American Psycho

This article is about the 1991 novel. For the film adaptation, see American Psycho (film). For other uses, see American Psycho (disambiguation).

American Psycho
First American paperback edition (1991)
AuthorBret Easton Ellis
Cover artistMarshall Arisman[1]
LanguageEnglish
GenreTransgressive fiction, postmodern novel, satire, black comedy, horror[2]
PublisherVintage
Publication date
6 March, 1991
Pages399
ISBN978-0-679-73577-9
OCLC22308330
813/.54 20
LC ClassPS3555.L5937 A8 1991

American Psycho is a horror novel by American writer Bret Easton Ellis, published in 1991. The story is told in the first-person by Patrick Bateman, a wealthy, narcissistic, vain Manhattan investment banker who lives a double life as a serial killer. 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".[3]

A film adaptation starring Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman was released in 2000 to generally favorable reviews.[4] Producers David Johnson and Jesse Singer developed a musical adaptation[5] for Broadway. The musical premiered at the Almeida Theatre, London in December 2013.

The book has garnered notoriety for its graphic violence and has led to it being censored in multiple countries.

  1. ^ "Marshall Arisman illustrations". Marshallarisman.com. Archived from the original on March 30, 2012. Retrieved February 15, 2012.
  2. ^ Cohen, Roger (March 6, 1991). "Bret Easton Ellis Answers Critics of 'American Psycho'". The New York Times.
  3. ^ Kelly, Alison (June 27, 2010). "Imperial Bedrooms by Bret Easton Ellis". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on June 30, 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  4. ^ "Metacritic reviews for American Psycho". Metacritic.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved February 15, 2012.
  5. ^ Kepler, Adam W. (April 22, 2012). "'American Psycho' as a Musical". The New York Times.