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.