Mary harron on the bizarre legacy of american psycho. The film currently holds a 67% fresh rating on rotten tomatoes. Discussion group the association for psychohistory. The cultural legacy of american psycho, bret easton ellis 1991 novel about homicidal yuppie patrick bateman, is a checkered one, and its still going. Robert bloch19171994 is the author of the classic horror novel, psycho, which served as the basis for alfred hitchcocks thrilling film of the same name. As his novel american psycho arrives in stores and death threats are delivered. American psycho, novel by bret easton ellis, published in 1991. Its the only time i ever finished a movie and immediately restarted it. Jul 14, 2010 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 modern classic, it.
Brian mchale shows this nicely in his book postmodernist fiction, saying that. Hunter, american psycho is largely a critique of the shallow and vicious aspects of capitalism. The group experience is an ideal forum for psycho educational learning. The best king of stories feature dynamic characters who change throughout the book.
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. I love reading, but st like this makes me want to stop reading altogether. In the first third of the book, pat bateman, a 26yearold who works on wall. When published in 1991, bret easton elliss american psycho caused. His works have been translated into twentyseven languages. 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 modern classic, its fascinating to go back through the archives and discover how much critics hated the book when it first came out. Ive found that the best book club discussion questions are ones that are openended and that get people to share their personal opinions. One of the very first memes i remember using is a still from american psycho, showing patrick bateman christian bale lifting an ax and grimacing with both pity and amusement. Although bateman is a democratic killer and murders as many women as he does women as well as a few women the sheer excess of his descriptions of the sexual torture, rape, dismemberment, desecration. American psycho is not only a great critique of the 80s yuppie culture, but it is a scathing criticism of a nations moral decay. Theresa tam on canadas early pandemic response cbc news. I wonder if there is any other book that i could describe as unreadable and still. Youll also find printable book club questions at the end of this post to bring to your meeting. Genre, transgressive fiction, postmodern novel, horror, black comedy.
American dirt by jeanine cummins book club discussion. Horror, suspense, mystery book lovers has 3,560 members. Lovecraft, bloch began writing short fiction in the 1930s. During the years i worked on the book, i did not know how violent it. A concise biography of bret easton ellis plus historical and literary context for american psycho. Horror, suspense, mystery book lovers public group. Do you think the way that american psycho had ascended in pop. 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. Eric eisenberg like the bret easton ellis book that its based on, the ending of mary harrons american psycho is rather ambiguous, and has been a. I read the book about 2 or 3 years before the movie came out and it was my wife that read the book right before we saw the movie. Bret easton ellis answers critics of american psycho the new. 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. We are social beings, and a group situation allows opportunities to improve social skills, learn from others, practice. American psycho study guide from litcharts the creators of.
I havent read the book yet not sure if i want to after reading excerpts but the ambiguity is a big reason why american psycho is my favorite film. Sep 04, 2012 in the movie, they kind of hand it to you like bateman was psycho, instead of leaving it as an open discussion for the viewers to decide. Then asks without looking over, why arent you wearing the worsted navy blue blazer with the gray pants. Topics about this book topics that mention this book. The story is told in the first person by patrick bateman, a serial killer and manhattan businessman. The book ends as it began, with bateman and his colleagues at a new club on a friday night, engaging in banal conversation. Counseling psychology is a general practice and health service provider specialty in professional psychology. From black power to black establishment the new republic. Critics savaged the book when it first came out in 1991 but they didnt appreciate that serial killer patrick bateman is one of the. 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. Objectsplaces, themes, style, quotes, and topics for discussion. Welcome to the litcharts study guide on bret easton elliss american psycho. Bret easton ellis made the choice to seamlessly integrate that fantasy with the real events of patricks life so that the reader has to figure out where the fantasy ends and reality begins.
When youre starting a digital book club, all the standard book club rules apply. Bret easton ellis is the author of five previous novels including, less than zero, the rules of attraction, american psycho, glamorama, and lunar park, and a collection of stories, the informers. American psycho topics for discussion bret easton ellis 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. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of american psycho by bret easton ellis. Oct 04, 2012 reading american psycho can be disturbing at times, but the casualness with which ellis presents the graphic scenes is as horrifying as it is genius. 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. It is a resource for parents, students, educators, education policymakers, healthcare providers, childrens advocates, and all others who are concerned with the safety and wellbeing of children. July 20, 2015 how is american psycho still causing problems. American psycho ebook by bret easton ellis rakuten kobo. 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. The wooster group is a sohobased experimental theater company.
American psycho, a novel by bret easton ellis, satirizes the apathy, narcissism. I watched the movie first before reading the book, and then i went back and watched the movie again. Then watched it several times that week as each time i did i noticed more details and clues. But then i was not trying to add members to my fan club. The book creates a dissonance from real life and the actual plot that leaves the reader questioning if our.
The novelists function is to keep a running tag on the progress of culture. Violence and consumerism in bret easton elliss american psycho and chuck palahniuks fight club. The filming of bret easton ellis bestseller novel american psycho caused a major scandal after. Bret easton ellis is a very, very good writer and american psycho is a beautifully controlled, careful, important novel. 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. We personally assess every books quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. Patrick bateman moves among the young and trendy in 1980s manhattan. He is the quintessential citizen of consumer society who consumes the victims of his insanity, all with the same disengaged obsession he uses in choosing outfits. Apr 21, 20 american psycho, by bret easton ellis 1991, is a story is narrated by the protagonist patrick bateman, a 27yearold wall street operative who is obsessed with his appearance, sex, material possessions, and murder.
It will no doubt deservingly be remembered as bret easton elliss masterpiece, his tourdeforce of sadist misanthropy. My absolute favorite part of the book is a 45 page dinner reservation discussion. The book is very well written, and it has a style that creates a world easily accessible to the reader. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. Ellis, 26 years old, those intriguing things were the obsessions of an affluent group of. But at this crucial moment, advertising revenue is plummeting, and news organizations are facing an existential threat. Bret easton ellis american psycho plunges the reader into a world of late 1980s yuppieism. Wall street, cocaine, aids, night clubs, awesome pop music, and serial killers. Irvine welsh american psycho is a modern classic books the. Discussion questions for american psycho by bret easton ellis.
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. American psycho is a brutal satire of the american upper middle class, set amongst the yuppies of new york during the boom era of the 1980s. American psycho, bret easton ellis american psycho is a novel, by bret easton ellis, published in 1991. Strategies for running an effective psychoeducational group.
They go to the same clubs, do the same drugs, enjoy the same drinks and share the same prejudices. Ereignisse dinner mit geschaftspartnern oder freunden, feiern im club. American psycho essence of trash the washington post. American psycho summary from litcharts the creators of. Comedy of menace maybe, but definitely not comedy of manners. Bateman is a selfconscious psychopath who lives the lavish, yet meaningless lifestyle of a yuppie during the late 1980s. Some groups of people were named yuppies, which meant young, urban professional. American psycho is a novel by bret easton ellis, published in 1991. Bret easton ellis is a very, very good writer and american psycho is a.
I thought the movie was awesome because it really brought out the ideas in the book, more so than other bookstomovies. In a group discussion of the film with journalist charlie rose, leadactor christian bale, and the novels writer bret easton ellis, director mary harron admitted that. In american psycho, bret easton ellis imaginatively explores the incomprehensible depths of madness and captures the insanity of violence in our time or any other. It focuses on how people function both personally and in their relationships at all ages. Both frameworks eschewed discussion of the role of political economy in favor of airy, group based claims about culture as the basis for economic mobility and inequality in american life. Created by the original team behind sparknotes, litcharts are the worlds best literature guides. American psycho, by bret easton ellis 1991, is a story is narrated by the protagonist patrick bateman, a 27yearold wall street operative who. The ballad saving all my love for you is the sexiest, most romantic song on the record. I have just read a book that has all at once captivated, disgusted and intrigued me. Counseling psychology american psychological association. Fall out boys new album has been released and is now on sale here are all of the songs that are on this album.
Set in manhattan during the wall street boom of the late 1980s, american psycho follows the life of wealthy young investment banker patrick. The sign seen at the end of the book simply reads this is not an exit. If youre ready to start a book club, heres 40 of the best book club questions, for fiction and nonfiction alike. American psycho by bret easton ellis, signed abebooks. Abandon all hope ye who enter here is graffitied across the side of a bank in bloodred paint. I can only say now that i like the way the book ended a lot more than how the movie ended. 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. Bret easton elliss american psycho, this article discusses the efforts of the makers of the 2000. Read american psycho by bret easton ellis available from rakuten kobo. Jun 09, 2010 the modern classic, the basis of a broadway musical, and major motion picture from lions gate films starring christian bale, chloe sevigny, jared leto, and reese witherspoon, and directed by mary harron. My reading of american psycho is that most of what happens in the book is patricks fantasy.