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Original poster

Has anybody read American Psycho?

44 replies

hiddenhome2 · 29/09/2015 23:07

Any good?

Any thoughts?

OP posts:
WavingNotDrowning · 30/09/2015 17:25

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Trooperslane · 30/09/2015 17:18

pretty rough and not worth the hype for me.

A poor man's William S Burroughs (though he's ROUGH as fuck and gratuitous too).

Luciferbox · 30/09/2015 17:17

Yep, many yrs ago. I agree with PP, boring at times and gruesome.

AlwaysOutnumberdNeverOutgunned · 30/09/2015 17:14

It is grim but was very zeitgeisty when it came out (but really just bleurgh).

GozerTheGozerian · 30/09/2015 17:08

Ha! IT really disturbed me. I didn't disturb myself (much)

GozerTheGozerian · 30/09/2015 17:07

It's one of the only novels I've ever read which has caused me to question the mind of the author. I just couldn't get my head round the fact that this had come from someone's imagination because I could never have conceived of such things. I'm not easily shockable but I really disturbed me. Mind you I was a lot younger so perhaps if I read it again i would be more blasé!

FanOfSpam · 30/09/2015 17:02

Narcissistic - and that's just the author - and gratuitously, outrageously sickening and misogynistic. The most brutalising novel I've ever read.

Lottapianos · 30/09/2015 16:59

I really enjoyed the book (although some bits are truly grisly) and adored the film. It has a lot to say about capitalism, materialism and misogyny.

JimmyGreavesMoustache · 30/09/2015 16:57

i got it from the library when I was about 13 and newly possessed of an adult library card. "how bad can it be?" I thought.

it's probably not that shocking to a woman of the world, but I was utterly Shock at the time.

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 30/09/2015 16:52

I don't think it deserved its fame. You can skim the boring bits easily enough without losing the thread.

efeslight · 30/09/2015 12:05

My friend gave it to me years ago as she couldnt finish the book, it was too gruesome, and then she wanted it out of the house!
It is a long time since i read it, but i did finish it-i dont remember it being too horrid for me, but i've got quite a high threshold for this sort of thing. I also dont remember the rat,pipe incident mentioned above. My advice is give it a go.

Original poster
hiddenhome2 · 30/09/2015 10:00

Is it what you would call 'well written'?

OP posts:
MrStateTrooper · 29/09/2015 23:57

I would give it a shot, it's an interesting take on life in the 80s. It's been a while since I read it, but I do remember enjoying it, despite the really gory bits. I didn't mind the 'boring' bits, as I thought they were necessary for getting inside the head of the main character - who is a psychopath after all!

Original poster
hiddenhome2 · 29/09/2015 23:52

Is it worth reading? I don't mine gruesome, it's the boredom I'm more concerned about. I don't like books that don't hold the attention.

OP posts:
MrStateTrooper · 29/09/2015 23:45

One of only two books where I've had to skip a couple of pages as it was just too gruesome - and I generally have a good stomach for these sorts of things. There is a scene with a rat and a pipe that I will never forget, I couldn't finish that bit.

Original poster
hiddenhome2 · 29/09/2015 23:37

Oh, I was worried it would be like that. I've downloaded the movie and I was thinking that the book might be good to read.

My poor concentration won't take boredom though Sad

OP posts:
MabelSideswipe · 29/09/2015 23:36

Years ago. It managed to be both boring and repulsive at the same time.

nancy75 · 29/09/2015 23:35

It's really, really boring with a few really sick bits and then even more boring bits

bigmouthstrikesagain · 29/09/2015 23:16

Are you in my book club? I am reading it at the moment so will get back to you. So far it is challenging disturbing and oddly boring at times (details of clothes, music, lists of inanity to illustrate the shallow character of Patrick Bateman).

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