I finished American Pyscho (1991) yesterday by Bret Easton Ellis, the author of Less than Zero.
However, I remembered watching the movie American Psycho (2000) with Christian Bale in the lead and thinking, “That’s f’ing weird.”
A friend of mine recommended I read it while on vacation and I’ve got to tell you, “It’s f’ing weird.”
But in a good way.
First of all, if you are in anyway offended by scenes of sex, torture or murder then stay the hell away from this book. Don’t open it up and randomly read anything. You will scream and tear your eyes out if you hit one of several passages. I am not easily offended by any book and I have to say there were several times I put the book down and thought, “Oh, man, I don’t want that image in my head.”
If you can put aside the few truly graphic scenes, the rest of the book is amazing. Ellis wrote the book in first person narrative, so you see the world through the eyes of Patrick Bateman, a Wall Street serial killer.
Bateman lives in a world of consumption, not compassion. He can describe the clothes his friends wear right down to the designer label and the cut of the suit. He brags about his purchases with the recall of a product brochure.
He can tell you what is the hot restaurant to be seen at without even thinking. The presentation of food is more important than the taste. He passed up eating a meal because he didn’t want to disturb the presentation of the food. Food was often ordered just so it would sit on the table.
The way the “hard bodies” (his term) look is more important than what they think. They are only toys to be used and then thrown away. Sometimes that is figurative. Other times that is literal.
People are interchangeable in the world Bateman lives in. Those outside his clique constantly refer to him as someone else. He and his friends confuse those outside their clique in the same manner.
Everyone is wearing a mask. Only Bateman’s mask hides a killer.
The scenes where Bateman pulls off his mask and shows his depravity are the only place reality takes hold. There are no lies to be told. There is only the truth of what he is doing to others. Afterward, Bateman returns to the world of the masked Wall Streeter where lies are told among friends and everyone tries to out do the other in the world of consumption.
I found myself impressed with the way Ellis pulled off the psychotic nature of Bateman. He didn’t beat the reader over the head with it. In fact, a good quarter of the book passes before any murderous act is shown. Up until then it is little mentions of evil that are sprinkled in with the narration of Bateman’s shallow life.
The ending kind of fizzled for me, but the rest of the book was worth the journey.
I’d recommend this book with one caveat: if you have a weak stomach, read something else.
However, I remembered watching the movie American Psycho (2000) with Christian Bale in the lead and thinking, “That’s f’ing weird.”
A friend of mine recommended I read it while on vacation and I’ve got to tell you, “It’s f’ing weird.”
But in a good way.
First of all, if you are in anyway offended by scenes of sex, torture or murder then stay the hell away from this book. Don’t open it up and randomly read anything. You will scream and tear your eyes out if you hit one of several passages. I am not easily offended by any book and I have to say there were several times I put the book down and thought, “Oh, man, I don’t want that image in my head.”
If you can put aside the few truly graphic scenes, the rest of the book is amazing. Ellis wrote the book in first person narrative, so you see the world through the eyes of Patrick Bateman, a Wall Street serial killer.
Bateman lives in a world of consumption, not compassion. He can describe the clothes his friends wear right down to the designer label and the cut of the suit. He brags about his purchases with the recall of a product brochure.
He can tell you what is the hot restaurant to be seen at without even thinking. The presentation of food is more important than the taste. He passed up eating a meal because he didn’t want to disturb the presentation of the food. Food was often ordered just so it would sit on the table.
The way the “hard bodies” (his term) look is more important than what they think. They are only toys to be used and then thrown away. Sometimes that is figurative. Other times that is literal.
People are interchangeable in the world Bateman lives in. Those outside his clique constantly refer to him as someone else. He and his friends confuse those outside their clique in the same manner.
Everyone is wearing a mask. Only Bateman’s mask hides a killer.
The scenes where Bateman pulls off his mask and shows his depravity are the only place reality takes hold. There are no lies to be told. There is only the truth of what he is doing to others. Afterward, Bateman returns to the world of the masked Wall Streeter where lies are told among friends and everyone tries to out do the other in the world of consumption.
I found myself impressed with the way Ellis pulled off the psychotic nature of Bateman. He didn’t beat the reader over the head with it. In fact, a good quarter of the book passes before any murderous act is shown. Up until then it is little mentions of evil that are sprinkled in with the narration of Bateman’s shallow life.
The ending kind of fizzled for me, but the rest of the book was worth the journey.
I’d recommend this book with one caveat: if you have a weak stomach, read something else.
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