Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho

This past week I delved into a novel that is known for taking “disturbing” to a whole new level: Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho. This book follows Patrick Bateman, a young investment banker who has made Manhattan (in the middle of the late 80s Wall Street boom) his hunting ground…both in business and in murder. Bateman lives a double life, operating as a vibrant young businessman part of the time, and committing heinous acts of murder in the late hours. Unfortunately for Bateman, his routine of business and sadism is in jeopardy, as his psychotic tendencies are growing: soon, Bateman will even be fighting himself for control of his life.

If this setup sounds somewhat similar to Dexter, it really isn’t (even though I would be willing to bet Dexter found some influence here). Bateman narrates everything from a first person stream of consciousness, which provides some interesting and disturbing insight into the young predator’s mind. And that is where American Psycho really makes a name for itself in the horror genre. Bateman is like two completely different people, even in his own head. One may sound just like the reader. The other, darker half is clearly borne from insecurities and environmental stresses that everyone has. Perhaps the most disturbing thing about American Psycho is that Patrick Bateman seems to blur the line that society draws to distinguish where “normal” ends and “psychotic” begins.

Overall, I am extremely impressed with this novel. The stream of consciousness narrative is particularly ingenious, especially when you se the twists and turns that take place in the final pages (of course, I can’t exactly detail those here!). American Psycho is a twisted novel that manages to bridge the gap between genres multiple times, incorporating drama, mystery, personal reflection, and incredible chills, all through the mind of an unforgettable “protagonist.” A word of warning: this novel is fairly graphic, enough so that many countries won’t sell it to readers under 18. As always, I hold that “appropriate” is entirely subjective to the individual reader, but this is probably a novel you would want to check out before giving it as a gift. For everyone else, I hope you enjoy this modern classic as much as I did.