American Psycho

by Bret Easton Ellis

I like to dissect girls. Did you know I’m utterly insane?

With an introduction by Irvine Welsh, author of Trainspotting.

Patrick Bateman has it all: good looks, youth, charm, a job on Wall Street, and reservations at every new restaurant in town. He is also a psychopath. A man addicted to his superficial, perfect life, he pulls us into a dark underworld where the American Dream becomes a nightmare . . .

Bret Easton Ellis’s American Psycho is one of the most controversial and talked-about novels of all time. A multi-million-copy bestseller hailed as a modern classic, it is a violent and outrageous black comedy about the darkest side of human nature.

• ISBN10: 0330536303
• ISBN13: 9780330536301
• Publish Date: 1 April 2011 (first published 26 April 1991)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 18 February 2022
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Imprint: Picador
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[Cameron Trost]

I had been meaning to read this book for quite some time and I'm glad that I finally got around to it. It is most famous as a controversial work and, after reading it, I understand why. I'm not going to write a lengthy review because thousands of Goodreads members have already shared their thoughts. I just want to make a couple of comments for my Goodreads friends and fans who might be interested in my opinion. Firstly, as a short story fan I often get bored with novels of this length, but I found American Psycho very easy to read (the language - although sometimes bizarre, is quite simple - the book is written in first person and reads the way Patrick Bateman thinks). Secondly, I found Patrick believable (as scary as that idea is) and could imagine his lifestyle and daily escapades with ease. Thirdly, I enjoyed the social commentary on the way of life of a New York yuppie circa the 80s / 90s even and even though I know nothing of high fashion and other yuppie interests I found the obsession with such things somewhat interesting. Lastly, the book contains very violent scenes and would definitely disturb many readers. Obviously, a book about a homicidal psychopath has to contain violence but it was a bit overdone and gratuitous and was included more for the sake of shock than as part of the actual storyline. All in all, I don't regret having read American Psycho but it doesn't make my favourites list.