American Psycho Review
What does a book expert think: Get a comprehensive overview of the reception and review of American Psycho.
Article written by Joshua Ehiosun
C2 certified writer.
‘American Psycho’ by Bret Easton Ellis is a novel about a narcissistic psychopath and pathologically lonely 1980s Manhattan Wall Street investment banker, Patrick Bateman. The story follows Patrick as he enters the incomprehensible depths of madness to become a killer that enjoys torture and sadistic rape. Though the novel received good reviews from critics, it became controversial, as the sheer brutality portrayed made people believe Bret Eason Ellis was a sadist. Years after its publication, many scholars and critics believe the novel’s themes apply to modern-day society.
Key Facts about American Psycho
- Author: Bret Easton Ellis.
- Book Inspiration: Unlike other authors who drew inspiration from external sources, Bret Easton Ellis wrote ‘American Psycho’ inspired by a time in his life. After plunging into severe alienation and isolation, Bret said he started trying to fill the void in his life by giving into consumerism. His strive to feel and experience the world with ego-inflating objects made him realize how crazy he was becoming; this formed the basis of his character Patrick.
- Publication Date: 1991.
- Literary Period: Contemporary.
- Point of View: First Person.
- Setting: Manhattan, New York.
- Climax: ”American Psycho‘ climaxes when Patrick goes on a killing rampage. After killing a cab driver and a night watchman, he enters his building and leaves a message for his lawyer Harold, confessing to all the crimes he committed. However, he later meets his lawyer and shockingly learns that Paul Owen, the man he brutally butchered, is still alive; this makes Patrick realize he may be severely mentally sick.
- Primary Characters: Patrick Bateman, Paul Owen, Evelyn.
Bret Easton Ellis and American Psycho
For the longest time, Bret was defensive of the controversial ‘American Psycho.‘ Upon its release, it became one of the most sadistic and brutal stories in literature. Though a great novel in the eyes of many, it received backlash for its glaring misogyny and violence. However, in recent years, Bret would admit that he got inspired by his lifestyle. He stated that the apocalyptic horror depicted in the pages of his story stemmed from his internal struggle to define himself in a world where consumerism shaped society.
Books Related to American Psycho
‘Fight Club’ by Chuck Palahniuk is a 1996 novel about an unnamed man suffering from insomnia. When his doctor says insomnia is not terrible, the unidentified man visits support groups by impersonating sick people. In one of the groups, he meets a man named Tyler Durden and works with him to create an underground fighting club to help him cure his illness.
‘Politics is Murder’ by Nick Tyrone is a masterful satire about a woman Charlotte Heard, who finds herself in a male-dominated world of Westminster think tank. Though she strives to become an MP, she faces a severe setback as she lands amid a murder investigation. To save her career, Charlotte tries to find who is trying to frame her.
‘It’ by Stephen King is a horror novel about seven children, Bill, Ben, Richie, Eddie, Bev, Mike, and Stan, who defeat a supernatural creature called It when young. Twenty-seven years after the first incident, the beast awakens, and the group, now adults, travel back to the town they first defeated the creature. They then learn that the monster is an ancient being that existed before humanity. With the help of a magical turtle, the group destroys the beast once and for all.
‘The Outsider’ by Stephen King is a horror novel about a detective Ralph Anderson stuck in a mysterious investigation. After the death of a local town boy, Frank Peterson, Detective Ralph begins investigating the scene and questioning people close to where the tragedy occurs. When multiple eyewitnesses place Coach Terry Maitland of the little boys league at the crime scene, Ralph arrests him while a game goes on.
The news of Terry murdering Frank spreads like wildfire, and though Terry maintains his innocence, Ralph places him as the prime suspect. Everything changes when new leads place Terry outside the city on the day of the murder. With Ralph beginning to doubt his theory, the investigation halts as Terry gets killed. Ralph continues investigating and learns Frank’s death is the handwork of a mysterious creature.
The Lasting Impact of American Psycho
‘American Psycho’ is an exceptional piece of writing. As an acclaimed new york times best-seller, the novel has become a modern classic in American literature. With many critics and media outlets like Washington Post stating its importance in the progress of culture, it has become a symbol portraying the problems of American consumerism.
On its publication, many comments praising Ellis’s genius propped up:
A great novel. What Emerson said about genius, that it’s the return of one’s rejected thoughts with an alienated majesty, holds true for American Psycho. There is a fever to the life of this book that is, in my reading, unknown in American literature.
-Michael Tolkin
The first novel to come along in years that takes on deep and Dostoyevskian themes. Ellis is showing older authors where the hands come to on the clock.
-Norman Mailer
Bret Easton Ellis is a very, very good writer and American Psycho is a beautifully controlled, careful, important novel. The novelist’s function is to keep a running tag on the progress of culture; and he’s done it brilliantly. A seminal book.
Fay Weldon
However, others believed the book to be a woman-hating story depicting brutal violence against women.
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About Joshua Ehiosun
C2 certified writer.