A review by spaghetti_noodle
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

dark funny reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

There are different interpretations of this book. One suggests that Patrick Bateman is hallcuinating his bouts of violence. While I don't dismiss this interpretation, my first reading of American Psycho was done under the interpretation that this was all happening. Patrick Bateman was able to get away with his murders because of the self-centered perspective of everyone else. He also had a lot more power, wealth, and prestige compared to most of the people he murdered and the people who recognized that he was a killer. 
At first, I found myself confused and bored by Bateman's mind, then I hated it and wanted to get this over with, and then I found it amusing, especially after realizing how pathetic Bateman is. He is obsessed with himself and sees others as inferior, but his need to be better than everyone else reveals a deep insecurity. 
There's a lot that can be taken away from this book: performance of upper-class white masculinity, privilege and power, misogyny and other forms of bigotry, superficiality and consumerism and identity creation... lol I saw a Tumblr post comparing the morning routines of white women doing the "That Girl" trend to Patrick Bateman's morning routine. This is one of those stories that a lot of people take what they want from it. Maybe when I feel like being a smarter person, I'll reread and dissect this book further. 
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