Product Description

This is part of a new series of guides to contemporary novels. The aim of the series is to give readers accessible and informative introductions to some of the most popular, most acclaimed and most influential novels of recent years - from `The Remains of the Day' to `White Teeth'. A team of contemporary fiction scholars from both sides of the Atlantic has been assembled to provide a thorough and readable analysis of each of the novels in question.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #232020 in Books
• Published on: 2002-03-21
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

Synopsis
A reader's guide to one of the most popular novels of the past ten years. Includes a biography of the novelist, analysis of the novel, reviews of the novel, the novel's standing today vis-a-vis TV, film, prizes, etc, and further reading, discussion questions, websites.

From the Publisher
This is an excellent guide to Bret Easton Ellis's breakthrough novel. It features a biography of the author, a full-length analysis of the novel, a comparison of the novel to the movie, and a great deal more. If you're studying this novel, reading it for your book club, or if you simply want to know more about it, you'll find this guide informative and helpful.

About the Author
Julian Murphet teaches English at Oxford University.

Customer Reviews

Useful Guide to reading "American Psycho"
This guide is well structured and is written in a clear, easy to understand way. Julian Murphet, a junior research fellow at St. John's College, University of Oxford, raises a number of interesting points about the novel and justifies them well.

Murphet starts with a short biography of Ellis and then proceeds with a study of the novel itself. I did find this book useful in studying the novel and I commend Murphet for his work on this splendid book. However I would have prefered a more detailed analysis of the text. There is certainly scope for looking in more detail at points that were explored and also for exploring the use of language in the novel as well as ideas and issues not covered at all by this book (though it does cover all of the main themes and ideas).

This is more than likely an issue with the publisher rather than the author. Continuum Contempories series could, on the basis of this book, benefit from more detail in a slightly bigger, slightly more expensive book.

All the same a very worthy look at "American Psycho".