American Psycho

By: Bret Easton Ellis

Narrated by: Pablo Schreiber

Length: 16 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's Summary

In American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis imaginatively explores the incomprehensible depths of madness and captures the insanity of violence in our time or any other. Patrick Bateman moves among the young and trendy in 1980s Manhattan. Young, handsome, and well educated, Bateman earns his fortune on Wall Street by day while spending his nights in ways we cannot begin to fathom. Expressing his true self through torture and murder, Bateman prefigures an apocalyptic horror that no society could bear to confront.

As an added bonus, when you purchase our Audible Modern Vanguard production of Bret Easton Ellis' book, you'll also get an exclusive Jim Atlas interview that begins when the audiobook ends.

This production is part of our Audible Modern Vanguard line, a collection of important works from groundbreaking authors.

©1991 Bret Easton Ellis (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"Bret Easton Ellis is a very, very good writer [and] American Psycho is a beautifully controlled, careful, important novel....The novelist's function is to keep a running tag on the progress of the culture; and he's done it brilliantly....A seminal book." ( The Washington Post)

"The first novel to come along in years that takes on deep and Dostoyevskian themes....[Ellis] is showing older authors where the hands have come to on the clock....He has forced us to look at intolerable material, and so few novelists try for that anymore." ( Vanity Fair)

"A masterful satire and a ferocious, hilarious, ambitious, inspiring piece of writing, which has large elements of Jane Austen at her vitriolic best. An important book." (Katherine Dunn)

Fanntastic book but maybe not for everyone....

I had previously seen the movie and so this audiobook made it on to my read list when a friend suggested that the book was better and one of his favorites. I must say that I did enjoy the audio version a lot. I found the main character to be fascinating and a great study in an extreme sociopath stuck in the shallow upperclass yuppie social scene of the 1980s. I have read other people who say that his constant references to designer clothes and the trappings of money to be annoying but it is a key element to getting into the head of Patrick Bateman. I must also say that he disgusted me and, as the book neared it's end, I began to loathe Bateman even as his tenuous grasp on reality began to slip. The language and imagery are disturbing and not for the timid. However, if you are an adventurous listener that can spend 10 hours inside the mind of a luncatic, I believe this is a worthwhile listen that will make you think and leave you wondering if Patrick Bateman really is who you thought him to be after all. Good book. Good narrator.

31 of 33 people found this review helpful

OMG, Did I just go there? Wow

I read the reviews but I didn't think it would be like this... That was some... uh... really twisted stuff. But like others have said, I couldn't stop listening. Very satirical to the point I was laughing out loud. And then I cringed. So graphic. So if you have a weak stomach, don't go for this book. But if you want to listen to a phenomenal performance, and really well written prose then, you need to listen to this.

17 of 18 people found this review helpful

Wonderfully Depraved!

What made the experience of listening to American Psycho the most enjoyable?

I love the horror genre, and I actively seek things that will disturb me. It has been a very long time that I have felt genuinely disturbed by a horror novel, and I was so delighted by the unbridled depravity in this book.

Pablo Scheiber did an absolutely outstanding job narrating this book!!! Mr Schreiber, if you see this, you simply must narrate more audiobooks!

What was one of the most memorable moments of American Psycho?

There are parts of this book where Patrick Bateman has completely lost it; lost his grasp on reality and sanity, and just goes on a manic rampage. Moreover, the first person narrative really heightens his bouts of crazy and uncontrollable behavior.

Which scene was your favorite?

There is a lot of sex and torture in this novel, and it is extremely graphic, which I can appreciate.

Who was the most memorable character of American Psycho and why?

Patrick Bateman! I have seen the movie with Christian Bale before listening (or even reading) the book, so in my mind I envisioned Christian Bale as the deranged Patrick Bateman.

Any additional comments?

This book goes way beyond the movie. The movie is significantly less gruesome, and I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It is now one of my favourites!!!

Please keep in mind, if you are easily disturbed or have a weak stomach, you should avoid this book. The protagonists kills and tortures men and women, animals (dogs included), the homeless, and even children. If any of those things really bother you, then I highly recommend you skip this book.

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Makes Dexter look like a boy scout.

Patrick Bates is one sick puppy that we see spiral worse and worse with heinous acts of psychosis.

The narration was great.

If you have weak stomach you may not want to read this. He gets really descriptive.

Overall, I thought this was a great book.

19 of 21 people found this review helpful

Intense. Odd. Don't expect it to be like the movie

What did you like best about American Psycho? What did you like least?

I think it would almost be sick to say what I like best about American Psycho because its sooooo deranged. This is one of those novels where you question the sanity of the author because it's just that twisted. So I guess what I like "best" is the authors ability to completely step outside of himself (hopefully) and bring to life a homicidal sociopath like Patrick Bateman. I tend to agree with most of the other reviewers when they say that the descriptions of what everyone is wearing gets to be a little much. There gets to be a point where it's almost laughable. But at the same time, I get the need for it. It's so Patrick.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I mean, how could you not choose Patrick. Even though there are many characters, Patrick is really the only character.

Which character – as performed by Pablo Schreiber – was your favorite?

I thought the narration was some of the best I've ever heard. I've listened to a bunch of books but Pablo's take on Patrick was on point.

Was American Psycho worth the listening time?

There were points that I didn't know if I could finish it mostly because it's slightly repetitive. Dinners, AMEX, labels, cocktails, etc.

Any additional comments?

If you're a fan of the movie don't expect too many similarities. Where the movie and novel share the same title. Easton's Bateman is so much more crude, violent, foul mouthed then depicted in the movie. The movie only scratches the surface of the characters, the murder, the gore, the language. So if you think you've got the stomach for it, you won't be disappointed.

12 of 13 people found this review helpful

Would have been 5 but last chapter missing

The book is an interesting dive into yuppie 80s culture - this recording seems to be missing the last chapter, though, which really pissed me off.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Creepy and intriguing

If you could take any character from American Psycho out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Paul Allen, of course.

Any additional comments?

I loved the transient counterpoint between the psychopathic thoughts and the minutia of his daily routine

7 of 8 people found this review helpful

Fashion, food, beauty tips...and murders

My favorite parts of American Psycho were the fashion & food commentary, beauty tips, and updates on the Patty Winter Show. The murders were pretty hard to listen to- way over the top. Still- I really enjoyed this book and the characters- the reader was great too!

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Not the voice of Patrick Bateman

While Schreiber's voice on it's own is aesthetically pleasing, it does not mesh with the mad, internal dialogue of Patrick Bateman. It sounds too undeveloped, more appropriate for catcher in the rye, or something. Bateman's voice should be grounded and resonant, instead, Schreiber makes him sound fleeting and dismissive. His inconsistency with other character voices and lack of vocal range and dynamics was frustrating and left much to be desired. It just sounded like he was getting over a cold or strep throat the whole time.
But the most frustrating part was the fact that the final chapter of this book is missing. It almost completely negates any enjoyment of the rest of the book for me (as it's one of my favourites). It ends on an anticlimactic note instead of back at Harry's where we catch one final glimpse into Bateman's distorted perspective. Included instead is an interview with the author, which granted, is interesting. But the fact that it ends abruptly without resolution was (I can't lie) infuriating. This is one of my favourite books, and perhaps I have a personal bias in terms of how I feel it should be conveyed. But I'd much rather hear another version with the final chapter included and a voice actor with a broader vocal range and a more grounded voice.

9 of 11 people found this review helpful

Distasteful and ugly in exactly the right way.

The book definitely began to drag for me. There is not really any escalation. There are some peak points in the "Action" but over all it was just the same thing over and over past a certain point in the book. This helped the book for me. The way the violence became dull gave the story a PERFECT feel for me.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful