I Have to Return Some Video Tapes

Gripping, layered, dense and layered with some absurd humour you'll feel guilty for laughing at

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Absolute lightning in a bottle

I went into this book with preconceptions based on having seen the movie. I experienced a roller-coaster of emotions listening to this book which ranged from fascination and laughter to absolute utter disgust. The authors attention to detail is jaw dropping, The narrator does a fantastic job and I could visualise these words being spoken by Christian Bale which is not a bad thing as he played the part so well on screen.

The screen adaptation was a very stripped down version of this book but good in its own right, I only wish they left a few scenes in like the urinal cake scene which had me laughing out loud. if you have a seriously twisted sense of humour and tolerance for highly descriptive violence then this book will blow you away or damage you or both, enjoy.

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nice story telling

narrator needs to add more emotion. it was a bit bland.i think the story is too long

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Cult classic with superb voice acting

This book has always been a cult classic favourite but the brilliant voice acting by Nick Landrum really elevated the experience to a whole new level. He really leaned into the characterisation and I applaud him

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Revolting

I found it very hard to listen to particularly gruesome/ sexual scenes, it literally made me stomach turn. Not for those who are sensitive, more of a book for those who have a sick sense of humour or have a dark side to their personality. The narrator did a incredible job and sounds a lot like Christian Bale!!! Some annoying parts include describing clothes, food and musicians.

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2 people found this helpful

MUST LISTEN!!!

Was absolutely captivating. Narrator did an excellent performance, couldn’t have picked a better person to do it. Story did drag on in some parts. Was written very well, painted very graphic, gory pictures in my mind it even surprised me how morbid and deranged it got. Amazing

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Surreal, breathtakingly good and gripping

Although the 17hr time scared me, this book had me wanting more even when it finished

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wow!

at times slow, and then brutal. this book is not for the squeamish. five stars.

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Cultural reset!

I wanted to address all who gave this book bad reviews based on a) its gruesomeness and b) lack of plotline and repetitiveness.

Firstly, for those of you complaining about how graphic and confronting the book is what exactly were you expecting from a book called 'American Psycho'? Perhaps your complete and utter SHOCK that a book with THAT title would have extreme violence is proof that sometimes you SHOULD judge a book by its cover...

Secondly, this is not a narrative where the actual storyline is important, however what is important is the bigger message that's being told -which you completely seemed to have missed. This book reminds of Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky among his other work too. With Dostoyevsky the story being told is not important nor the focus - instead its the bigger message that he is trying to convey. In Crime and Punishment there is no mystery around the crime; the reader is told almost instantly who the murderer is and why. The strength of the novel is the protagonist's (or perhaps antagonist) inner turmoil and struggle. That is what the reader is supposed to connect with, similarly in American Psycho the reader is supposed to connect to Batemans inner struggle to stand out while also fit into his greedy, shallow, overly-materialistic world. I think the way the author highlighted the lack of individualism in the book by having people constantly mistaken for one another is relevant in todays society more than ever. To me this book stands the test of time, despite the clear 80s setting, because the protagonists struggle is universal albeit manifested in a hyper-masculine and violent way. There is no character development because that is the sad reality of life, the more the world changes the more it stays the same. There is no progress. The Yuppy culture described in the book is the equivalent to todays Influencer culture and the associated greed, isolation, lack of individualism etc.

Lastly, the repetitiveness of Bateman narrating each characters outfit is a commentary on this world. He describes each characters outfit from top to bottom making sure to include the brand name. We know nothing of the characters personalities, lives etc. none of that is really described all we know is the brands they wear. Interestingly however, despite only describing the characters outfits it still gives you a clear picture in your head of what these people look like. What the author is demonstrating here is the lack of individualism because everyone is trying to fit in. As well as how superficial Bateman and everyone in his world is. It's a constant reminder to the reader that brand names and appearances is all that is important.

This book is well written, addressing very important and relevant themes. The performance of the reader was well done. I hope those who did not understand this book upon first read give it a second chance.

Also - Audible I will give up my first born child for you to introduce a comment section so people can discuss their thoughts on books!!

*** if you're mad about any spoilers within this review reread my second point about the storyline being second to the key themes of the book. If you read books just for an interesting story with a happy ending then go back to the young adult fiction section***

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10 people found this helpful

I couldn't put it down

A very full on book, very graphic. Not for the squeamish. The ending was so so.

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3 people found this helpful