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American Psycho (Paperback)

Almost anyone contemplating reading the book has probably seen the film or heard alot about it. The book is more graphic than the film but I wouldn't say it was the most excessive I've ever read. Anyone who is minorly squeamish may want to avoid, but it really isn't *that * bad. The plot follows the life of Mr Bateman who is stuck in a successful career in mergers & acquisitions who seems to be suffering from existentialist depression. His life is full of the finest clothes and he eats at the finest places, he makes a lot of money so is very secure in life. However, he seems to be battling with his mind over the apparent security of a successful career and the boredom or lack of excitement that such a life brings. He seems to be asking "is there more to life?"

I think the author has done a good job of portraying what any reasonable intelligent person feels from time to time. Some suffer from it more than others but ultimately all the material goods in the way may not be enough to sate the anxiety of wondering if there is more to life than what we see. I've taken this implicitly from the way that Bateman acts and reacts to certain situations in the book. He almost seems like the nerdy bright kid, with an incredible memory for detail, but his body shares that personality with an alpha male mentality. The result is an interesting conflict that is captured well by the author. And to that extent I can see it appealing to people that enjoyed Fight Club.

I enjoyed the book but there are some parts where it is dull. Yes, I understand that the repetition is part of the style but I think it is taken far too far in many places that it actually becomes cumbersome and unnecessary. The film struck the right balance of detail, by showing how meticulous the main character is with his clothes etc but concise enough not to make you yawn. The film is a very faithful adaptation of the book and should be commended.