Petik.net - Bret Easton Ellis is one of the most influential and controversial authors of the late 20th and early 21st century. His novel American Psycho, published in 1991, is widely regarded as a masterpiece of transgressive fiction, satire, and horror.
The novel follows the life of Patrick Bateman, a wealthy and narcissistic Wall Street banker who secretly indulges in a violent and sadistic lifestyle. The novel explores the themes of consumerism, superficiality, alienation, and morality in the decadent and materialistic society of the 1980s.
In this article, we will examine the background, plot, reception, and legacy of American Psycho and its author, Bret Easton Ellis.
Background of American Psycho and Bret Easton Ellis
Bret Easton Ellis was born in Los Angeles in 1964. He grew up in a wealthy and dysfunctional family, with an abusive father and a distant mother. He attended a prestigious private school, where he developed a passion for writing and literature.
He published his first novel, Less Than Zero, in 1985, when he was only 21 years old. The novel was a success, and depicted the nihilistic and hedonistic lifestyle of young and rich Los Angeles teenagers. Ellis followed up with his second novel, The Rules of Attraction, in 1987, which focused on the sexual and emotional relationships of college students.
Ellis began working on American Psycho in 1988, after moving to New York. He was inspired by his own experiences of isolation and alienation in the city, as well as by his fascination with serial killers and pop culture. He also wanted to write a satire of the yuppie culture and the Reagan era, which he saw as shallow and corrupt.
Heading 2: Plot of American Psycho
American Psycho is narrated by Patrick Bateman, a 26-year-old investment banker who works at Pierce & Pierce, a fictional firm on Wall Street. Bateman lives in a luxurious apartment on the Upper East Side, and spends his days working, dining, shopping, and socializing with his colleagues and friends, who are all equally wealthy, vain, and competitive.
Bateman is obsessed with his appearance, his status, and his possessions, and constantly compares himself to others. He is also engaged to Evelyn, a shallow and snobbish socialite, whom he does not love. Bateman’s life is a series of routines and rituals, which he describes in meticulous and monotonous detail.
However, Bateman also has a dark and secret side: he is a psychopath who murders, tortures, rapes, and mutilates people, mostly women, but also homeless men, children, animals, and even his co-workers. Bateman’s crimes are often motivated by his boredom, his rage, his envy, or his sexual fantasies.
He also enjoys listening to pop music, watching pornography, and reading fashion magazines, which he often critiques and analyzes in his narration. Bateman’s narration is unreliable, as he often confuses names, dates, events, and facts. He also experiences hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia, which make him question his own sanity and identity.
The novel is divided into seven parts, each named after a month, from November 1988 to June 1989. The novel does not have a linear or coherent plot, but rather consists of a series of episodes and scenes, some of which are connected, and some of which are not.
The novel ends with Bateman confessing his crimes to his lawyer, who does not believe him and mistakes him for someone else. Bateman realizes that he will never be caught or punished, and that his life will continue as before. He also acknowledges that he has no hope of redemption or change, and that he is simply “a face in the crowd”.
Heading 3: Reception of American Psycho
American Psycho was one of the most controversial and debated novels of the 1990s. The novel was originally supposed to be published by Simon & Schuster, but the publisher dropped it in 1990, after receiving negative feedback from some of its readers and employees.
The novel was then picked up by Vintage Books, a division of Random House, which published it in 1991. The novel received a lot of criticism and backlash from various groups and individuals, who accused it of being misogynistic, violent, pornographic, and immoral.
The novel was banned or restricted in several countries, such as Australia, Canada, Germany, and New Zealand. The novel also sparked protests, boycotts, and petitions from feminist organizations, anti-violence activists, and religious groups, who demanded that the novel be withdrawn from the market. Some of the novel’s critics included Gloria Steinem, Norman Mailer, Naomi Wolf, and Fay Weldon.
The novel also received some positive reviews and praise from other critics and writers, who defended it as a brilliant and original work of art, a powerful and provocative satire, and a daring and insightful commentary on the society and culture of the 1980s. Some of the novel’s supporters included Martin Amis, Jay McInerney, Camille Paglia, and David Foster Wallace.
Heading 4: Legacy of American Psycho and Bret Easton Ellis
Despite the controversy and criticism, American Psycho became a cult classic and a bestseller, selling over a million copies worldwide. The novel also influenced and inspired many other works of literature, film, music, and art, such as Fight Club, The Silence of the Lambs, Dexter, The Wolf of Wall Street, and The Social Network.
The novel was adapted into a film in 2000, directed by Mary Harron and starring Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman. The film was also controversial, but received generally favorable reviews from critics and audiences, and became a cult hit.
The film also featured performances by Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Reese Witherspoon, and Chloe Sevigny. The novel was also adapted into a musical in 2013, with music and lyrics by Duncan Sheik and a book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. The musical premiered at the Almeida Theatre in London, and later transferred to Broadway in 2016.
The musical received mixed reviews, but was praised for its score, its design, and its performances, especially by Benjamin Walker as Patrick Bateman. Bret Easton Ellis continued to write and publish more novels, such as The Informers, Glamorama, Lunar Park, and Imperial Bedrooms. He also wrote screenplays, such as The Canyons and The Deleted.
He also became a popular and controversial figure on social media, especially on Twitter and Instagram, where he often expressed his opinions on politics, culture, and celebrities. He also hosted a podcast, called The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, where he interviewed various guests, such as Kanye West, Quentin Tarantino, and James Van Der Beek.
Ellis is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential authors of his generation, and one of the leading voices of the so-called Generation X. He is also considered to be one of the pioneers and masters of the postmodern and transgressive genres, and one of the most original and daring satirists of the American society.
American Psycho is a novel that has left a lasting mark on the literary and cultural landscape of the late 20th and early 21st century. The novel is a complex and challenging work, that can be read and interpreted in many different ways. The novel is a horror story, a comedy, a tragedy, a critique, and a reflection of the human condition.
The novel is also a portrait of a man, a time, and a place, that are both familiar and foreign, both real and unreal, both fascinating and terrifying. The novel is a masterpiece of American literature, and a testament to the genius and vision of its author, Bret Easton Ellis.