American Psycho
American Psycho is a novel by Bret Easton Ellis, published in 1991. The story is told in the first person by Patrick Bateman, a serial killer and Manhattan investment banker. Alison Kelly of The Observer notes that while "some countries [deem it] so potentially disturbing that it can only be sold shrink-wrapped", "critics rave about it" and "academics revel in its transgressive and postmodern qualities".
Where American Psycho keeps showing up
Two of our editors' lists feature this novel.
What you might want to know about American Psycho
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
A handsome, brand-obsessed Manhattan investment banker walks readers through his late-1980s routine of business cards and restaurants in a deadpan voice that rarely admits what it has done.
Yes. American Psycho is graphically violent and intentionally repetitive, with long passages cataloging consumer products, music critiques, and brutal scenes. Many readers struggle with the violence and abandon the book. Bret Easton Ellis intends both effects.
American Psycho was sold in shrink-wrap with adult content warnings on first release in some markets, and is restricted to readers 18 and up in Australia. It has been challenged in libraries but remains widely available.
Yes. Mary Harron directed a 2000 film adaptation starring Christian Bale. The film tones down the most graphic violence and emphasizes black comedy. It is widely considered the definitive version of the story for general audiences.
American Psycho was written by Bret Easton Ellis, published in 1991 by Prentice Hall India Learning Private Limited.
American Psycho is 477 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, American Psycho takes most readers 7 to 10 hours to finish.
American Psycho is a standalone novel by Bret Easton Ellis, not part of a series.
American Psycho is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
