Would you let your 15 1/2 year old read American Psycho?

There are a couple of moments I’ve read in books which have stayed with me in just the way you describe and I really wish I hadn’t read them - and I’m a 50 year old English teacher who has read hundreds of thousands of books (including American Psycho). If you think your 13 year old daughter is emotionally ready to read scenes of violent torture porn, ponderingwindow, then you have a very disturbing approach to parenting.

100% agree - nobody would say “my teen isn’t really into watching TV with the rest of the family any more, I’ve found 120 days of Sodom on YouTube, do you think that would tempt them?”

The idea that reading a graphic description of sexual torture doesn’t have as much impact as watching a film is completely wrong - things I’ve read stay with me far more than things I’ve watched, as I have the mental image in my head.

There's no way you give it to your 13 year old daughter to read.

13! Fuck no, what is wrong with people?
I think if someone said, ‘would it be ok to show my 13 year old some tame soft consensual porn?’ it would be a unanimous no… at least I hope so.
But a book with graphic and detailed sexual torture, sure why not as long as children are reading it’s a positive 😂

@Ponderingwindow If you were to read American Psycho (and I'm definitely not recommending you do) you would change your mind. There's no way you give it to your 13 year old daughter to read.

Large portions of it are extremely violent porn.

I think I probably had the same view as you until I read that book.

It's not considered a classic?

Sorry, but I think many would disagree.

American Psycho is one of the finest literary works to deal with consumerism, greed and personality identity.

It absolutely is a classic.

No, I wouldn't want him reading it (especially because he'd be reading it for the wrong reasons!), but then again I'm aware that forbidden something may may it more attractive.

And, no, it's not considered a classic.

Does it need to be fiction? If not, maybe something like these?

screenrant.com/must-read-books-horror-fans/amp/

If he likes horror films maybe he’d take an interest in reading around film making and behind the scenes stuff, or like a film guide?
There are lots of these types of books, you can check them out on Amazon as well.
But they can be quite big and bulky so maybe difficult to get in a school bag - I’ve got a huge behind the scenes of Harry Potter book, it’s basically one of those that most people just decorate their coffee tables with but I love reading it, it weighs more than a sack of potatoes 😄

I'd allow it, I have read it a couple of times. I have a 15yo and I don't sensor things now. My 11yo reads Stephen King. Lots of GCSE set texts or media courses cover material that requires parental consent so might be considered unsuitable by some. I'd talk the him about the book if he wanted to debrief or debate.

I read this book as an adult and it's the only book I've actively decided to stop reading mid way through because I found it too disgusting. Personally, I wouldn't want my kids reading it until much older than 15 and I'm not sure I'd particularly want to encourage a love of reading books of that nature.

my child is 13 and at this point I would let her read just about anything. I might read it too so we can discuss, but literature really is a good place to explore a variety of difficult concepts. It’s different then viewing disturbing videos or other imagery because the reader has to interpret the description. This allows a certain degree of distancing because the reader can decide how much they want to let their imagination ruminate on the descriptions. My own parents weren’t great, but one of their better qualities was giving me free access to their home library and encouraging me to explore our public branch.

@Lavendersparkles22
Are you one of the eejits that have messed up a once fantastic education system with your nationalist numptie crap? Honestly, as a fellow Scot, I'm cringing for you at comment you made .
OP , what about The Shining ???

Could you take this approach with other books / films?

So if he wants to see an 18 film he has to read the book first?

I think I'd allow it with some caveats and a discussion if he himself had suggested it as I do believe in reading whatever you want to read - provided it's an actual published book

Now I disagree with this, reading is reading, it could be a book a comic, a graphic novel even a recipe book - it's all reading.

You might also consider kindle I'm dyslexic but I loved reading from being young, one of my friends who is also dyslexic found the kindle better because you can make the pages bigger so there are fewer words on a page.

He also found reading on his Nintendo DS easier, again smaller chunks to read.

I'm not saying your son is dyslexic, just saying what I have come across.

@AppleKatie Yes to that, and Game of Thrones.

Let him read it, In fact, maybe bribe? tell him if you read the book (and can tell me some stuff about it) you can watch the tv show. Could the not wanting to read thing be that hes bored with his choices or there just too simple? By 16 I was reading at a college level and completely bored with stuff for my age children.

I wouldn't be introducing extreme misogynistic violence to my teenage son, no.

I don’t think it’s appropriate for school as an untaught text, too much for him to process in the classroom In 10min chunks. So he wont, he’ll just look up the horrible stuff and show it to his mates….which will draw the attention of a teacher (if you’re unlucky - a wide eyed 22 year old new teacher who will panic and raise it as a safeguarding concern).

Although, if he winds up in my class he’ll make a nice change from awkward conversations where I suggest 50 shades of grey would be best left for reading at home…. (Why are they all so surprised I’ve heard of it, that’s what I want to know… 😉)

The book, as fantastic as it is, is a LOT more graphic and detailed than the film. So if you're uncomfortable with him seeing the movie, you should definitely be uncomfortable with him reading the book.

But both are absolute modern classics.

I wouldn't with American Psycho, what about The Rats? James Herbert. My book hating teen loved it!

Sorry. I see you've also read it already OP.

No. I read it years ago. It's horrible. Very graphic.

I've no issue with books, we're at the mercy of the parameters of our own imagination with books. There is stuff that will just go over our heads if our brains haven't matured yet. Films you're at the mercy of someone else's imagination. It's different.

I read less than zero at 16. Then the rules of attraction and finally American psycho. They very loosely follow each other. The latter is disturbing but readable. I then went to my and we ended up going to the night club he references. The book was of it’s time (trump era in the 1980s).

I read all this stuff when I was a similar age, and every Stephen king, Clive barker. Didn’t do me any harm.

Yes