Rating: 
Summary: no excuse for misogyny
Review: I know this book is a piece of fiction, and you can call it satire if you like, but think about all the horrible things done to women in this book. Rape, kidnapping, torture and dismemberment of women are not subjects for satire. I am very ashamed of the female readers who have given this book a favorable rating. On the other hand, Ellis' technical prowess and skill with dialog warrant an extra star.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting
Review: I wanted to read the book before I saw the movie and I am glad I did. Although American Psycho is not a GREAT read, it is compelling and keeps the reader tuned in at all times. If you have a weak stomach dont read this book. I thought it was very interesting how Bateman could one minute kill someone and the next second hes discussing his favorite type of bottled water. I know the book has received alot of critical backlash but do not take it seriously. Just enjoy it~
Rating: 
Summary: A pity...
Review: ...that it's come down to this. That out of all the manifold stuffs of which fiction made, the dog-patient reading public is served up yet another warmed-over slice of poot pie. As a member of the writing community, I am made genuinely ill by this blaggardly assemblage of hogwash -- Ellis continues to shame us all. Despite his formidable gifts for dialog, this is as substantial as candyfloss, is basically the occasionally convincing rantings of a spoiled child. Can't wait for the film.
Rating:
Summary: Irresponsible to Ignore
Review: American Psycho is surely one of the single most vile reading experiences available. The descriptions of Patrick Bateman's atrocities to both the human body and the human soul are unrelenting and impossible to turn away from. This is not due soley to the shockingly graphic violence, but also to the methodical indifference in which it is all related to the reader. How completely appauling it is when the realization one's life is about to end in the most horrific fashion imaginable can be related matter-of-factly by a character who simply cannot bring himself to care. Like Last Year's Fight Club, American Psycho shows its readers a sad world who's central character discovers that even the most extreme experience cannot allow him to feel through the numbness he's helped to cultivate in and around himself. Ellis' novel is as impossible to enjoy as it is to condemn as mere exploitation. It is a bold and important work.
Rating:
Summary: Awful!
Review: This is the worst book I have ever read. The torture thatBateman inflicts upon his victims pales into insignificance beside thetorture that Ellis inflicts upon the reader. It is nothing but a badly written, dreary list of yuppiness interspersed with schlock-horror.
Rating: 
Summary: eloquent prose, with brilliantly sadistic characters
Review: From the first word to the last, this book grabs the attention of the reader. Ellis gives us a microcosm where human nature is placed under an intensely demolishing critical light. The stream-of-consciousness writing is original and refreshing. Even though some sections may seem offensive and pointlessly grotesque, the theme and purpose of the piece is presented clearly and effectively. I loved it, best book I've read this year.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful book with a disturbing but eyeopening message
Review: I read this book out of curiousity, after reading an article about the indie film. Having experienced my 20's during the 80's and having Wall Street friends, while being The Village artist type, I had to read it. Ellis is a very good writer and although the main character is a vile, mentally deranged young man, the journey inside his mind and the world existing around him, is symbolic of the life that was the ultimate dream during the Reagan/Bush years and the "Greed is Good" era. Bateman is a true "icon" of what it was all about in an extremely sickening way. Although, I had to put it down occasionally, I couldn't stop wanting to read this book. Excellent - although unappreciated by others. Great work Ellis.
Rating:
Summary: Gruesomely important, brilliantly banal...
Review: American Psycho is an unpleasant book - let's get that straight from the start. If you are easily shocked or disturbed, be warned - Bret Easton Ellis pulls no punches in his graphic descriptions of sex and extreme violence. However, American Psycho is close to brilliance in the way the author tackles head on the vacuous, deluded and morally bankrupt lifestyle of the aspirant 20th century Wall Street yuppie. Like The Great Gatsby 70 years before it, American Psycho is a damning portrayal of the careless extravagance and shallow spirituality of the American nouveau riche, and the consequences that this lifestyle can bring. Bateman's obsession with designer labels, his appreciation for bland, soulless, fashionable music allied to his violent mysogyny and extreme misanthropy really nail what is wrong with a society that lauds status, money and superficial "success" above integrity, creativity and moral values. Having said that, Ellis certainly doesn't possess Fitzgerald's command of prose, and how he chooses to deliver his message cannot be called subtle. Nevertheless, American Psycho is a brave, if brutal, attempt at tackling what few have chosen to tackle, and for that the author should be praised.
Rating:
Summary: Gratuitous Sex and Violence with 80's style tips wrapped in.
Review: I don't know how I sat through this one but I did. I guess I,like the many others who are flocking to this book just wanted to takea look at the newest bloody traffic accident on the side of the highway. Yes, this is a portrait of an obsessive compulsive disorder afflicted murderer. It carries the same theme over from "Less Than Zero." ("As things fall apart, nobody pays attention.") Except now we are not Clay, the onlooker, we are the perpatrator. Ellis takes a few blows at McInerney that the well versed 80's brat-pack reader can pick up on. Why did I buy this book? The same reason I rented "Banned From TV" from the video store. I give this book 2 stars: 1) because it gives me the names of fashion designers to drop when in the company of elitists, and 2) the anticipation it brought about, waiting to see the creative way in which the next murder was to be pulled off. If you like shock-u-dramas like Faces of Death, I higly recommend this book. If you are just the average, avid reader you won't be missing anything if you don't read the latest book "everybody is talking about."
Rating: 
Summary: Glorious Evil
Review: "American Psycho" is designed as a lurid and kaleidescopic assault on the senses, hurling gore, mayhem and an endless barrage of brand names and trendy fashion labels at the reader. Bret Easton Ellis's creation, the smug, rich, egoistic and psychopathic "has-it-all" protagonist, Pat Bateman, is a contemporary Des Essenties. The scenes of torture and carnage are the most striking parts of the book. The cruelty of the conceited and seemingly unmotivated murderer reaches sublime heights. However, the novel is let down by its humourlessness (the jokes have a tepid "old-and-tried" flavour) and superficial characterisation and lack of moral depth. Ellis, clearly a novelist of great potentials, is nevertheless mistaken if he believes that an unconnected narrative (with whole chapters almost reading like store catalogues) and a remorseless preppie who kills with impunity, will serve as "profound statements" about our age of decadence and materialistic excess.
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