment, hostility, instrusions, violence, etc. that occurs with more and more isolation and feelings of alienation and misunderstanding end and where does the blatant sensationalism, and one evil tongue might say, endorsement of what bateman is doing and thinking begin?
yikes...