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I read American Psycho specifically because NOW sought to ban it. (I'm a feminist, but also a contrarian.) I'm still mad at them for that. I absolutely hated this book.

I really liked the book, though parts of it were difficult to read.

Amazon published an interesting interview with B.E.E., and in it he talks about rereading American Psycho. He had a pretty strong reaction to the violence too, when reading it many years later.

Bret Easton Ellis loves Chuck Klosterman. He even provided a glowing blurb on Chuck's latest book. I find that mind-boggling.

Me personally, I think he's OK sometimes, but American Psycho's "look he's a yuppie, and he's like evil" shtick got old after awhile. It was like he was providing his audience with an easy exaggerated hate figure, which is lazy characterization, IMO. YMMV.

It wasn't so much the violence that bothered me. I'm not squeamish. I was just never a fan of any of those Brat Pack authors.

Although I do love the movie version of Less Than Zero. Mostly because it lends itself to great drinking game fun. (Whenever someone says, "Have you seen Julian" yell, "He's sucking dick for drug money" and drink!)

Don't look Queenslanders! You're not allowed!

Me and my buddies all read this when it came out. And we all liked it. I'd never read anything like it before. It was wacky, interspersing ultraviolence with reviews of a Phil Collins album. We kinda felt unhinged by it all even using the word 'Bateman' to describe something that was disturbing. "How very Bateman".

I also have his business card in my wallet. It was part of the promotional campaign for the movie (which I have never seen). I also was on the mailing list for a whole bunch of more Bateman that was emailed to me prior to the movie. I still have it somewhere. If anybody wants a copy email me. It has pictures and everything.

But what was it? Comedy? Satire? Biting social commentary? Coke-fuelled tripe?

_i have to go return some videotapes_

Okay, I have a question about the film, which I only saw recently (and I haven't read the book). This may or may not be some kind of spoiler... Probably not, but, I guess, don't read any more if you haven't seen/read it...




So, when he (Bateman) returns for the last time to the apartment of the associate he murdered and there's a rental agent there showing the place, which is all pristine and perfect... What happened there? Does it mean that everything he did there was just his fantasy, or does it mean that the apartments, like the people, were all just so alike that he simply walked into the wrong flat?

Apologies if this should have been obvious. I happened to catch it on tv, late night, watching it half asleep.

The way I figured (only saw the film) it was because it was all in his head.

I liked the movie, didn't read the book, probably should (one day). I also thought the whole story was in his head, either way I don't really mind if I never find out, adds to the mystique of liking it, I reckon.

I loathed the book, but I suppose if he hadn't written it, someone else with more talent would have.

taz- I don't think we're supposed to know.

This is one of my favorite books, although I only read it once and don't intend to do again.

I went to a BBE book signing the other night and was surprisingly surprised to find that he's a really nice guy.

That should have been B.E.E. I don't know why I don't see this stuff when I preview. I really must hire a proofreader.

Does it mean that everything he did there was just his fantasy,

yes. Ellis himself said so in many occasions, he even wrote it in 'Lunar Park' -- Bateman is an unreliable narrator

matteo: I was always under the impression that you're not supposed to know one way or the other.

All that aside, it's one of my favorite books to read on public transit, as a few sentences are generally enough to discourage anyone trying to read over my shoulder.

*looks over kelly's shoulder*

Brett Easton Ellis was paid a million bucks up front by his publisher for his next book after the success of Less Then Zero and Rules of Attraction. Random House had no idea what he would write, just that it would sell because of who wrote it.

As far as I can tell, aside from capturing a time, place, and milieu perfectly, American Psycho is a giant "fuck you - don't EVER buy anything for a million dollars, sight unseen" to Random House.

Which makes it tremendous, in my book.

Plus, it'll teach you men how to shave, and how to love Whitney Houston.

Hey, thanks guys!

*begins thinking of a lot more mysteries she always wanted help unravelling...*

I loved the movie, then the book even more. I love the ambiguity. Maybe it's just Bateman's tortured id trying to rise to the surface through violent fantasies in this world of culture in which he lives. Maybe he really did this stuff and everyone is just so interchangeable in his society that no one cares if Wall St.'s young superstar is brutally murdered because there are 10,000 other guys who look just like him waiting to take his place. Underneath all the affected and fake concern, the cheek-kisses and "darlings" that no one in these situations can care for one another; almost like it's been bred out of them; and Bateman is just the apotheosis of that.

That, and I also enjoy violence, music critiques, and lines like: "Stupid piece of bitch trash" followed by a good, old-fashioned game of Chainsaw-Drop.

Sure, I've got a Bateman icon on my livejournal. I often ask girls I've just met if they "like Phil Collins." I'm a total fanboy. I admit it.

Come to think of it, why haven't I bought the DVD yet?

Also, I should mention I love the fact that it's written in the present tense and not the past.

THANK YOU MATTEO!

I loved the book, never saw the movie, and don't intend to.

I worked in a bookstore around the time that this came out. My (now dead) friend there, the assistant manager, and I would play a game with this book. We'd pick a random page and read it: and then laugh at how astoundingly bad the writing was, to us.

Grisham was much, much worse though, in that regard, but not quite as flamboyantly bad.

Yeah, we were snobs.

It wasn't until I saw the movie that I understood both it and the book as satire (which doesn't have to be funny).

I'm with jonmc on this one. Lazy characterization.