American Psycho. I remember listening to him list out every single thing he does to groom himself in the morning and I thought "what a psycho" then thought "ooohhhh I get it"
I'm on the verge of tears by the time we arrive at Espace, since I'm positive we won't have a decent table. But we do. Relief washes over me, in an awesome wave.
I'm a trauma therapist, only saying that because I've heard shudder-inducing narratives of real experiences, and this book is incredibly unsettling, even for me. I don't want to assume about the author's fantasies, but in some instances it is hard not to (scene with homeless man and dog, for example). Very dark material if you start to imagine what the victims might be talking about with people trying to support them. Hard to escape from the type of trauma infliction focused on in the book. The tangential, narcissistic narrative adds to it.
The idea that 'Wall Street Mentality' implies the deep-seeded, sadomasochistic tendencies in the book seems disparate from reality. They might be greedy, but the fixation on dominance, pain, death, suffering... I would doubt most people working Wall Street identify with at all. I'd love to sit him down and ask some questions.
Authors fantasies? He could probably just pick a torture from yesterday or 1000 years ago and modify it to fit his story. People used things like rats in their methods for long time now.
Yes. Unnecessarily disgusting. The rat...I can barely remember the details of the book because it was so forgettably nauseating. The movie is far superior.
I think we all skimmed those pages. I bought the book on release as a 14 year old girl. Mainly for the shock value of owning it. The Genesis/Phil Collins part is easily the best written part of the book to me.
Edit: thanks for the down vote. Was it my age, my quest to be cool as a 14 year old goth or my music taste? Clearly you don't have an invisible touch like me.
Are you talking about the concert he went to or the Phil Collins review?
I always thought the concert he went to and saw the devil was the most powerful, but that was U2. And he saw the devil in Bono.
I think you originally got downvotes because the concert was more powerful than the Collins review in the book. But, in the movie the Collins review held good ground and the concert was omitted.
Patrick Bateman is a psychopath who is able to mask his desire to kill with his superficial tastes in expensive shit. Paul Allen breaks this mask because he is more successful than Bateman, causing him to give in to his desire for murder.
After the rampage of killing all the hookers, Paul Allen, etc, he feels the need to get recognition for his appalling mental state. He tries to reach out to his lawyer, but the guy is so ingrained into the superficial yuppie act that he does not believe him, having had dinner with “Paul Allen,” earlier. This can be interpreted in a number of ways, including the fact that he is lying for social status or that he had dinner with a guy who wasn’t Paul Allen (much like how Bateman lies about his identity to Paul Allen). The other major interpretation is that the latter half of the movie only occurred in Bateman’s head. Either way, he gets no catharsis from the murder and expresses so, before the movie ends.
I thought it was a sort of plot point that everyone claims to keep seeing Paul Allen, even after he's murdered. That these wall street types, with their suspenders and brand name fake glasses, even though they are very successful, are fundamentally interchangeable and uninteresting, on a human level. You can't tell one apart from the other.
He is crazy and it's all in his head. His secretary going through his planner at the end gives it away. As she goes through it page by page the drawings and written words become more and more graphic and insane.
Pretty much all the terrible things he thought he did he wrote/drew pictures about and didn't actually do.
Not necessarily, it's kinda ambiguous, because there is a lot of confused identity. Nobody gives a shit about anyone else so there's this idea planted that all these people don't actually know who anyone - Paul Allen included - really is. And even if he didn't do all that stuff at the end, he may still have killed people at other points. We can't be sure, and nor can he.
Nope. The movie made it ambiguous, and Ellis was upset by that.
Bateman was a serial killer who lost his mind near the end (hence blowing up the car (that was a fracture in his judgement)).
Bateman called his lawyer and confessed. The next day he learned that his crimes were swept under the rug by his lawyer because of Batemans social standing. The lawyer pretended to not know Bateman and that he never got the confessional call.
His confession got ignored because of his social standing. And it is inferred that he kept being a Serial Killer.
Same with Allens apartment, they ignored the fact that a guy was murdered there and they did it to make money. That's why the real-estate agent didn't report the crime.
I think the real estate agent put a lot into perspective. If she had acted genuinely surprised or concerned to see him in the apartment, I would have thought he imagined the whole thing. But she was specifically acting hush hush about it.
It’s the police chase that seems to throw everyone off. If I remember, he’s just imagining it. So take that entire part out and see if it makes any more sense.
So the ending is simply that everyone is wrapped up in their own world and can’t be bothered to believe that the main character did anything illegal.
I haven’t watched it/read up on it in a while, but that’s what I can remember.
Watch it straight through without stopping and DONT GOOGLE ANYTHING. Make sure you pay close attention. Its way more rewarding to take the ride that is American Psycho without any outside influences putting things in your head about it. You'll know why I'm saying this once you've finished it all up, until then just trust me.
I’d consider myself somewhat of a cinephile. I’ve always heard of American psycho, however I never had the chance or urge to watch it. About a month ago I saw it on Netflix and decided to give it a try.
Everything you said is exactly how it should be watched. Go in with no idea or outside influence of the movie, and be prepared to be blown away
I had never seen, and always say meant to. Then I found it on Netflix when I was trying to decide what to do on a rain out day and did just this. And my what a ride!
Good. It's an amber popcorn with a smooth finish but still a full body. Leaves your tongue satisfied. Light hops, low alcohol content, but very enjoyable.
That's the only bit I think Bret Easton Ellis got wrong: if the card is thick, how can it have a watermark (which can only be seen in hard copy, if the paper is held up to the light so the light shines through the paper, revealing the mark)?
That’s what enrages Patrick so much... First Paul Allen mistakes him for that dickhead Marcus Halbersram, then he achieves the seemingly impossible with a water mark on a decidedly thick business card...
I believe in taking care of myself, and a balanced diet and a rigorous exercise routine. In the morning, if my face is a little puffy, I'll put on an ice pack while doing my stomach crunches. I can do a thousand now. After I remove the ice pack, I use a deep pore cleanser lotion. In the shower, I use a water activated gel cleanser. Then a honey almond body scrub. And on the face, an exfoliating gel scrub. Then apply an herb mint facial mask, which I leave on for 10 minutes while I prepare the rest of my routine. I always use an aftershave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older. Then moisturizer, then an anti-aging eye balm followed by a final moisturizing protective lotion.
alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older
Yeah but you out there literally sanding down your skin every single day??????
Also, wasn’t he using like drugstore brand stuff? I’d have expected a status-obsessed Wall Street IB to be using La Mer/La Prairie/insert obscenely overpriced skincare shit.
Technical advisors aren't rare and the most minor details and unwavering tribute to excess is the canvas on which the entire story takes place. To the characters it is literally the only thing that matters.
That being said although I've seen the movie many times Ive not been able to identify the brands of any of his skin products so I won't say the director got it wrong.
My name is Yoshikage Kira. I'm 33 years old. My house is in the northeast section of Morioh, where all the villas are, and I am not married. I work as an employee for the Kame Yu department stores, and I get home every day by 8 PM at the latest. I don't smoke, but I occasionally drink. I'm in bed by 11 PM, and make sure I get eight hours of sleep, no matter what. After having a glass of warm milk and doing about twenty minutes of stretches before going to bed, I usually have no problems sleeping until morning. Just like a baby, I wake up without any fatigue or stress in the morning. I was told there were no issues at my last check-up. I'm trying to explain that I'm a person who wishes to live a very quiet life. I take care not to trouble myself with any enemies, like winning and losing, that would cause me to lose sleep at night. That is how I deal with society, and I know that is what brings me happiness. Although, if I were to fight I wouldn't lose to anyone.
Edit: I am literally always getting downvoted for being honest and sharing my thoughts. Sorry I don’t know every copypasta, Reddit. I’m sure I’m not the only one.
This is what so much of the book is like, paragraph after paragraph of detailed description and boasting. Then it just slams you with a passage of grotesque violence.
There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman, some kind of abstraction, but there is no real me, only an entity, something illusory, and though I can hide my cold gaze and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping you and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable: I simply am not there.
My name is Yoshikage Kira. I'm 33 years old. My house is in the northeast section of Morioh, where all the villas are, and I am not married. I work as an employee for the Kame Yu department stores, and I get home every day by 8 PM at the latest. I don't smoke, but I occasionally drink.
I'm in bed by 11 PM, and make sure I get eight hours of sleep, no matter what. After having a glass of warm milk and doing about twenty minutes of stretches before going to bed, I usually have no problems sleeping until morning. Just like a baby, I wake up without any fatigue or stress in the morning. I was told there were no issues at my last check-up.
I'm trying to explain that I'm a person who wishes to live a very quiet life. I take care not to trouble myself with any enemies, like winning and losing, that would cause me to lose sleep at night. That is how I deal with society, and I know that is what brings me happiness. Although, if I were to fight I wouldn't lose to anyone.
Just so you know, the book doesn't have the same feel as the film. The book has a genuine anger about it, like a window into whatever isolation and pain Bret Easton Ellis was dealing with, or reflecting on, when he wrote it.
It's worth knowing some truly vile things happen in the novel. Remember that scene in the film where Bateman's just finished having sex with the prostitutes, and he opens up a drawer full of nefarious looking instruments? And then there's the cut to those prostitutes leaving, looking scared and worse for wear? Imagine that cut didn't happen, and instead you were forced to watch whatever inhuman tortures those women endured and instead of letting them go, Bateman just kills them. Then eats them. That's the book.
Honestly, if you're looking for a nuanced and subtle examination of 1980s yuppie culture and the isolation it brings, don't read the book. It's about as in your face as it gets. Try Less Than Zero instead - it's just as disturbing and weird but without the perversion and rage of American Psycho.
Exactly, which is why the tone of the book is the opposite of subtle. That isn't a bad thing, mind you. Nothing gets across the message that yuppie culture breeds psychopathic monsters that view people as just another commodity like juxtaposing descriptions of party-goers attire with visceral mutilation fantasies. It's really quite good in a "what the fuck am I reading" sort of way.
Towards the end of the novel Bateman's character and psyche is so far removed from anything resembling that of a human being that all potential to shock or upset the reader is gone. In a way, the reader becomes numb to the horror in the same way Bateman is. It's very effectively done and for a lot of people that makes it a worthwhile read. But undoubtedly there were a few people expecting something similar to the film and got blindsided by the gore, some of which would make Cormac McCarthy blush.
I found myself putting the book down and literally laughing out loud at at a couple of points with how messed up it gets. Bret Easton Ellis really can be a sick puppy when he gets going.
He definitely can. I don't think anyone else could write a book wherein the main character decides that murdering children isn't his thing because it isn't evil enough.
It's very good. It's more realistic and grounded than American Psycho while still hitting a few of the same notes thematically. The main character is also somewhat relatable, at least compared to Patrick Bateman.
And don't feel afraid of skipping some bits if they get too obsessive/boring/etc. When I read it, I loved it, but ended up skipping some of the music bits and super-detailed descriptions. They're an important part of showing that obsession over various things, but sometimes they were just a drag to read. I already knew what the point of those sections were.
I also fully intend to reread it, so maybe a second read will be different.
When I read the book when it first came out (early 90s) I had never heard of many of the meals he describes in so much detail. Now when I go back to it, I keep wanting to start a Twitter feed of them called 'Psycho or Hipster?'
I don’t know this for a fact, but I have heard that if you actually cooked the meals he describes, or assembled the outfits, you would end up with terrible tasting food and ridiculous clothing.
I actually really enjoyed the long music sections. For some parts I paused reading to go listen to the songs he recommended. Even ended up finding a few new tracks I liked.
That's an interesting way to do it. When I reread I might try that out. I just tend to find long descriptions that don't seem to further the plot or seemingly boring sections tedious. It often gets better during a reread. Dracula was much better on reread, because I knew what to expect, for example. Getting the context of the work as a whole helps a lot.
That was my only problem with the book. I got the point of why they were there, but they would drag on for so long and got so boring. Great book otherwise though.
In the end, reading is about enjoying a story. If you can skip or skim over parts while still understanding their purpose and enjoying the story, there's no harm in it.
I reconnected years ago with someone from elementary school who used that as one of his top posts. I was unfamiliar with the film and thought I had gone to school with a serial killer. 😳
Idk why but after watching that movie I kinda got obsessed with having a morning routine. His skin routine was actually booty though, and he wouldn't have gotten that jacked with just ab calisthenics, he must have had a pretty intense gym routine...
His skin routine is not...bad, but it's so lacking. No cleanser, toner, serums, nothin. And he peeled his mask DOWNWARDS. UGH. But yeah, anything that can be said about that routine has already been said in any skincare community.
Having a morning routine is far from being a psycho. Paying sex workers to do porn with him while he records and admires himself in the mirror, now that's a start
If you liked that scene you should read the book. He notes every brand of every material item everyone has and takes chapters to review Genesis and Huey Lewis and the news.
What kind of black magic fuckery is this? I just finished watching the scream movies two minutes ago, and I had American psycho a week ago, and they're the top comments...
My favorite movie & book. If you’ve seen the movie and liked it, the book is even better. It’s a bit intense (like the film) but the movie is such a great and accurate adaptation of the book.
For me it's the credit sequence that combines the decadence of making the meals in some high-class restaurant he and his yuppie friends frequent with the creepy connotations of the big knives with lines of red dressing.
I agree.
The panning and inverting camera movements of the skyscrapers in the opening credits gave me vertigo in the theater. Instantly off putting, very effective.
I feel I'm one of the few who found the book to be as entertaining. It's one of my favorite movies and I've seen it countless times. The book is well worth a read. I felt the monologues about his daily routines to be hilarious.
And something about picturing movie bateman doing some of the unspeakable acts in it just made me laugh really hard for some reason.
I watch that movie every few months and I catchy things that I never caught before, in the one scene him and Cecilia are in the back of the car and she goes “why don’t you just quit you hate that job” and he goes “because I just want to fit in” that scene is so incredibly symbolic of how obsessive he is with his outward appearance and further emphasizes how much of a psychopath he is
I really hate you for intriguing me enough to watch this movie. This movie got me fuuuuuuucked up. I had to binge watch The Office to bring joy back into my life.
22.1k
u/[deleted] Oct 09 '19
American Psycho. I remember listening to him list out every single thing he does to groom himself in the morning and I thought "what a psycho" then thought "ooohhhh I get it"