Patrick Bateman is 26 and works on Wall Street. Handsome, sophisticated, charming and intelligent, he is also a...
Bret Easton Ellis’s American Psycho is one of the most controversial and talked-about novels of all time. A multi-million-copy bestseller hailed as a modern classic, it is a violent and outrageous black comedy about the darkest side of human nature.
With an introduction by Irvine Welsh, author of Trainspotting.
I like to dissect girls. Did you know I’m utterly insane?
Patrick Bateman has it all: good looks, youth, charm, a job on Wall Street, and reservations at every new restaurant in town. He is also a psychopath. A man addicted to his superficial, perfect life, he pulls us into a dark underworld where the American Dream becomes a nightmare . . .
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis is a chilling and satirical look at the emptiness of consumer-driven 1980s America. The novel follows Patrick Bateman, a wealthy,...Read More
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis is a chilling and satirical look at the emptiness of consumer-driven 1980s America. The novel follows Patrick Bateman, a wealthy, privileged Manhattanite with a double life as a ruthless serial killer. Ellis’s portrayal of Bateman’s descent into madness is unsettling, filled with graphic violence and a cold, detached narrative that mirrors the protagonist’s inability to connect with humanity.
While the novel’s shock value often overshadows its plot, it’s undeniably effective in conveying the moral decay and superficiality of the era. Bateman’s obsession with appearances, status, and consumption highlights a society that’s lost touch with real emotions and meaning. It’s a dark, uncomfortable read, but one that forces you to confront uncomfortable truths about capitalism, identity, and the human psyche.
Ellis’s writing is sharp, disorienting, and often intentionally superficial—much like the world he’s critiquing. American Psycho is both a disturbing critique of the times and a biting commentary on the dangerous intersection of wealth, power, and indifference. It’s not for everyone, but its impact is undeniable.
