#46 in Literary fiction
American Psycho
- 477
- Pages
- about 9 h
- Reading time
- 20th Century's Greatest Hits: 100 English-Language Books of Fiction
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About the book
American Psycho is a horror novel by American writer Bret Easton Ellis, published in 1991. The story is told in the first-person by Patrick Bateman, a wealthy, narcissistic, and vain Manhattan investment banker who lives a double life as a serial killer. Alison Kelly of The Observer notes that while "Some countries [deem it] so potentially controversial that it only to be sold as shrink-wrapped", "critics rave about it" and "academics revel in its transgressive and postmodern qualities".
Where the score comes from
The sources average 7.4 across 1,014 ratings. With that many, the reader vote carries 85% of the weight and the score stays at 7.5 — the Literary fiction average of 7.5 barely moves it.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 7.6 | 102 | 10% |
| Hardcover | 7.4 | 912 | 90% |
Reader voices
The most-liked reviews on Hardcover (credited to their authors).
“Deeply disturbing and hard to stomach, but beautifully (if horrifically) written. A fascinating dramatization of the vapid, yuppy 80's and the obsession with furthering self at the expense of others. Brett Easton Ellis' writing style really drives home Patrick Bateman's internal dialogue: obsession with labels and conspicuous consumption, detachment from personal relationships, numb emotion to any feeling other than arousal and anxiety. I don't know that I could ever re-read this, but I'm glad I soldiered on to the end.”
“This is my second reading, and I really never thought I'd open this book again. When I first cracked this in college my feelings were typical of the general reception to the book: I found it excessive in its violence and sadism, nihilistic to a fault; the only apparent goal seemed to be to shock the reader. In fact I don't think I made it past chapter 42 (Girl) in my first reading, I know I put it down thinking that what I was reading was truly appalling and that 41 chapters and the movie had driven the point home well enough. This book is just as appalling the second time through, but- and ma…”
Frequently asked
What is American Psycho rated?
7.5 out of 10, from 1,014 reader ratings across 2 independent sources.
Is American Psycho worth reading?
Readers give it 7.5/10 from 1,014 ratings, which puts it ahead of 4 % of the Literary fiction shelf.
How long does it take to read American Psycho?
About 9 hours at an average reading pace — 477 pages.
Where does American Psycho rank?
#46 in Literary fiction on the current snapshot.
How long is American Psycho?
It has 477 pages — longer than 72% of the ranked books in Literary fiction.
If you liked this
The same shelf — Literary fiction — and a score of 7.5, the closest to this book.
