Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. A successful movie version of the novel, starring christian bale in the lead role, appeared in 2000 american psycho is, above all, an ugly book. Dec 23, 2011 its pretty much axiomatic that the movie isnt going to be as good as the book it came from. American psycho by bret easton ellis used world of books. Like doyle, i think the movie is a better execution of the concept than the book precisely because the book s performance of batemans tediousness is, itself, tedious in a way thats not the. After 53 trips back to press, it has sold more than a million copies in the u. Listening to music and reading not only can go together, but can make fantastic partners and intensify both experiences. Aside from the killings, i thought i liked patrick, but now i think i hate him, or maybe i like him. Bret easton ellis is a very, very good writer and american psycho is a beautifully controlled, careful, important novel.
Young, handsome, and well educated, bateman earns his fortune on wall street by day while sepnding his nights in ways we cannot begin to fathom. Comedy of menace maybe, but definitely not comedy of manners. Sep 02, 2011 like doyle, i think the movie is a better execution of the concept than the book precisely because the books performance of batemans tediousness is, itself, tedious in a way thats not the. Both book and film offered a caustic, nostalgic view of the gogo 80s, with christian bale stepping into the designer loafers of psychotic capitalist cypher bateman, a slickhaired figurehead of the consumerist nightmare as embodied by a man who owns a tower any.
This study guide consists of approximately 41 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of american psycho. Bret easton ellis american psycho even people who have never read bret easton ellis american psycho likely do not expect to hear the phrase comedy of manners in reference to it. American psycho, bret easton ellis american psycho is a novel, by bret easton ellis, published in 1991. Patrick bateman is twentysix and works on wall street. Set in manhattan during the wall street boom of the late 1980s, american psycho follows the life of wealthy young investment banker patrick. Though arguably given a second cultural wind in 1999 after christian bale turned in an iconic performance as bateman in the film adaptation, the nearly 25. Bateman, who relays the action of the novel, as well as his innermost thoughts. American psycho is a psychological thriller and satirical novel by bret easton ellis. Bateman smokes often and has smoked in restaurants a number of times in the novel, often having no consideration for those around him. Then asks without looking over, why arent you wearing the worsted navy blue blazer with the gray pants. Author bret easton ellis said, american psycho was a book i didnt think needed to be turned into a movie, as the medium of film demands answers, which would make the book infinitely less interesting.
Bret easton ellis is the author of several novels, including imperial bedrooms, less than zero, the rules of attraction, american psycho, glamorama and lunar park, and a collection of stories, the informers. American psycho study guide from litcharts the creators of. Famous american killers you never heard of through the goodreads first read giveaway on 08232012 and received on 09042012. American psycho is a novel that makes a statement about modern society. Buy a cheap copy of american psycho book by bret easton ellis. The reader is introduced to the novels narrator, patrick bateman, a 27yearold wall street investment banker. American psycho by ellis, bret easton used books and. American psycho summary from litcharts the creators of. In 1991 bret easton ellis published his controversial second novel, american psycho, at age 26. Patrick bateman moves among the young and trendy in 1980s manhattan.
Our cheap used books come with free delivery in the us. There are a zillion sites offering cheap books online, and if youre not sure where to start, youre in the right place. In praise of american psycho the capitalist satire come. Used book search and out of print book search one stop book search agent which search multiple online used books, out of print books, rare books, hard to find book bookstores with one click. Buy american psycho 1st picador edition by bret easton ellis isbn. Sure it is full of violence, and hey bret easton ellis did not title this book for a preppy title, no he told the world that patrick bateman is a american psycho. American psycho by ellis, brett and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The story is told in the first person by fictitious serial killer and manhattan businessman patrick bateman. Now a major motion picture from lions gate films starring christian bale metroland, chloe sevigny the last days of disco, jared leto my so called life, and. In praise of american psycho the capitalist satire come full circle. Just finished american psycho and i am pretty confused within myself. His works have been translated into twentyseven languages. Alison kelly of the observer notes that while some countries deem it so potentially disturbing that it can only be sold shrinkwrapped, critics rave about it and.
American psycho, a novel by bret easton ellis, satirizes the apathy, narcissism. The novelists function is to keep a running tag on the progress of culture. American psycho pulled from shelves by police in australia. American psycho 5 voice stops, he takes in a breath and then quietly says, his eyes fixed on a beggar at the corner of second and fifth, thats the twentyfourth one ive seen today. The original publisher declined to publish the book after women from all over started protesting them gruesome accounts of rape and murder against women in the novel. Irvine welsh american psycho is a modern classic books the. I would hold off on the movie until youve read the book the movie isnt completely horrendous, but its focus is solely on the psycho part. Famous american killers you never heard of schechter, harold on. Jun 01, 20 the book, i assure you, is a million times more gruesome than the film. American psycho is a highly controversial novel written by bret easton ellis and published by vintage books in new york, 1991. American psycho, novel by bret easton ellis, published in 1991. I was really surprised with how much i enjoyed this book. Created by the original team behind sparknotes, litcharts are the worlds best literature guides. American psycho by bret easton ellis, paperback barnes.
Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. The film currently holds a 67% fresh rating on rotten tomatoes. I like books that kind of push you out of your comfort zone. Now a major motion picture from lions gate films starring christian bale metroland, chloe sevigny the last days of disco, jared leto my so called life, and reese witherspoon cruel intentions, and directed by mary harron i shot andy warhol. In american psycho, bret easton ellis imaginatively explores the incomprehensible depths of madness and captures the insanity of violence in our. American psycho is not only a great critique of the 80s yuppie culture, but it is a scathing criticism of a nations moral decay. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Abandon all hope ye who enter here is graffitied across the side of a bank in bloodred paint. Welcome to the litcharts study guide on bret easton elliss american psycho. The book is now going through the editing process at vintage. American psycho by ellis, bret easton and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Less than zero, the rules of attraction, american psycho and the informers have all been made into films.
Bateman objectifies homeless people, turning them into scenery. All of which are meant to be metaphors for what the books jacket copy sententiously calls the. American psycho begins with a quote from dantes inferno. American psycho is a novel by bret easton ellis, published in 1991. Now that american psycho, which is the subject of this months guardian book club, has become an established feature of the literary landscape and is generally acknowledged as a. This novel takes place in the 1980s and follows, through first person, an insanely rich wall street businessman by the name of patrick bateman. So when i recently realized that hitchcocks classic psycho was actually based on a book i turned to my wife with a pained look on my face and said good heavens woman, we must get to. In hindsight, an american psycho looks a lot like us the. In hindsight, an american psycho looks a lot like us. Its about lifestyle being sold as life, a lifestyle that. Buy american psycho by bret easton ellis online at alibris. The cultural legacy of american psycho, bret easton ellis 1991 novel about homicidal yuppie patrick bateman, is a checkered one, and its still going.
A concise biography of bret easton ellis plus historical and literary context for american psycho. American psycho by bret easton ellis, signed abebooks passion for books. The film actually did quite well in that it made all the shocking scenes either funny hip to be square being played during an ax murder or boring the faces of the prostitutes during the threesome scenes were pretty bored and it was all repetitive etc but i think the film censorship culture at the turn of the. July 20, 2015 how is american psycho still causing problems. Other novels that fall under what i would call the literature of depravity. The story is told in the first person by patrick bateman, a serial killer and manhattan investment banker. Bret easton ellis american psycho plunges the reader into a world of late 1980s yuppieism.
Jan 10, 2015 when published in 1991, bret easton elliss american psycho caused outrage for its depictions of violence, especially towards women. The novelists function is to keep a running tag on. An adelaide bookshop owner is gently raided by police for selling copies of the cult novel american psycho that were not plasticwrapped. Buy american psycho by bret easton ellis, in very good condition. All of which are meant to be metaphors for what the books jacket copy sententiously calls the insanity of violence in our time or any. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of american psycho by bret easton ellis.
American psycho by ellis, first edition abebooks passion for books. Psychocybernetics deluxe edition and over 8 million other books are available for amazon kindle. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Jul 20, 2015 the books publisher, pan macmillan, said that a small number of copies of the picador classic edition of american psycho welsh calls the book one of the greatest novels of our time. Mar 27, 2016 in hindsight, an american psycho looks a lot like us. And if you like american psycho, try tom wolfes bonfire of the vanities also a pretty bad movie, but the two books together kind of plumb the depths of the 80s. The story is told in the first person by patrick bateman, a serial killer and manhattan businessman. Irvine welsh american psycho is a modern classic books. The book s publisher, pan macmillan, said that a small number of copies of the picador classic edition of american psycho welsh calls the book one of the greatest novels of our time. What are some similar books if i enjoyed american psycho.
Alfred hitchcock too was captivated, and turned the book into one of the mostloved. American psycho by bret easton ellis, signed abebooks. American psycho essence of trash the washington post. American psycho book by bret easton ellis 21 available. American psycho was challengedbanned due to excessive and graphic violence and sex throughout. I have just read a book that has all at once captivated, disgusted and intrigued me. The graphic violence and sexual content generated much commentary at the novels release. I thought it was kinda odd, since my theory isnt very. The book is very well written, and it has a style that creates a world easily accessible to the reader. Some people dont seem to understand the book and so the only thing they see in it is perverse violence. When published in 1991, bret easton elliss american psycho caused outrage for its depictions of violence, especially towards women. The book creates a dissonance from real life and the actual plot that leaves the reader questioning if our.
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