adurham94 's review for:

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

4.0

---

From start to finish, the narrative is thought provoking, at times hard to read (due to the extent of description Ellis goes into) and at times can you feel empathy for the main character. I recommend to read this book, not because of the shock value this novel and film adaptation has made throughout the years, but due to its depiction of mental health. On the surface, the narrative seems superficial, but there is flickers early on, depicting the main character is struggling with their mental health, and how other characters don’t seem to appear to care or notice. Overall, the narrative boils down to expectation and how society has dictated how we should/should not feel. Though the novel is set/written during the 1980’s - early 1990’s, the premise can still be seen in current society. The novel can be harmful and I did need to stop reading due to some of the graphic scenes, but it did make reflect on how we think society has changed, and how Ellis was able to capture this and allow the novel to be timeless.