Rating: 
Summary: well written, but not for those with a weak stomach
Review: I've always been interested in human nature and the likes, so I thought this book might be interesting. I have a pretty strong stomach, too--but this book was revolting. It kept me involved through the whole thing, and when the narrator explains his madness in ways that doesn't involve killing or hurting people, it's quite fascinating, and, disturbing in and of itself. But those times are rare--usually, his madness is shown through violence. And I mean really violent. I cringed through many major sections in the book, and there are many things that I'll never be able to see again without my stomach turning...This book is revolting and disgusting and disturbing as all hell, but it does make you think, and I'd recommend it--as long as you know what you're getting into.
Rating: 
Summary: Disturbing, confronting
Review: American Psycho is a chilling tale of Patrick Bateman - a trendy, young and athletic New York stockbroker. He eats in the finest restaurants, can afford the finest things and has trendy, young and athletic friends. And he's a psychotic serial killer.This book has given rise to a great deal of controversy... The book is written in first person and in the present tense, which I found the most interesting. It makes it easy to read while at the same time you get as close as possible inside the mind of Bateman. At times the narrative gets into a stream of consciousness style but at other times it is chilling and how clear and matter-of-fact Bateman is when describing his life. This book is accused of committing the most heinous sin imaginable - that of misogyny. Personally, I don't think that's the case. Bateman is the misogynist - not the author. And certainly as a reader you aren't likely to finish the book wanting to kill and rape women unless you're already a psycho. It is however very very graphic and not for the fainthearted. .... However, it is the fact that the narrator is Bateman and hence there is absolutely no condemnation of Bateman's actions in the book that makes YOU the reader condemn them all the more. The defect is repetition. Yes, it's in character for Bateman to occasionally ramble but the 350 pages could have been 200 and we'd still get as much out of the book. Still, a good novel, if you don't mind stomaching horror to see the true horror of a world where Bateman's outer behaviour is acceptable and secret behaviour possible.
Rating: 
Summary: "Every single one of us, the devil inside."
Review: In a few short words, I enjoyed this book more than I feel comfortable admitting. I am a 16-year-old high school student, and no, this book is not exactly young adult material, but nevertheless, most great works aren't. If you want the basics, this book focuses on selected days in the life of Patrick Bateman -- a successful businessman in his late twenties. At the beginning of the book, it appears as though Patrick is your average shallow Wall Street hunk. The actual murdering, torturing, graphic sex, and otherwise offensive material comes towards the middle of the novel. Contrary to the format in which the story is told, Patrick does not turn "psycho" overnight. Through references and inferences, the reader can safely assume that even as a teenager, Patrick was truly psychotic. The very disturbing aspect of this novel is the lack of personal input from Patrick. The reader is oblivious to his motivations; why he chooses to victimize innocent people is virtually a mystery. However, I had to laugh through even the more disturbing parts of this book, such as when Patrick prepares and feasts on his victim's body parts and organs. A classic chapter and my personal favorite is entitled "A Glimpse of a Thursday Afternoon." The chapter begins mid-sentence and ends mid-sentence, and the content of the chapter is in no way relevant to the rest of the book, but it is simply brilliant in its randomness and chaos, and I laughed through its entirety. This novel has some dazzling and almost triumphant peaks. The conversations Pat conducts with his co-workers, girlfriends, and friends at restaurants and clubs (as well as on the telephone) include priceless wit. Overall, the dialogue in this book is excellent. If I had to assign one theme to the story, I would only say this: Patrick Bateman is simply the illustration of all man's combined thoughts, desires, twisted dreams, and what-if scenarios. That is not to say that everyone secretly fantasizes about murdering their co-worker with a chain saw, but every one of us has a dangerous/sexual/deviant/violent nature that must be tamed to a degree. Your "normal" acquaintance has the ability to keep themselves in check, but Patrick Bateman does not. I don't think finding that this book appealing makes me more "interesting" as a person. Conversely, I don't think that finding this book comical or fun makes me a sadistic teenager. The fact that I enjoyed it does not make it a must-read for everyone; this book is for the strong-stomached, cynical, tolerant, patient, and open-minded person. Though it is a serious novel, it is too much fun to take seriously.
Rating: 
Summary: Go out into the sunshine!
Review: So many people writing reviews have been calling this book 'a classic' or 'a masterpiece'. For those folks who like the book... note that Mr. Bret Ellis is cashing in on your morbid curiosity about sadistic murder, particularly violence against women. (Or, on the other hand, this book is also for people who LOVE endless boring descriptions of brand-name clothing and 80's music.) I'd say read your local newspaper and remind yourself that crimes against people and animals already run rampant in society. You are not 'cutting-edge' or 'out there', nor are you 'smart' because you 'get the point' of the book. Most everyone 'gets' (i.e. 'understands') the jaded attitude of the main character. The ones who don't like the book seem to just be disgusted or bored. Don't waste your time reading a fictional account of a Wall Street yuppie who is freaking out... don't sit alone and fascinate yourself with 'gory details' of sick things. Instead, go out into the sunshine!
Rating:
Summary: Takes you inside of the mind of a killer, and snappy dresser
Review: This book...I love it. I love it so much more than the movie, but the ability to put Christian Bale (from the movie) as a face makes it an even easier read. This book is so full of sarcasm, that I think some of the people that give this book a poor review are just not quite saavy enough to pick it up. The desciptions are sometimes VERY elaborate, but that is what is important. Attire, as well as possessions are what are important to these people.
Rating:
Summary: One of the most disturbing books I have ever read
Review: My rating reflects the ambivalence I feel about this book. I read it after I had seen the movie (and I can say with utter conviction that the movie is much better: you get the main ideas without the horrific filler) and I was shocked by how raw and visceral an experience it was. If I was judging this book solely on the quality of the writing, I would give it 4 1/2 stars, but the needless brutality of it makes enjoying that writing nearly impossible.
The first third of the book, a study of Patrick Bateman, a rich 80s yuppie, and his life, fooled me into thinking that I could handle this book. And this part was, indeed, an excellent study of the materialism and selfishness that defined the 80s. The pop culture soliloqueys (incorporated well into the movie) are particularly well-done. They give an excellent look into Bateman's psyche (where Whitney Houston eclipses Chopin) and are entertaining while doing so.
However, after that first third, the book dives headlong into Bateman's possibly imaginary murder sprees. And, indeed, that's part of the game. . .is this real? Or is Bateman simply imagining and putting into words the murderous excesses that we all have, without actually perpetrating them? The slayings that seem graphic but manageable midway through the book quickly become so horribly disturbing (one memorable scene that still makes me shiver is one where he nails his ex-girlfriend to a cross and violates her) that I could see no point in the excessive violence and gore. I had to stop reading before the end. When I asked a friend who had finished it if it was worth it to keep going, he said that it wasn't and that he kept looking for something at the end to redeem the book and the character and never found it.
See the movie. It was written with the consent of Bret Easton Ellis, so it is actually very true to his vision. You will get all the identity, excess, and materialism themes from the book, but without the excessive and ultimately needless gore.
Rating:
Summary: Total Depravity in 400 Pages
Review: American Psycho is the first book I have read by Brett Easton Ellis. It is by far the most psychotic and disturbing work of fiction I have ever read. It's about a guy who works for Wall Street in the 80s, who is living his version of the American Dream in the era of Reagan, high spending and corruption. His profile fits that of a "yuppie" since his taste in foods, clothing and music is high-class, trendy and shallow. He is also a racist, a homophobe, and totally intolerate and inconsiderate of those economically and socially lower than him. He is also a fan of fine wine and hard drugs, like Xanax and cocaine. Despite that profile of being a complete snob, there lies a much darker and disturbing side, particuarly his sexual existence, and his massive homicidal streak. He has sex with women, then brutally murders them in ways your average serial killer couldn't think of. He also murders a homeless guy and an innocent child at the zoo. His life is a life of depravity, and his lifestyle is completely deplorable. I would not recommend this book, since it is full of sadism, debauchery, and filth. However, the one main thing about this book is that it was completely captivating and the gruesome details of the murders,and his indulgences make Ellis a great author just by the way this novel stuck in my head and how it made me read on to see what happened next, as much as I wanted to put it down.
Rating:
Summary: A good book if you can get past the first 100 pages
Review: When I first heard about this book from a friend, I immediately got it and started to read it. The first 100 pages I found BORING, but dont let the first 100 pages fool you about this novel. This is a VERY GOOD NOVEL, and Bret Easton Ellis goes into very deep detail about the killings of Patrick Bateman's murders.
The story evolves in the first person view, I dont mind this at all, and the main character is Patrick Bateman, a handsome and intelligent man who works on Wall Street, by day he is a business man, but by night, he is a sadistic killer. He takes his killings very seriously, and is not to picky about killing his victims. Bret Easton Ellis goes into very deep and rich detail about the murders, and a recommedication of this book, it is not for the weak at heart, this book is bloody and very violent.
There was one thing that I do not like about the book: character development and character background, Patrick Bateman goes around doing his usual business from working out, and talking to his friends from Wall Street. At night, that is when the novel gets juicy with the killings, call me a sadistic, but I love this novel, I think that this is a nove for any horror purest out there, although this is NOT A HORROR NOVEL, it is a novel of a person who is a normal person by day, and a killer by night. Good novel, and worth checking out.
Rating:
Summary: I thought I hated this book . . . but it's a fine line.
Review: I really thought I hated this book. It is brutal -- the character, the subject matter, and particularly the detail of the writing. I was incensed at certain parts, and yet, I am suggesting others read it. The obsessive compulsive disorder of the main characture is so incredibly depicted -- it is really a work of art. Any book that can provoke such incredible emotion has to be worth a read.
Rating:
Summary: Better than I'd ever expected!
Review: First of, watch the movie first. If I had read this before seeing the movie, I'd never have given the movie a chance. And the movie's too good to ruin like that.
I really like the Ellis' style. I admit I glossed over the musician monologues a bit, but I'm 22, I'm not familiar with them. I enjoyed the sparactic paragraphs, and the abrupt sentence endings. It was fun to read about some of the events that were glossed over in the movie. (listen to the phone call with his lawyer) It's a fun read, I could barely put it down, and was sad when it ended. I've read more of Ellis' work and, while it's still good, isn't quite up to par with American Psycho.
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