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A review by atomic_tourist
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
EDITED TO ADD: Guinevere Turner wrote the film adaptation?! Guess I will have to suck it up and watch... Celesbians will be the death of me.
I have never in my life felt this unwell while reading a book before. Easton Ellis can string together pleasing sentences, sure, but I would say American Psycho is not a well-written book. This is because, as I was reading it, I asked myself, why did he write this? What is the point? And, you know what... I really couldn't find one. American Psycho is not a meaningful exploration of a psychopath's mind. It's not a statement on the 'American condition'. It is simply 400 pages of the vilest, most gruesome violence you could ever imagine. And it's all completely pointless!
(Edit: I know the main topic Easton Ellis is getting at is the massive consumerism of the 80's and the soul-sucking culture of Wall Street. But the insanely gruesome violence, and I say this as a self-avowed horror and slasher junkie, was a tasteless way of accomplishing this. I would even say that it failed at accomplishing it completely, hence my distaste of the book.)
Below are some of my raw thoughts (and jokes, because that's just who I am):
1) Who in the book club nominated this book for true crime? I hope they know Patrick Bateman was not, in fact, a real person...
2) Almost shelved this as a graphic novel because, if anything, it's certainly graphic...
3) Book club people said they liked the endless, droning, descriptions of suits because it "shows that Patrick is a narcissist." I'm not a psychologist, but I don't think the definition of a narcissistic personality is being preoccupied with clothes. I'm under the impression that it has to do with how you see yourself and how you treat others. If an obsession with fashion makes you a narcissist.... then half of this city would fall under that category. So, in my book, the ceaseless descriptions of what every. single. character is wearing are annoying and completely purposeless.
4) Shockingly, it passes the Bechdel test! Guess you could say American Psycho is a feminist slay?
I have never in my life felt this unwell while reading a book before. Easton Ellis can string together pleasing sentences, sure, but I would say American Psycho is not a well-written book. This is because, as I was reading it, I asked myself, why did he write this? What is the point? And, you know what... I really couldn't find one. American Psycho is not a meaningful exploration of a psychopath's mind. It's not a statement on the 'American condition'. It is simply 400 pages of the vilest, most gruesome violence you could ever imagine. And it's all completely pointless!
(Edit: I know the main topic Easton Ellis is getting at is the massive consumerism of the 80's and the soul-sucking culture of Wall Street. But the insanely gruesome violence, and I say this as a self-avowed horror and slasher junkie, was a tasteless way of accomplishing this. I would even say that it failed at accomplishing it completely, hence my distaste of the book.)
Below are some of my raw thoughts (and jokes, because that's just who I am):
1) Who in the book club nominated this book for true crime? I hope they know Patrick Bateman was not, in fact, a real person...
2) Almost shelved this as a graphic novel because, if anything, it's certainly graphic...
3) Book club people said they liked the endless, droning, descriptions of suits because it "shows that Patrick is a narcissist." I'm not a psychologist, but I don't think the definition of a narcissistic personality is being preoccupied with clothes. I'm under the impression that it has to do with how you see yourself and how you treat others. If an obsession with fashion makes you a narcissist.... then half of this city would fall under that category. So, in my book, the ceaseless descriptions of what every. single. character is wearing are annoying and completely purposeless.
4) Shockingly, it passes the Bechdel test! Guess you could say American Psycho is a feminist slay?