Rating: 
Summary: Very Good, but could have done with less gore
Review: Putting aside its often irreverent style, with its mention of chic designer clothes, restaurants and discos from late 1980's NYC, this book seems to me like a true modernist novel. In the tradition of the classical novel, it expresses the mores, beliefs and way of life of a specific social group during a certain time and place, that of rich WASPs brats during the 'go-go' years in the East Coast. In the tradition of the modernist novel, it takes readers inside the darkest depths of the narrator's mind, through stream-of-consciousness writing, and is peppered with fantastic plot twists. Quite unlike the post-modern style now in vogue, though, it rarely gets too self-involved and contrived to lose the typical reader. Neither does it share the stupid childish humor, bad jokes, and rosy banality so prevalent in post-modern novels by other young authors. On the contrary, it looks at the worst and shows it 'as it is', but always with a dose of irony and black humor, to lighten it up a bit and avoid the extremes many other authors fall on. But here's the catch (one that will probably put off the weak of heart): the 'worst' includes murderous butchery (both literally and figuratively) mixed with gratuitous pornography. You won't lose much by skipping these parts, but they come without warning, and you could be worse off for reading them (like losing your taste for meat for a long time). Anyway, apart from being pretty good novel, this is also superb take on the sewer rats who supported (and support) Reaganomics, a point-blank broadside that many liberals disappointed with the current adm. would enjoy, if it weren't for the nihilistic carnage.
Rating: 
Summary: Explores the depths
Review: This book is still interesting in 2003, which must say something about it. It will definitely arouse emotions. The book has been variously described elsewhere as a satire, a fantasy, or a documentary based on an actual diary. To me, it would be best described as a cross between a fantasy and a satire. One thing for sure: the graphic descriptions of Patrick Bateman's destruction of female bodies are difficult to read, and I'm not usually squeamish. Another finding in my case: reading this book made me feel dirty and sinful. I had to stop at one point and set it aside for at least two weeks before finally struggling through again. On the positive side, the book does encourage self-reflection and in that respect it would be good to feel dirty and sinful, for a little while anyway. It was especially helpful to me to understand precisely what passages of the book have aroused those particular feelings. Another point: Patrick Bateman has a strong interest in other mass murderers, especially Ted Bundy, who was also something of a "lady's man" when he flourished (?). Knowing that the world created a Ted Bundy is to know that the world could also create a Patrick Bateman, possibly living in our midst at this moment. Anyway, that's the reason Mr. Ellis's book hits a strong emotional chord, "it could happen here." It probably is happening here, "even as we speak." So, this book is not everyone's cup of tea, but it's an interesting read for those who like going to the limit, vicariously, that is. Diximus.
Rating: 
Summary: Who told this man he could write?
Review: ... I felt dirty after I read this book, not (only) because of the graphic violence ..., but because I had to wade through stream-of-conciousness tripe to get to the interesting bits (the character's loss of self and general anonymity). It could have been a good book. But Bret Easton Ellis wrote it. If I had remembered that he is also the one who wrote "Less Than Zero", I never would have purchased or read it. This is one of the few times I have thought a movie to be better than the book it was based on. I was engrossed by the movie ... and its theme. I was angry at Ellis the whole time I read the book. I just had to finish [it]because I thought to myself "Surely, it will explore more thoroughly the theme if I continue, just a couple more pages..." I am as much of an idiot as Ellis. I read the last page twice because I thought I had missed something.
Rating: 
Summary: The Contemporary Killer's Calling Card
Review: Possessed by the American Dream described to denizens of the 1980s, Patrick Bateman looks and acts the potentially powerful part that everyone seems to want. Showcasing himself as an almost perfect member of the human species possessed by intellect and a higher class superiority, he lives the part of the showman and many a person seems to buy into this presentation. And what's not to like, really, about a member of the upper echelon of society with power, money, and a keen understanding of how the inner workings of the fraternally upper-class pecking order at his disposal? Besides, he is predisposed when it comes to echoing the sentimentality of success; owning the perfect ensemble, working out to fine-tune the garb underneath those wrappings, and taking great care to ward off blemishes that would others attempt to assail his skin and hair. On top of that he owns a seemingly grandiose apartment, a vast array of electronics that would cost a small fortune, and is fully equipped to feast on the entertainment of the time - especially in the realm of music. On top of that, he also understands the ins and outs of wining and dining, partying and the prospective drug use that seems to follow closely in suit, and how to use the vacancies existing within others to benefit himself and further his own needs. And then there's his other hobbies... In crafting a perfectly hollow vessel that seems devoid of feeling compassion or the press of morality, I feel that Bret Easton Ellis has outdone himself with Patrick Bateman. Not only has he created a satirical approach that is submerged in some of the more brutal slayers to grace the mainstreamed pages of a book in quite some time, but he's also managed to do so with a character that is repulsive in his desires to excel and to mutilate and yet is so embraceable in many other rights. For instance, the wit that Patrick Bateman uses when interacting with the interchangeable characters existing around him is flawlessly cruel and biting, filled with tiny fishhooks that hold the attention of the readers and that slice away at the people around him. He also makes no secret of his disdain for certain things like dogs, the homeless, and the incessant whimpering of the woman he professes to love, and he finds himself lashing out at those in ways that are both creative and alarming. O, and there's that little pastime he likes the indulge in... At first the book starts out with a slower tempo, introducing its reader to the concepts that rule the lives of Bateman and his friends. Only a trickle of the thoughts he inwardly masks come through in the beginning, leading you to believe that there might be an inkling of subtly in the approach he takes when unleashing the beast inside. That thought dissipates quickly, however, and the pages are slowly overcome with blood that seeps from the gaping wounds existing between the prospective highs, sex, and power fetishes that Bateman keeps close at hand. In many ways this accents the character well, showing the extremes that exist within a mind degenerating slowly, and in many ways it poses questions about the degeneration already festering within this fleshly puzzle. This, at least to me, is something seen as essential in painting a vivid portrayal of the man with a monster inside. If you haven't yet looked into this book and don't mind getting your feet a little wet within the muck and mire of some gruesomely graphic murders, then this is something worthy of your time. It will approach you like a hammer in many rights, though, while letting you see its subtle sides and the obsessiveness of the character in others, giving you more than the simply slaughter that many novels seem to focus their time on. TBS-MSL
Rating: 
Summary: PSYCHOBABBLE
Review: I couldn't wait to finish this book- so I could read something good. Read this if you want a blow by blow review of the music of Whitney Houston and Huey Lewis. Or if you have to know down to the smallest detail what each person encountered is wearing-I mean a description of the clothes, the designer, etc. Or if you want to know all sorts of strange chi-chi recipes,and their prices, supposedly served in all these overly rated restaurants. Then throw in some hard core sex and blood and gore and VOILA- you got a boring mish-mash.
Rating:
Summary: Psycho?
Review: Well-I couldn't wait to finish this book -so I could read something better! Read this book if you like long reviews on the music of Whitney Houston and Huey Lewis. Or if you are interested in reading pages and pages of descriptions of men's clothing and who makes the best suits and is it OK to wear argyle socks. Or maybe read it to discover all sorts of weird recipe descriptions served in trendy bistros. It's all about the clothes and food. Throw in some depraved sex and lots of blood and gore and you have an uninteresting mish-mash.
Rating:
Summary: did you miss the point?
Review: I have to wonder about those who gave this book a poor review. Bret Easton Ellis is a very good writer and I think American Psycho is a perfect example of his talent. Ellis has almost perfect attention to detail in almost every scene. He writes the feelings of his characters and even their personalities so well that you almost feel like you know the person when he mentions them. He not only captures the mood of the characters, but of a specific decade in a specific city that we all know very well. American Psycho may be violent at times but each scene is written and only exists for the specific purpose of defining the mentality of the wall street culture and maybe not what they did, but what they were capable of getting away with.
Rating:
Summary: Clothing mistakes--analysis
Review: I have not yet read this book, but I have seen the movie many times--and it is one my favorites. What I have noticed in the movie is that everyone calls each other by the wrong name. This can be a sign of Ellis showing that everyone in the upper class, at least in the 80's, all looked alike--their haircuts, glasses, suits--all the same barbers and brands. Everyone mistakens each other for someone else because they can not tell each other apart. This can be one reason for why Price is wearing two different ties--maybe at one instance he thinks someone else is actually Price and then when the real Price appears, he's wearing a different tie. Also, about the horrific things he says to people, I don't want to spoil anything here, but I feel that none of the terrible things he does actually happen--they all appear to be a fantasy. That, or as far as what he says is concerned, he coudl really be saying something else but in his mind saying the horrible things. That's my only thought--hope it is of some help.
Rating:
Summary: To say this book is subtle is the biggest lie *ever*.
Review: A suspense/satire that defined controversy, American Psycho dips into one of the farthest reaches from subtlety I have ever read in a novel. Pat Bateman a well dressed buisness man who has a taste for fine food and a lust for money in his social life, but a psychotic with a need to dispense blood and pain to whomever wanders upon his brutal private life. The 2000 film remake (which I have also reviewed), is a tame field mouse compared to this lion of a novel. The murder scenes could make Ted Bundy wince, and the sex scenes could be confused with The Penthouse Letters (and you wondered why I gave it five stars!). This is an interesting satire of greed umong Yuppies in the 1980's. It states that one should never judge a book by its cover (ex. Pat bateman) because you may be shocked by what you find inside. Be ready for violence, because it can pop out in the most unexpected of times in this novel, and because of the quantity of violence, you will soon probably be quoting me on that.
Rating:
Summary: re: clothing discrepancies
Review: I noticed the same discrepancies but am inclined to believe they are intentional. Bateman's narrative wavers in other ways as well--most noticibly in the numerous occasions in which he misidentifies people. There are also times when he quotes himself saying very horrific things to people who, in turn, fail to acknowledge those comments and continue on with the conversation. I think all these "discrepancies," including the mistakes Batemen makes in terms of apparel, can be intepreted as part of a portrait Ellis hopes to create of a diseased man possessed by self-image and bloodlust.
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