Number 10

American Psycho

Bret Easton Ellis

I'll try to keep this fairly short, although I have a lot to say about this book. I had a bit of difficulty deciding to put this in my top ten. If you are familiar with the controversy surrounding this book at all, you'll be familiar with some of the content that had various women's organizations in an uproar in the early 90's. It is extremely graphic, with horrific scenes of violence and sex scenes that cannot be described as anything else but pornographic. It is probably the only novel on this list that I did not enjoy reading. However, it is not meant to be an enjoyable read. It is meant to shock, to horrify, and worst of all, to seem entirely possible in a society that often promotes and combines sex and violence. Patrick Bateman is a man who exemplifies the American dream in almost every way possible: he is rich, good-looking, intelligent, and fashionable. He can have anything he wants anytime he wants it. And, he is bored. His pastime of stalking and murdering women is really nothing more than artistic expression for him, as he continually ups the ante.

What I admire about this book is the skill required of Ellis to create and maintain the narrator's voice. This particular characteristic of the novel has a bit of mystique surrounding it as well. When he discusses this novel in interviews, he often suggests that he didn't feel he wrote it alone, but instead was aided by some malevolent spirit. The voice of Patrick Bateman is consistent throughout, describing his crimes as meticulously as he describes the suit he wore that day or his routine at the gym. What is most horrifying, however, is the complete emotional detachment he has to the murders he commits.

I do not wholesale recommend this novel, however. If you choose to read it, be prepared to be taxed mentally, and unfortunately, physically. While reading I found it quite difficult to sleep because certain scenes are so disturbing. However, the value I place in the novel comes from both the skill in narration as well as how it made me think about the society in which this novel takes place. People do not even notice Patrick Bateman, even when he is carrying a trash bag full of body parts through the reception area of his apartment. He exemplifies American values in every aspect, and yet behind the mask he is a monster. While some read American Psycho as a horror novel, in my opinion it is satire. Of course I do not condone violence against women, and as an extension of that, I think it is ignorant to suggest that Bret Easton Ellis does as well. The novel is not about how to kill, and the uproar in 1991 was a result of people reading passages out of context.

Ultimately, I believe the novel exists to challenge our culture and challenge what we find acceptable of those we admire. We accept sex and violence in our society. Ellis takes it one step further and combines them brutally, challenging us to question whether the line dividing acceptable and unacceptable actually exists and by what standards we define it. He wants to rub it in our faces, although at times he does so with a sledgehammer.

I tried to keep that I short, but looking back on it I don't know I did such a great job in the brevity department. Anyway, a challenging read and certainly not for the faint of heart. But, because of what I believe to be its artistic intent and the skill with which it was written, I felt I had to list it.

My Favorite Books and Upcoming Reviews

So, before I begin reviewing books, I should probably let you know what some of my personal favorites are. Because I have quite a few books that I've enjoyed over the years, I decided to post my top 10 here. Any of these lists are of course not definitive in terms of order. However, I can say confidently that the top three are in correct order. After that it's a little murky. I will try to post one a day, although if I'm feeling crazy I might post more.

Here are some of the books I'll be discussing over the next few weeks!

It by Stephen King

The Deer Park by Norman Mailer

Lunar Park by Bret Easton Ellis

Less than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis

Where are the Children? by Mary Higgins Clark

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

Introduction

Hey everyone,
So...this is my first blog post as well as my first blog. I guess to begin I need to establish why, after the craze and pandemonium of the Internet and the "blogging revolution," I've decided to start now. I suppose that will establish itself as I continue to write, although initially I started writing because I've read a lot of books and feel that I can speak confidently about my perception and interpretation of them. As an aspiring writer myself, and as a teacher, this is really something I do everyday. As the writer, I attempt to write and interpret what I see, hear, and all the five other senses. As the teacher, I attempt to convey the importance of what has been written to my students and help them build their own interpretations. What I ultimately hope to do with this blog is convey my views on a book while still allowing for others to communicate their interpretations as well. I do not want to write reviews that simply outline my opinion, but instead write reviews that do this in addition to putting the novel in the larger context of literature and my experiences with it.

However, I do not want to say that this blog will only review books that I feel qualify as "literature" in the elitist sense. I will read just about anything put in front of me, and I do enjoy reading a variety of books. But, I will have to own to up to some pretentiousness on my part. While I can certainly appreciate the appeal of some books, I do wholeheartedly believe that some books are better than others in terms of writing, character development, narrative, etc. I will not list any specific books here, but this viewpoint will probably appear at times. Oh well. Tell me what an arrogant elitist I am. I'm fine with that. And in all honesty, if you asked to me define this modernist view of literature and the characteristics that comprise it, I would be hard pressed to do so. I guess I can't define it without using cliche, so I will therefore avoid such an attempt. I know that everybody has their own perceptions and viewpoints that translate into their personal interpretation of what they read. I understand this, and I will admit that many of my personal interpretations are largely based on what others have deemed qualifies as "literature." Perhaps I should reconsider my stance. For the time being, though, don't be too surprised when you see it pop up every once in a while.

Just know that I won't bash a book simply because I found "the narrative development of the story to lack consistency and direction." If I enjoyed the book, I will let you know that. I might point out some of the flaws I found, but that would just be the English major in me.
I will be honest about what I think of the books I read. And, because this is my blog, I'm not beholden to reviewing new books. In fact, most of the books I review will probably not be new. Again, my blog, my rules.

I'd also like to answer this question before I close: "What gives you the right to criticize the work of others? What books have you written?" Well, I haven't written any books (yet). And, what right do I have? Well, isn't that why everyone loves the internet? I believe Jay and Silent Bob have all the right things to say on this subject, so listen to them. Still, I'll try and keep my criticism respectful and on topic. I hope you enjoy reading!