American Psycho in Around the Year in 52 Books

Jun 25, 2018 Nadine in NY Jones rated it did not like it

Shelves: saw-the-movie-b4-i-read-the-book, f-ed-up, nyc, authors-i-don-t-ever-want-to-read-a, only-reading-because-of-the-buzz, oh-unlikeable-you, psych-psych-psych

Nope. 400 pages of product placement, assholes, vile behavior, and satire of a society I don't care about. Maybe I'm too old for this shit. ...more

5 likes · Like · see review

May 23, 2016 Libscigrl rated it liked it

Shelves: read-2016

Whew.
Okay.
I think I'm ready.

That was....intense. Crazy. Graphic. Nuts. PSYCHO.

I can understand why readers may give this book a low review because of the content of the book, but the writing was great. The way Ellis wrote this puts you in Patrick Bateman's head. The stream of consciousness rants. The drug hallucinations. The way he is so non-nonchalant about the abuse/torture/murder he commits. The long winded music reviews. The OCD detailing he gives in regards to his clothes, the clothes of ot Whew.
Okay.
I think I'm ready.

That was....intense. Crazy. Graphic. Nuts. PSYCHO.

I can understand why readers may give this book a low review because of the content of the book, but the writing was great. The way Ellis wrote this puts you in Patrick Bateman's head. The stream of consciousness rants. The drug hallucinations. The way he is so non-nonchalant about the abuse/torture/murder he commits. The long winded music reviews. The OCD detailing he gives in regards to his clothes, the clothes of others, what he ordered for dinner.

I mean, Patrick is so crazy and narcissistic that when someone comes to see him at work or wherever, he pretends to be on the phone and makes up entire conversations with people that aren't even on the other end. You know, he has a persona to keep up.

This book exudes the '80s. It will not be timeless (references to car phones, video tapes and Zagat books). But it doesn't mean it won't be relevant. These people exist. Scarily.

The most interesting part I found was that other than a few of his close friends, NO one, even his own attorney, seems to know his name. He is constantly confused for other people, called other people's names...and he answers to all of them. I believe it is because his desire to impress others far exceeds his need to be actually recognized. His impression needs to be instantaneous, not long standing (which makes sense given the stuff he does in his off time!).

He also literally tells his friends that he wants to/did/will murder someone. And with all seriousness. He is confessing to them over dinner at Au Bar, Nell's or Dorsia. And yet they blow it right off as if they didn't hear him, don't believe him, or think he is joking. Which is also interesting because at NO POINT do you feel that Patrick has a sense of humor or is even slightly funny.

Everyone just has their own thing going. Who to hook up with. Where to go to find cocaine. Who to take to the Hamptons for the weekend. What to wear to dinner. Who to stab in the eye. Who to decapitate. So much so that no one is really ever present or in the moment. Even Patrick is not in the moment of his abuse/torture/murder because he is both high on whatever drugs he finds under the seat cushion or behind the bed or just straight up out of his mind.

I don't feel that Patrick is a sociopath. He is not antisocial by any means. Sociopaths have a tiny conscience. Patrick does not have that at all. He has no qualms about what he does, what he says to women, how they feel about them, and he certainly is NOT empathetic to anyone. His conscience spends time reminding him that the cleaning lady needs to clean the brains of the wall and that he has videotapes to remove. THAT is Psycho. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review