American Psycho in Around the World in 80 Books

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

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

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

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Nov 08, 2008 Suvi rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: novels, _north-america, 1970-1999, horror, cities_new-york, _to-reread

Patrick Bateman has nothing but emptiness inside of him. Not even darkness, just emptiness. The discussions of the people he hangs out with were in turn boring as hell, and in turn quite amusing. Bateman's hollow shell acts so charmingly, that his own secretary has fallen in love with him.

I kind of knew what to expect (seen the movie), but even in my wildest nightmares I couldn't have imagined how repulsive the violent scenes at the latter half of the book would be. No word is enough to describe Patrick Bateman has nothing but emptiness inside of him. Not even darkness, just emptiness. The discussions of the people he hangs out with were in turn boring as hell, and in turn quite amusing. Bateman's hollow shell acts so charmingly, that his own secretary has fallen in love with him.

I kind of knew what to expect (seen the movie), but even in my wildest nightmares I couldn't have imagined how repulsive the violent scenes at the latter half of the book would be. No word is enough to describe them, but surprisingly I read every single line. This has been under discussion. How someone can read something like this, even though puke is very near rising in your throat? How those who like the novel justify the abundant descriptions of violence targeted especially towards women (the word 'rat' will always bring a certain scene to mind, and I know I'm not the only one)?

It's obvious this novel isn't for all. I'm extremely hesitant of recommending this to anyone. Still, I can honestly say that I liked this more than I thought I would. Ok, maybe 'like' is for the first time a word I wouldn't use. It's more like I appreciated and understood the book, but I didn't like it per se. I justify this by saying that the violence wasn't the main thing, but Ellis wants to point something out to the reader. Then what is it?

The 1980s is at the background of all of it. Especially in big cities superficiality steamrolled the weaker individuals, stimuli were needed more and more to wake up the most rich and bored from their slumber. People went on overdrive way too much, and the imagery of violence increased significantly. Bateman himself proves this by listing almost compulsively different ways of torture, bands, and clothes with the same style, but without any kind of passion. Not even murdering excites him. He boils one woman's head in a kettle, but he's just popping pills in a very calm and impassive manner, not caring about what he's doing.

From the numb style you can nevertheless spot, that only things Bateman describes in this way have real meaning to him. When the reader is horrified after realizing this, we can move on into the next question: why is Bateman the way he is? Why people are only material beings to him, who have no value? The simplest answer is that Bateman is a psychopath, but perhaps he also represents the numbing effect 80s had on people. So, Ellis himself doesn't condone violence or ask anyone to accept it, but wants to challenge the reader to interpret the reasons for it in his/her own way.

I'll admit, the execution of the basic idea could have worked with a smaller page number (I only skimmed the band descriptions), but the intent was clear. Ellis knows how to describe the emptiness of yuppies. Everyone constantly mistakes people as someone they're not, because individual personalities don't really matter. The most important thing is who can supply drugs and buy the next bottle of Cristal. And maybe who has the hottest girlfriend. Some things also pop up several times (their meaning I could only guess): food, bums, Les Miserablés musical, Patty Winters Show, and bottled waters.

On the other hand, is there light at the end of the tunnel, when Bateman is incapable of hurting people who care about him? Don't think so: "My personality is sketchy and unformed, my heartlessness goes deep and is persistent. My conscience, my pity, my hopes disappeared a long time ago (probably at Harvard) if they ever did exist.". So, why a book that has a good message (although describing abhorrent violence) and is fairly well written, should be banned, when year after year more horror movies where the violence is the main thing are appearing around the corner? I personally prefer American Psycho to Saw. ...more

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Jun 03, 2009 Jillian rated it liked it

Absolutely hysterical satire of Wall Street, Upper Crust lifestyle, and shows us the insanity behind the thought processes of Bateman, including his objectification (not to mention bloodlust) for women. This book is a great insight into (and a criticism of) American culture which includes sexism, materialism, and...homicide? Anyway, it's a great read: funny, chilling, all-American fun. ...more

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Aug 30, 2011 mstan rated it liked it

Shelves: src-fall-2011, american

I have read a lot of books in my life but cannot, for some reason, recall a more disgusting and repulsive book than this one... so, no, I cannot give this more than three stars in good conscience.

Yes, Ellis is deliberately trying to draw us into Patrick Bateman's exaggeratedly consumerist, self-centred and PSYCHOTIC world in an ironic way, playing on our fascination with murder, pornography and all things extremely gory (cannibalism and necrophilia being the two 'stand-outs' in this novel). But ...more

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May 07, 2023 Mihika added it · review of another edition

Shelves: shelved

It took me a few months finishing this. The first half is brilliant, great writing, understated- cruel yet only hinting at the violence while leaving the question open of whether it’s all metaphorical. If it had ended at the halfway point I would have given it five stars. But it didn’t end there. And the second half was relentless, nauseating, the depictions were so horrific and violent I am not sure how/ why I finished this or how someone could even write it. It was amazingly well written if co ...more

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