American Psycho is a dark satire of materialism and superficiality. It is also a vivid depiction of a young man's descent into mental illness as a serial killer.

The setting is New York in the late 1980s. The characters are all youthful members of the financial community and exemplars of the yuppie culture. They are obsessed with fashion, fitness and trendy restaurants. But their conversation is inane, and while they can identify the designer of a friend's suit, they are chronically incapable of remembering their friends' faces and names.

Patrick Bateman, the narrator, is both a superb example of this cutlure, and acutely aware of its vacuity. He is obsessed with his wardrobe and his appearance, spending hours each day working out and grooming. He has, in parallel, another obsession. He is driven to torture and kill other people. Most of his victims are young women, whom he attacks during sex. He craves the sight of suffering and blood the way he craves cocaine. Over time his activities become more extreme and riskier.

Bateman constantly flirts with discovery--taking blood-soaked sheets to the cleaners, making remarks about torture during conversation, and even shouting a confession--but everyone ignores him. His public image blocks any recognition of his private self, even when he cries for that recognition. (This reminds me very much of Ralph Ellison's novel Invisible Man, where the narrator is so much a creation of other's expectations that he doesn't even have a name for himself.)

Ellis doesn't just make his point, he bludgeons it home. There isn't just one detailed description of a person's attire, there are literally hundreds. The sex is graphic, and the torture scenes are described in stomach churning detail. This heavy handedness is, I believe, as much a part of the novel's message as any other element. It is the author's statement about the lengths he must go to break through to a desensitized, overstimulated audience. While it makes for rough reading at times, it also makes American Psycho an unforgettable story of a man's futile search for identity and a cautionary tale about putting material success ahead of human relationships. ( )

Vacuous decadence taken to the extreme. There are passages I had to skip for fear of hurling, but Ellis nails the lack of morality and compassion in today's up and coming elite. It's what replaces the emptiness that's frightening. ( )

I really liked this when I read it, though it seems silly now. ( )

I loved both Glamorama (by far my favorite of his books) and The Rules of Attraction, so I picked this book up last spring. What a mistake! The themes Ellis covers here are more elegantly discussed in Glamorama, and the characters much more interesting and relatable (despite their vapidity and foolishness) in the later novel. I say skip this book, rent the Christian Bale movie, and check out a copy of Glamorama instead. ( )

This book ate into my brain when I read it, even though it consists mostly of lists of product and brand names. ( )

This book ate into my brain when I read it, even though it consists mostly of lists of product and brand names. ( )

Ellis really uses style to his advantage here and I love the result. It's a great picture even if obviously over-wrought and just seething at the seams. The negative reactions to this book tend to be focused on "it's too violent" which I think is pretty stupid and misses the point entirely. Also, I find it offensive that women's group tried to get it banned for its scenes of violence against women, as if it would be perfectly alright to have a book wherein men where brutally tortured, and also ignoring the fact that it's obviously a critique. That's my rant. Read it before you judge it. ( )

I was looking forward to finally reading this novel and I have to say it was a bit of a struggle. The struggle wasn't because of the violence or sex -- those are the good parts -- but by the monotony of Bateman's life. There was a point about half way through that I wanted to scream "Ok already, I get it!" but on and on it went. As much as it pains me to say this, I think I liked the movie better. ( )

I didn't like this book - but I certainly recognise it as brilliant. Ellis captures the profound superficiality of the 1980s, which is in itself often more frightening than the obvious horrors wrought by Bateman (real or imagined). Amongst all of this, it is Bateman's moments of vulnerability that are most jarring and frightening, and for me this is the genius of the work. ( )

American Psycho is a detailed and interesting look into the psyche of homicidal sociopath, Patrick Bateman. Though gruesome and macabre in nature, it gives a compelling insight to what defines sanity, evil, and life in the world.
Bret Easton Ellis’ writing is very descriptive. The story is told from the perspective of main character Patrick Bateman. Most of the novel progresses as Bateman’s stream of consciousness as he goes about his day today activities. These activities include going to work, lunch with friends, exercising, mutilating prostitutes, making dinner reservations, shopping, making jack-o'-lanterns out of human skulls and listening to music.
The inclusion of Bateman’s grisly murders in his daily routine speaks volumes of the desensitization of violence in modern culture. It’s not uncommon for Bateman to be in the middle of killing someone when he suddenly remembers that his video tapes are overdue. At first the descriptions of the victims death is simple and bearable, though still gruesome. However, as the novel goes on, the descriptions become more detailed and horrifying in nature. It all works up to an encounter involving an old girlfriend, a chainsaw, and a massive rat that reminds me of an even more sick and twisted version of Winston’s experience in room 101 (from George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four). Though the imagery is revolting, these scenes add power to novel’s message. It would still be advised that the weak of heart and/or stomach stay away.
Another aspect of the book is the recurring theme of identity. Throughout the novel, Patrick struggles with who he is as a person. Along with this, all the characters struggle with who everyone else is. A constant theme is people being mistaken for others, or not being sure who someone is. The real underlying question here is really what defines a person. Patrick at one point says he cannot define who he is. He says that he is a shell, that there really is nothing to him except his physical being. This, of course leads to his nihilistic view towards humanity. The question he asked that I felt was most interesting was, “Is evil something we are, or something we do?” It really makes one think whether a person defines their actions or if the actions define the person. This theme has the biggest impact on the novel. Rather than being a series of murders, this book has real substance and brings deep, philosophical ideas to mind.
The degradation of Bateman’s sanity becomes evident as the book progresses. At first he seems to lead a normal life, with little references to murder and torture (and those references that are made are in the past). Midway through the reader is introduced to the darker side of Patrick’s life. At this point, he even makes references to his secret life in everyday conversation. However, people most often mishear him (“murders and executions” becomes “mergers and acquisitions”) or take it as a joke. By the end of the story, Patrick can barely contain his violent urges. A random killing leads to a cross city chase, there it seems his sanity breaks. Ellis has an interesting way of showing this. Up to this point, the whole novel has been in first person. However, during this chase, the narration switches to third person. It feels very different and works quite brilliantly. It basically seems as if Patrick has literally gone out of his head.
Another aspect of this book I admire is the humor that it creates. This novel exemplifies black humor. The humor ranges from searing satire and sarcasm to just plain silly. Some of the bits I particularly enjoyed were Patrick trying to prove that he was “jamming” and encounters with a closeted gay friend who is in love with him.
American Psycho isn’t just a simple shock story, it’s an important novel that carries great significance in our modern times. It spots aspects of our lives that we ignore and pulls them out for us to see. Bret Easton Ellis has created an eloquent satire of modern culture. ( )

What a strange book. Very brutal, graphic and disturbing, this book is not for everyone. Ellis shows no mercy. The writing style is brilliant. The book is about Patrick Bateman, a man who is completely empty and expresses himself through torture. The farther you read, the more bizarre and unreal his acts become. By the end, it is more as if the violence is all in Bateman's head, not that it makes it seem any less real to him or the reader. Or is it? It is also an interesting commentary on our consumerism society and life in the 1980s. There is more to this book than you may think. ( )

Wow. This may have been the most disturbing book I've ever read. This book takes ultra-violence to new levels. But along with all of the gruesome murder is a vivid snapshot of the 1980's Wall Street culture. This was a good book, but definitely not for everyone. If you don't like graphic sex and violence, you should stay away from this one. ( )

Wow. This may have been the most disturbing book I've ever read. This book takes ultra-violence to new levels. But along with all of the gruesome murder is a vivid snapshot of the 1980's Wall Street culture. This was a good book, but definitely not for everyone. If you don't like graphic sex and violence, you should stay away from this one. ( )

God, what can one say about American Psycho? It’s a strange book and not something that’s easy to read even if you do like it (which I think I do). There’s so much ambiguity to it that it’s hard to say exactly what is going on. Is he really killing people or is it just in his mind? If he is a serial killer do those around him not notice or do they cover it up to maintain appearances? And how do people not notice that no matter what else he is, he is really freaking crazy?

One thing that is not in doubt is the fact that this is a gruesome book that is full of sex and violence. But it is also a satire so if you are in the right (or perhaps wrong) frame of mind you may find yourself laughing at the strangest things. Read it the same way you would read Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” and you’ll find that it is far less horrifying. ( )

I think that the two words that need to be focused on in any review of American Psycho are violence and identity.

The book is incredibly violent, but Ellis' reason is very apparent, and very reminiscent of his earlier book Less Than Zero. Patrick Bateman commits these crimes, most of which are very stomach-turning, simply because he has nothing to lose. There is an awful lot of debate as to whether the violence happens in Bateman's head, and I'm not sure that it matters either way. Certainly, to us, it is happening: the bone necklaces and decapitations, the sex and the drugs; all of those things are real to the reader.

The second word, identity, is what the main theme of the book touches on the most. Bateman is constantly confused for other people at his own, and other, firms; the confusion becomes integral to the plot, as well, though touching on that would move into spoiler territory. Bateman's identity as rich man with expensive things, drugged out significant other, violent psychopath, etc. is all that makes him up; he, literally, is only the sum of the parts that make up his apartment and wardrobe. ( )

Made me laugh so hard I had to run out and slaughter a banker.

Truly excellent satire. The rest of his stuff is so so. Was cocaine involved in the writing? ( )

This was my first encounter with Bret Easton Ellis and I emerged from it severely disturbed and unsure of my feelings. On reflection I found myself admiring the daring of the author to write what he wanted to write, and believe the book provoked in me reactions that reading rarely stirs. The heart of the book is Ellis brutal rendering of Patrick Bateman, and his [Bateman's] ludicrously thin grasp on reality. At times the novel seems to operate outside of the normal constraints of location and time, particularly in the graphic scenes. Although harrowing, the book does also offer some hilarious passages; my favorite being the executives comparing of business cards, and Bateman's outraged reaction to it. It is rare for a book to pull from me so many contrasting emotions, and for that alone I rate it as an excellent novel. It is perhaps a tad longer than is necessary, and some scenes are effectively repeated with slight alterations (though this captures the banality in which the character's operate). I think that it is a book that every one should read. ( )

patrick bateman worked for goldman sachs. ( )

I read this book long after I once saw the film. I can not remember the film being nearly as intense as this book is. From what I remember, the film has omitted a lot of the more violent scenes this book is censored for in some countries.

I did enjoy this book very much. It took me a while to get adjusted to the constant listing of brand names, but in the end it supplemented the book in the general tone that, in the end, conveyed a criticism of materialism and consumerism. Even though a lot of people appear in the book, all of them are pretty much the same: rich people with empty lives, who can talk about nothing but the newest gadgets, restaurants and clothing etiquette. Add to this the fact that these people constantly mix up each-others names and can't tell anything about each-other other than their style of clothing, where they went to school and what clubs they frequent, and we end up with a pretty joyless, boring bunch of modern aristocrats.

The murder scenes were very violent, but I am not very squeamish about such things. It was kind of ironic that the only character trait that seemed anything different from his rich 'compadres' were his extremely violent, homicidal tendencies. I liked the way the book built up in intensity: in the beginning, one does not really get to read much of Bateman's murderous outbursts. Over the course of the book, the murders increase both in frequency and in absurdity. Near the end one can only conclude Bateman is a total lunatic, as he is trying to eat various body parts and displays necrophiliac behaviour.

In conclusion: An interesting, shocking intense read. ( )

American Psycho is intense. Bret Easton Ellis goes to great lengths to flesh out the character of Patrick Bateman, depicting the constant battle of self-control through inventive use of language. At his most delirious, Patrick's internal monologue becomes frantically tangled. On a few occasions, he even breaks off in mid-sentence--only to calmly resume a normal pace and switch topics entirely. Ellis captures the tone of Patrick's demented psyche perfectly. His descriptions of murder are graphic, shameless, and unforgettable. The depiction of upper-class lifestyle is executed with a darkly comical sense of irony.

The constant fashion commentary became tedious. It was difficult to sift through all the terminology, labels, and pointless banter between characters. It's filler. However, the chapters entirely devoted to music (Genesis, Whitney Houston, and Huey Lewis and the News) are entertaining in context, as they either directly follow or lead up to a chapter saturated with violence. I assume they were put there to demonstrate the parallels of Patrick's character.

It's been a little over a week since I finished reading this novel, and I still can't decide how I feel about it. Regardless, it's clear that Bret Easton Ellis is a talented writer. I would recommend this book, maybe not for the content, but for the brilliant quality of writing. Best ending I've read in ages. ( )

American Psycho's the first book of my adult life to screw up my dreams. During the time I was reading the brutal second half, I woke up from my dreams feeling disturbed, though nothing unusual happened in them.

I'm not at all sure this is a good book. Formally, it's interesting. Ellis employs some simple techniques that are very effective. Whenever the narrator sees someone he recognizes, he describes what they are wearing in detail: fabric, style, designer, etc. The result that the reader can never forget or ignore how shallow the narrator is.

Ellis is great at juxtaposing scenes of cruelty and banality in a way that somehow ends up funny. The first murder, which is described over the course of about three pages, is followed immediately by a five-page discussion of Genesis's post-Peter Gabriel discography. It's laugh-out-loud funny.

Beyond the formal level... I'm just not sure how much there is beyond the formal level. Too much of the book feels like he wrote it when he was still five or ten years too young to realize, effectively, whatever creation he was groping towards. As a result, the book is much, much too long. It's repetitive in every respect. Though the attention to clothing is effective, it's also boring. I'd guess a good 30 pages of text are devoted to brand names and lapel styles. By the last third of the book I was skipping these descriptions. Worse, some of the best moments are undermined through repetition. The brilliantly placed and executed discussion of Genesis was reprised with Whitney Houston, and again with Huey Lewis and the News. Once was enough. Worse still, the murders are repetitive. By the end, they feel like an exercise to be got through, no longer so gripping or sickening. (Though still pretty sickening.)

The violence is remarkably explicit and cruel. It's like nothing I've read and, frankly, I wish I hadn't read some of it. There are some scenes I will make an effort to forget. It is the most frustrating aspect of the novel that it can make me want to look away, and then does nothing with the horror and disgust it goes to so such lengths to develop.

The upshot: I think it's a worthwhile book for writers to read, as Ellis is clever and displays some effective techniques. Beyond that, though, my suspicion that there is no substance underlying the form makes it difficult for me to recommend. ( )

Not a fan of this book. I just couldn't finish it, even though I tried twice. ( )

A memorable book. One of the very few I think the world could do without. This book alone has changed my views on the implicit value of free speech. ( )

I found this to be seriously outdated with its constant onslaught of already ancient brand names and products that are no longer around, highly repetitive in its format and probably about 200 pages too long.
When I noticed that the book never really went anywhere plotwise I just knew that it will have a non-ending ending. Still, it's a fast read and it has its moments and is of historical interest, but I doubt that it'll stand the test of time. (One of the 1001 books? I think not.) Give it another decade or so and people won't even know what those references are meant to be about. ( )

American Psycho hangs on one very simple idea of story construction - juxtapose the truly horrific with the utterly banal. To begin with this is funny and entertaining, but half way through the novel you soon realise that its going nowhere...slowly. The book does shock and I applaud its attempt to make some very serious comments on society and our consumer existence, but in the end the plot is nowhere, and I ended up feeling a little cheated by the end of it. ( )