'American Psycho' (1991) by Bret Easton Ellis

'American Psycho' by Bret Easton Ellis is a satirical novel set in 1980s Manhattan that follows the life of Patrick Bateman, a wealthy, image-obsessed Wall Street investment banker who hides a brutal double life as a serial killer.

Summary: By day, Bateman is a model of 1980s excess: perfectly groomed, obsessed with status symbols, and engaged in vapid conversations about fashion, restaurants, and pop music. By night, he descends into shocking violence, committing gruesome murders and unspeakable acts. The novel blurs reality and delusion, making it unclear how much of the violence is real or imagined.

Through Bateman’s unreliable narration, Ellis critiques consumer culture, masculinity, and moral decay. The novel’s repetitive, sterile tone mirrors Bateman’s emotional emptiness and disconnection from humanity. The lack of consequences for his crimes suggests a world so self-absorbed and shallow that no one notices—or cares—what’s happening beneath the surface.