Reviewed by: gagarin. Date written: January 30, 2012. Genre: Thriller, Filmed
American psycho: So the situation is that I consider myself a movie lover. And, of course, such a classic movie as “American Psycho” was viewed by me and later purchased on DVD. Honestly, I am very fond of various “little things” and the first impression of any work of art, whether it be a picture, a book or a film, I can compose for myself only one detail or nuance. For the specified film, it was a scene with business cards in a restaurant (who watched will understand). I am writing all this in order to explain two points. The first is what was the message to read the work; the second is why I really liked this book.

If the film is called excellent, then the book should be described as excellent. The book really surpasses the film not only in ideological or substantive content of the plot, but also in the quality of “little things” and visual images. And I mentioned the “visual images” as a feature of the book in vain, because from the first pages you understand how cinematically it is written and how hard the author tried to “draw” it in the reader’s imagination.

“American Psycho” – the author’s story of a maniac. Here the word “ordinary” begs itself. An ordinary young, successful, beautiful and very rich American, who is also an ordinary maniac. But it is unlikely that ordinary beautiful people exist, and it’s also difficult to imagine an ordinary maniac.

Patrick Bateman, the protagonist of the book, does not tolerate homosexuals, AIDS, beggars, racists, hip-hop, stupid people, bad taste and a lot of other things (and whom). Moreover, his intolerance is so painful that it often ends in violence, brute force, bullying and murder. In general, we can say that the whole book is written in order to understand the image of the protagonist. The author himself admitted that by starting to create his work, he made Patrick so individual and independent that the book almost wrote itself further. The book is full of other images that are also individual and could become interesting if not for the scale of the main character.

The main plot question (most likely) is whether Bateman’s crimes are real? After all, by the end of the book it seems that only the stormy and sick imagination of the protagonist created all his crimes. And believe me, in order to arouse such an assumption from the reader, the author did not use trivial clues, but very interesting literary devices. But given the naturalness and cruelty of actions, it is already becoming unimportant – they happened in reality or only in imagination (everything is so disgusting).

It is also worth pointing out (and possibly warning someone) about the nature of the text itself. So naturalistic and detailed sex scenes and violent scenes are hard to find even in the most yellow porn press. And it’s better to be prepared for this fact before reading. Among other “literary features” it should be noted the author’s frequent transitions to narration from the first or third person, and the author (thanks to him) used such techniques very appropriately and interestingly.

In general, it turned out a very mixed work. For example, I was ready for a “cool” plot, but I was still very pleased with the style of the narrative. Condemning or justifying a maniac is probably the most difficult thing. Perhaps because we do not understand his motives? Or are they so “petty” that they become simply inexplicable? Bret Easton Ellis managed to create a “real” maniac on paper. Therefore, only a reader familiar with his story will be able to judge him.

P.S. Among my friends there are people who love in creative or brilliant people scrupulousness or pedantry, which are elevated in a person to the level of a cult or complete absurdity. So, the main character in “American Psycho” is just that. And for the description of all his “oddities” the author spent, probably, almost a large part of the total volume of the work.

P.P.S Actually, the postscript is written in order to “lure” to read.