A review by navayiota
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

challenging dark emotional funny informative tense slow-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

2.75

1,5 stars 
This was difficult to get through. I'm not sure if it's meant to be commentary, I feel like it's too self aware not to be, but that the killing was too graphic, varied and frequent for it to be anything other than the author's kinks put to paper. There was no reason for there to be so much murder, so much torture and for it to be so explicit. Anything other than the murder was slow, boring and repetitive, just Patrick going out with people he doesn't like, mocking them, and us not gaining anything new every time. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.


Update

After reading a chapter by chapter analysis of this book and doing some research on the author, I've come to the conclusion that I misunderstood the point of this story. I still think the violence was overkill and a bunch of it should have gotten cut, but I see now that it was born out of very valid feelings and were probably a coping mechanism and a way of catharsis. That's not something that belongs in a published book,(to this degree) in my opinion, it stays in your private diary and emails to your therapist, but I'm not scared of the author anymore like I was when I was reading the book. Also I admit that it was really well written. I got physically sick a few times listening to some of the torture the characters were put through, which is impressive. 
I can appreciate the conversations between characters a lot more now, and I understand that them being boring, repetitive and monotonous was the point, but oh my god, what a fucking slump this book put me in. They spend so much time talking about bottled water. BOTTLED WATER. Snooze. I wouldn't read this book again unless if I was paid handsomely for it. 
Overall, I see why this book is loved, I appreciate the social commentary, the visceral reactions it drew from me, and the catharsis I'm sure it has provided for people (including me at parts, I admit, it was just a bit much) but I don't I will be recommending this book to anyone any time soon. If you want to, watch the movie, as it's better in my opinion.
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