American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis.

Submitted by zzuhruf t3_ywkd88 in books

First off I am surprised the author is gay and secondly how did he even come up with this story line.

Hannibal, Grenouille and etc etc serial killers compared to Patrick Bateman are just eh mid(?). Because Patrick Bateman could be someone who we know in real life. The way he hides his fervor for torture, death, murder, sadism with the façade of a charming young man is really scary and interesting. The fact that he doesn’t get caught and just keeps getting away after all this is much more scary.

I love how Ellis has him portrayed. How after each and every chapters he just keeps spiraling to insanity. From a guy who stands against his friend’s racist jokes to someone who is a racist blood lusting maniac.

The movie really doesn’t do Justice to the Character Patrick Bateman. The movie downplays him so much people have made him an icon for Sigma male. Yes, I am talking about the memes. Oh boy!!! If only they read the novel they’d realize how wrong they are. I think this would have made a good mini series (sad it wasn’t a trend at that time) and focus each episodes on how Patrick Bateman goes from this nice ‘boy next door’ to a ‘I king bloodthirsty lunatic’.

Some scenes of torture I wasn’t even able to read it without feeling repugnant. Kudos for Ellis for writing it so detailed that everyone (or me) felt repulsive just by reading and visualizing what a shitfest Patrick Bateman is. Though some sex scenes are of course a bit over detailed and more like unbelievable.

Oh God, how I hate Patrick Bateman no words can describe that.

Easton Ellis portraying how materialistic the yuppies were with his narrations is engaging too. Learnt more high end brands reading this book. And the other thing is where most of them confuse Patrick Bateman with someone else I think it’s a nod by Ellis saying that most yuppies are unrecognizable from each other, living the same identical life, and making the yuppie lifestyle their whole identity (just my guess btw).

Another theory I read was that whenever the fictional Patty Winters show deals on strange and quirky stuff it’s a nod that Patrick Bateman is spiraling more towards his insanity. The more weirder things the show talks about the more delirious Patrick Bateman becomes. Reading it with this notion it does check out.

Another one brief narration style I really loved was when Patrick Bateman goes on a killing spree Ellis decides to go for a third person narrative which is really interesting considering that Patrick Bateman wouldn’t be able to narrate it because he isn’t on the right mindset to narrate the events himself considering the fuckfest he was involved in.

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TheLargeYard t1_iwk1k5x wrote

I read the book a few years ago. I love how how tye author describes every character in intricate detail.

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Additional_Speech164 t1_iwk3wt5 wrote

I love horror. Even Charlee Jacob and Edward Lee. ( gorier). For some reason I could not get into this book . Seemed to predictable.

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satanspanties t1_iwkt6ks wrote

> Easton Ellis portraying how materialistic the yuppies were with his narrations is engaging too. Learnt more high end brands reading this book. And the other thing is where most of them confuse Patrick Bateman with someone else I think it’s a nod by Ellis saying that most yuppies are unrecognizable from each other, living the same identical life, and making the yuppie lifestyle their whole identity (just my guess btw).

Don't downplay your interpretation, it's a really good observation!

Ellis (Easton is a middle name FYI) uses Bateman's obsession with the minutiae of the brands he wears as a way to show us how desperate he is to fit in. Bateman even tells us precisely what brands he uses in his skincare routine, and how many of his peers are going to notice that? It's all about buying into the eighties consumerism idea that certain brands will give you a certain lifestyle. It's not an idea that's really gone away either, cf. influencers.

You might have seen as well the theory that all the murders and violence are in fact in Bateman's imagination and didn't really happen. I'm not sure which side of this debate I'm on, but ultimately I don't think it matters that much. Whether he's a serial killer or "just" deeply mentally ill, his so-called friends don't care as long as he's fitting in. On quite a few occasions he tells them things he's done (or thinks he's done) and it's not often clear that he's been heard, and even when he has, his friends joke about and misinterpret his comments. He wears the right clothes, eats at the right restaurants, and takes the right drugs, so who cares about the odd little murder or psychotic break?

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looooooork t1_iwlhrb7 wrote

Did you read the afterword?

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Sivy17 t1_iwm1iv9 wrote

I'm not one to badmouth anyone. Your post was amusing, but come on man. It had one fatal flaw: Bateman is such a dork, such a boring, spineless lightweight.

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zzuhruf OP t1_iwm3njw wrote

Replying to satanspanties (#543,763)

Yessss, now that you are talking about how did Harold have a convo with Paul Owens in London? I think all his episodes are just like some manic figment of imagination. Thank you for pointing out this and thank you for your comment too.

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idcxinfinity t1_iwocvnn wrote

American Psycho was exciting to read, it's style, language, structure, all helped build the book. Some scenes I was constantly having to steel myself so that I could get through it. I really think it's worth a read.

I don't find it worth a reread though. 2nd time around it was boring af, there wasn't much underneath to be found. Still, an absolutely unique and disturbing novels. And for what it's worth, Ellis' Less Than Zero is one of my favourite novels ever. But I think that has way more to it.

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