Has anybody read American Psycho?

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Any good?

Any thoughts?

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).

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

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

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

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.

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.

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!

Is it what you would call 'well written'?

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.

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

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 at the time.

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.

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

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!

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

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

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

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).

I liked it, found it quite bizarre. Had to skip a few bits as PP have said - well one bit in particular.

It WAS very zeitgeisty! It's follow up was even more try hard.

It is the sickest thing I have read, and I studied post modern drama with weird dead baby stuff, and have read a lot of Irvine Welsh. I think the sexual gratification elements really made it worse for me.

The bit with the nail gun upset me the most- but perhaps it was just my teenage naivety not knowing people liked stuff like that.

Ah but you can bump into any one of Irvine Welsh's characters on a stroll down Leith Walk today - the likeness doesn't even really date; much harder to identify with the yuppies or the sicko in American Psycho then or now.

Scarydinosaurs, you mentioned you have read a lot of Irvine Welsh - Marabou Stork Nightmares was the other book I have had to skip pages! Very grim, but very well written.

I don't remember the bit with the nail gun. Am I right in thinking the majority of the prolonged violence in American Psycho is carried out against women? I don't remember any male victims, but it's been a long time since I read it, and perhaps those scenes just haven't stuck with me as much. I will say I thought the ending was a let down...

It is the most disgusting book I have ever read. I don't agree with burning of books, but I'd make an exception for this one.

Agree with others - don't think I've read anything else by the same author to be able to compare, but this felt it was purely written for the shock factor. Unpleasant from start to finish.

That said, I'm glad I've read it (if glad is the right word). It's so polarising, it's good to have an informed opinion. I'd put it in the same category as The Exorcist - very disturbing, but you have to watch it to decide that for yourself.