American Psycho: Afterthoughts

When you think of American Psycho, chances are your mind races to the 2000 film adaptation starring Christian Bale. A wonderfully horrifying classic and cult-favourite, I enjoyed it so much that I decided I should read the book it was all based on.

That, and the fact that one of my favourite bands, Ice Nine Kills, released a song based on the film named 'Hip To Be Scared' which I LOVE. 

I had heard many stories about this book, written by Bret Easton Ellis, before reading it, mainly that the contents of the book are so disturbing that, apparently, in some countries, the book arrives shrink-wrapped upon ordering it. As somebody who enjoys reading horror novels, this just further convinced me that I should read it.

If you intend on reading this book yourself, I feel I should inform you of some potential trigger warnings (all of which are discussed graphically throughout):

• Death/murder
• Necrophilia
• Sexual violence
• Animal cruelty
• Bestiality
• Homophobia

First of all, I won't lie - this book took me a long time to read.

Even though I only have a chance to read on my lunch breaks and before bed, it still took me longer than usual to finish it. For me, this was largely due to Ellis's writing style. Written from the perspective of the overly-observational protagonist, Patrick Bateman, a lot of the book is Bateman describing things at great length, typically including brands, materials and places, many of which I had never heard of. Basically, there is a lot of information to try and process, which ultimately says a lot about the mind of the character.

This continues throughout the book. However, I found myself becoming not only used to it but also amused by it. Bateman's attention to detail is almost comical, and I found myself laughing out loud at times, particularly when his narcissism is most apparent -

 "...as I set the platter down I catch a glimpse of my reflection on the surface of the table. My skin seems darker because of the candlelight and I notice how good the haircut I got at Gio's last Wednesday looks. I make myself another drink. I worry about the sodium level in the soy sauce."

It is important to note here that I am fully aware that this extensive detailing is not just Ellis's writing style, but is also intended to be illustrative of the character. 

While researching horror novels to read online, I came across a few reviews of American Psycho that all had one similarity in particular - many deem the book to be 'tedious' and 'boring', to the point where they stop reading it altogether. I must say, I understand where they are all coming from. The first half of the book in particular is pretty repetitive and not a lot seems to happen. The pace is monotonous, and it feels like you are reading an incredibly detailed, boring diary. With that being said, I feel that this is somewhat clever of Ellis. The book's purpose, in my opinion, is to put you inside the mind of Patrick Bateman - a man whose life revolves around appearances, a man whose mind is noticing hundreds of details at once, a man whose life is in fact pretty repetitive... a man who, even when he commits serious acts of violence, views it as just something else that has happened that day. And so, to me, the monotonous storytelling simply illustrates a psychologically abnormal mind. It is fascinating how Ellis manages to make a character's mind seem numb to violence and relationships, yet is meticulous in most other aspects. 'A true psychopath', you might be thinking.

Not only is Bateman going through the same things every day, but so is everyone else around him. It becomes clear that everyone on Wall Street, where Bateman works, begins to become somewhat indistinguishable from each other - they all wear similar clothes, use similar products, have similar business cards, eat in the same restaurants... they have no sense of individuality because they have sought conformity to the point of being indistinguishable.

I also noticed the clever use of misidentification throughout the book. Amongst all the detailing, it can be quite confusing initially, but you soon come to realise that this is deliberate. Quite often, Bateman is called a number of different names, including 'Davis', 'McCoy', 'Allen', and 'Halberstram'. It seems that this is a way of further illustrating how faceless he is amongst all the other businessmen around him - you could talk to anyone using any name and the conversation would still probably be the same. 

I also realised that this theme of having no personal identity can also be further supported by one of the many various book covers, where a man's face can be seen either wearing a mask or having his distinguishable facial features blurred out (pictured below). 

As I've previously mentioned, this book is renowned for its graphic content. However, you do not detect any signs of violence until quite a way into the book. The first graphic description of murder comes around halfway in, and, let me tell you, you can quickly see where this book's 'disturbing' and 'sickening' reputation comes from. Ellis does not hold back, continuing to use the overly descriptive writing style to the point where you feel uncomfortable. 

The horrendous acts along with the nonchalant nature of the character leave you feeling confused yet intrigued. How does Bateman really feel about his actions? Even though the character is clearly not a relatable person, you still find yourself wanting to understand his perspective. 

One overriding theory about American Psycho is that perhaps the book shouldn't be taken completely literally,. Instead, Patrick Bateman may be experiencing some form of psychosis. This would help to explain a lot of things - the violence, impulsivity (though this could also be a result of his extensive drug use), the use of multiple names like I mentioned earlier, and THAT film ending...

SPOILERS

It may be that he did not commit the murders, and was simply imagining them. However, it may just as easily be that all of these events did in fact take place and that he is so indistinguishable from everyone else around him that, despite his horrific actions, he became invisible in a sea of predictable businessmen. It's ultimately up to the reader to decide.

For me personally, after finishing the book it seemed more likely than not that he was experiencing psychosis and did not in fact commit the murders. The last few pages detail how he hallucinates, and also the meeting with his lawyer seems more direct than it was portrayed in the film - in the book, the lawyer appears to outright disbelieve Bateman's voice message.

I found the afterword included at the end of the book very insightful and necessary in light of the subsequent controversy surrounding it. In it, Ellis describes what motivated him to write this book. He states that his apparently perfect life was, in fact, empty, and this is what he wanted to portray with the monotonous life of Bateman. This also shuts down the claims that Ellis wrote the book on the grounds that he 'hates women', which was a popular opinion upon its release.

Despite it being a long and, at times, tedious read, I found myself feeling pretty sad that the book had ended. I had become used to the style of the book - introducing people, describing what they're wearing, choosing places to eat, and so on. I felt like I had been sucked into their boring, repetitive and competitive world. 

It was also fascinating seeing Bateman's character become more and more unhinged as the book continued, with the second half definitely becoming more fast-paced. 

I would definitely recommend this book if you have the time to drag yourself through the first half, a strong stomach to get through the graphic crime scenes, and the overall commitment to become invested in this story.

Now, I have to return some videotapes.