Comments on: A is for American (Psycho and Gods) http://www.undeadanonymous.com/2010/04/15/a-is-for-american-psycho-and-gods/ The official website for Breathers: A Zombie's Lament by S.G. Browne Fri, 20 May 2011 15:25:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 By: Scott http://www.undeadanonymous.com/2010/04/15/a-is-for-american-psycho-and-gods/#comment-232 Scott Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:26:31 +0000 http://www.undeadanonymous.com/?p=1745#comment-232 Somehow, I managed not to include ANIMAL FARM by Orwell in here as one of the runners-up. It's inclusion, I think, speaks for itself. Somehow, I managed not to include ANIMAL FARM by Orwell in here as one of the runners-up. It’s inclusion, I think, speaks for itself.

]]> By: Scott http://www.undeadanonymous.com/2010/04/15/a-is-for-american-psycho-and-gods/#comment-231 Scott Fri, 16 Apr 2010 20:28:05 +0000 http://www.undeadanonymous.com/?p=1745#comment-231 I always felt that the book left the ending ambiguous. Is he really a killer? Or was it all just a fantasy? While I believed the latter, I liked that Ellis didn't make it definitive. At least not for me. And unless I'm misremembering, in the movie, which I agree was a poor adaptation, the ending leaves no question that he was a serial killer. Thanks for the reply, Kevin. I always felt that the book left the ending ambiguous. Is he really a killer? Or was it all just a fantasy? While I believed the latter, I liked that Ellis didn’t make it definitive. At least not for me. And unless I’m misremembering, in the movie, which I agree was a poor adaptation, the ending leaves no question that he was a serial killer.

Thanks for the reply, Kevin.

]]> By: Kevin Morehead http://www.undeadanonymous.com/2010/04/15/a-is-for-american-psycho-and-gods/#comment-230 Kevin Morehead Fri, 16 Apr 2010 15:30:08 +0000 http://www.undeadanonymous.com/?p=1745#comment-230 American Psycho caused such a fuss when it was first published I knew I had to read it. I was surprised how good it was and it was obvious that the hysterical critics had not bothered to read the book. I became an obnoxious huckster promoting and recommending this book to friends, strangers and anyone else that didn’t walk away from me; it is that good. When Hollywood made this book into a “film” it was released and promoted as a horror movie; this book is far from a horror movie. The real horror was how badly Hollywood misinterpreted Ellis’ book. American Psycho is social commentary, satiric and at times wildly funny. Ellis aloofly and coolly takes us into the mind of a psychotic killer, Pat Bateman, whom to all is a seemingly normal and very successful guy. The extremely graphic murders/violence is presented as if frozen in a block of ice; choreographed and staged, like Bateman’s life. We can walk around this block of ice and view every detail from all angles, but it is untouchable; it is isolated as is Pat Bateman’s mind. **SPOILER ALERT** The fun part of American Psycho is the moment you discover that Bateman isn’t a serial killer at all; it is all fantasy. Bateman uses his fantasy psychosis as a devise in order to cope with his banal and empty life. Through Bateman’s eyes, Ellis shows us that psychosis and reality are divided by a very fine line and that sometimes we have to choose “crazy” in order to maintain our sanity. American Psycho caused such a fuss when it was first published I knew I had to read it. I was surprised how good it was and it was obvious that the hysterical critics had not bothered to read the book. I became an obnoxious huckster promoting and recommending this book to friends, strangers and anyone else that didn’t walk away from me; it is that good. When Hollywood made this book into a “film” it was released and promoted as a horror movie; this book is far from a horror movie. The real horror was how badly Hollywood misinterpreted Ellis’ book. American Psycho is social commentary, satiric and at times wildly funny. Ellis aloofly and coolly takes us into the mind of a psychotic killer, Pat Bateman, whom to all is a seemingly normal and very successful guy. The extremely graphic murders/violence is presented as if frozen in a block of ice; choreographed and staged, like Bateman’s life. We can walk around this block of ice and view every detail from all angles, but it is untouchable; it is isolated as is Pat Bateman’s mind. **SPOILER ALERT** The fun part of American Psycho is the moment you discover that Bateman isn’t a serial killer at all; it is all fantasy. Bateman uses his fantasy psychosis as a devise in order to cope with his banal and empty life. Through Bateman’s eyes, Ellis shows us that psychosis and reality are divided by a very fine line and that sometimes we have to choose “crazy” in order to maintain our sanity.

]]>