Rating: 
Summary: Lighten up, it is FICTION!
Review: Hidden behind all of the blood and gore, is one of the most humorous accounts of 80's greed and self absorption. How can one not laugh at the chapter entitled: "Killing Child At Zoo" Put yourself in Patrick's shoes and how you, too, examine your circle of friends and co-workers to no end.... subconsciously wishing harm to some. The only difference is that Patrick acts out these hidden fantasies. Ignore the gore and enjoy the insightful relief that Ellis is providing. A must for any reader not afraid to explore one's self.
Rating:
Summary: The most necessary book since "If this is a man"
Review: Working in a library in London, I come across all sorts of books. This book had a "bad" reputation and intrigued, I read the first few pages. I found an immense amount of humour and a nihilistic approach as keen as anything by Celine. The first page, when he's reading all the horror stories from the newspaper and says he can't believe all this happens in just one city, justifies Mr. Ellis' excessiveness. I am immenseley looking forward to the film and if anyone in England taped the SouthBank documentary recently on him, I would be interested to hear from you as my video broke down.
Rating:
Summary: The '80s defined - Wedding Singer, go fuck yourself!
Review: I know I'm the one-billionth person to air my views on this book, but who cares? I LOVED IT! Easton-Ellis makes an amazingly concise and disturbing look at the shallow, self-obsessed '80s yuppie lifestyle. It is a world of excess and success, where every man fends for himself and may the best man retire to his luxury apartment with a Huey Lewis CD and a dead prostitute in the bath. How many Wall Street brokers flipped out after reading this? Probably none, but a lot of people did. Ellis not only goes further than any other author has in terms of sex and violence, he breaks every taboo in the book and forces us to look at the darkness in us all. The strains of 'Hungry Like the Wolf' floated through my mind as harbody after hardbody ended up mangled. Shocking, over-the-top and totally riveting - a book about the '80s that's for the '90s. Read it!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: A gory chronicle of a yuppie serial killer
Review: Mr.Ellis has a brilliantly morbid mind; but not of the structured kind. The book is heavy in the sex and gore department (which takes at least a hundred pages of annoyingly detailed jabber to get to) but has no linear plot or characterization. And may I add that the true horror element in the book is Patrick Batemans's taste in music. And another thing: Leo Dicaprio...don't think so.
Rating:
Summary: simply yuppie
Review: I read this book about four years ago and still find it one of the greatest titles in my reading-career. Of course the book is not for all those who can't stand the meaningless blood-spilling, but everybody have to understand that Bateman and of all his "friends" are non-stop high on different drugs and alcohol. I especially like the detailed descriptions of so common things like shaving. And the clothes. You have to be a little fashion freak and put yourself in Bateman's shoes when he watches his lunch-buddies and business partners how they dress. Just perfect. The "Devil inside" is just the right song for this kind of book. I liked it every step of the way.
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent book! Just don't take it seriously.
Review:
I really enjoyed the hidden meanings in American Psycho, however I strongly disagreed with the statement the book made about the inevitable outcome of 80's greed and materialism, that humans are inherently evil, etc. A lot of people thought it was a brilliant commentary on 80's excessiveness and the culture that dominated that decade, but that is worse than untrue.In reality, the 80's were a time of great economic growth fueled by intelligent and ambitious people in pursuit of the American dream. It is because of their hard work and determination that we are now enjoying the end result of their efforts such as the personal computer and the Internet. Mr. Ellis purposely and obviously exaggerated the shallowness and indifference of his characters and in so doing gave some readers the false impression that 80's materialism somehow leads to psychotic behavior. Some even thought his book was a disturbing and profound reflection of reality-Not! What planet do they live on? Nevertheless, within the context of the book, and within the fictional society Mr. Ellis created, I think he did a great job exaggerating this and it fits nicely into the deeper philosophical implications of existentialism and nihilism. For example, did anyone else notice that Bateman would consistently hear the Madonna lyric "Life is a mystery, everyone must stand alone," throughout the novel? Also towards the end of the book we read about Bateman's true and nihilistic views of existence. All this is reflected in his constant self-contradictions. It's important to note that the bizarre monologues about Whitney Houston and Huey Lewis (that many readers criticized) are necessary and integral to understanding Bateman's twisted mind. This book has a lot to offer and-not including the violence-has some pretty amusing scenes! All in all American Psycho makes for some really fascinating reading. Of course there was also a lot of ultra-violence, misogyny, homophobia, bigotry, anti-semitism, etc. But it's a work of fiction and not to be taken personally, and if that's too much for you to handle then maybe you shouldn't read this book. There are some readers who demand that American Psycho be banned, burned, shredded, etc., because of their own out of control and unfocused rage against god-knows-what. Personally I find that type of attitude far more ominous and disturbing than any of the fictitious psychotic episodes in American Psycho.
Rating: 
Summary: American Psycho: Hey! Are you eating my arm?
Review: I like blood, gore, and guts just as much as next guy, but I would have appreciated it if the violence in this work had served a useful purpose. The superficiality of the eighties is exposed sufficiently enough in the first fifty pages of the book, but to bludgeon the reader to death (excuse the pun) with descriptions of Whitney Houston albums, and tedious descriptions of Armani suits is a bit excessive. Perhaps the book is trying to tell us that our society creates monsters like Bateman. I, however, will remain skeptical. (That is, until someone jumps out from behind a wall dressed in a sharp Tommy Hilfiger outfit and tries to eat my brains) I refuse to believe that people decked-out in Versacci spend their time wondering what I'd look like with on a platter with an apple in my mouth. Not that Ellis hasn't illustrated a most important fact about a true horror of our society: Shock value, not content, sells. If you liked Natural Born Killers, and are a frequent viewer o! f Jerry Springer, this book is most definitely for you.
Rating: 
Summary: This is a terrible book
Review: Well, the most appropriate reviwe of this book would use a plethora of profanities in describing just how bad it is, but it still wouldn't capture how bad this book is. This story has no real plot, no character development, no point. A very shallow book with pointless interludes. It justifies what the Nazis' burning of books. The one high point in the book is a scene in which the protagonist goes to a U2 concert. This book is just really bad
Rating:
Summary: Horribly good
Review: Don't take the abnorm violance litterally, because American Psycho is without doubt the most facinating potrait of the decade.
Rating:
Summary: Insightful, original, and disgusting
Review: American Psycho, written superbly by Bret Easton Ellis, is a deep look into the life and pscyhe of a pure product of 1980's American culture. Patrick Batman is a Wall Street whiz kid who enjoys a posh lifestyle by day, and by night committs disconcerting acts of violence. At first, the books seems to start out slowly. No mentions of the violence which has been the "talk of the town". It's not until later, after SO many vile acts have been performed, that you realize that the book doesn't start out slow, but rather it's the growth of Patrick's madness which progresses. Not only a look into a fierce killer's mind, but also a strong comment on 1980's American Lifestyle. Ellis makes a genuine and insightful observation when every character in the book mistakes every other characters identities. It's a comment on how the yuppie lifestyle simply put out "cookie-cutter" people, who could easily be interchanged without a beat. At times, it's hard for! the reader to distinguish truth from Patrick's imagination: he says things bluntly to people, and yet they make no comment; he write of murdering a friend, but is assured over and over that his victim is alive and well in London. As for the violence, it is beyond the imagination. Ellis has gone deep into the recesses of man's mind, and withdrew tortures which at times forced me to close the book, compose myself, and continue to read. Patrick himself has no remorse for killing anyone at all (and he'll kill anyone at all, not just women)and openly admits it. By the end of the book, Patrick has lost every ounce of his humanity, which in itself is a comment on the money laden lifestyle of the mid 80's yuppie.
|
