Journal Entry 1 by grover3d from Charleston, West Virginia USA on Wednesday, June 05, 2002

This book has gotten a lot of bad/mixed press over the years and, while it is definitely not for the squeamish (I re-read it and there was one chapter, entitled "Rat" that I skipped the second time) I actually quite enjoyed it...it's a very interesting satire on the materialism of the 90s.  

Journal Entry 2 by grover3d at on Wednesday, June 05, 2002

Released on Wednesday, June 05, 2002 at Available at www.sf-books.com in N/A, N/A World Wide Web. 

Journal Entry 3 by Special-K from Carseldine, Queensland Australia on Monday, August 05, 2002

Received this book in the mail from grover3d. Will definitely start reading it tonight.  

Journal Entry 4 by Special-K from Carseldine, Queensland Australia on Monday, August 26, 2002

My boyfriend read this before I did and he wasn't sure whether I would like it or not bt I finally started reading it last week and finished it last night. There were some chapters that I would skip over if I read it again (Genesis, Huey Lewis and the News etc) purely because they have nothing to do with the story at all. They are just there to highlight Patrick's mania I guess.
This book isn't for everyone and I'll have to be careful where I release it but I really enjoyed it because I love crime novels and this took me to the other side and into the psychopath's playground.
Might put this up as a swap here and on sf-books instead of a release just to be safe... 

Journal Entry 5 by Special-K at Mailed to another BXer at Post Office - Wyndham St in Shepparton, Victoria Australia on Friday, November 08, 2002

Released on Thursday, November 07, 2002 at Mailed to another BXer at Post Office - Wyndham St in Shepparton, Victoria Australia.

Posted to bookluvr as part of a book swap. 

Journal Entry 6 by WestofMars from Mars, Pennsylvania USA on Saturday, January 18, 2003

Just received from bookluvr! 

Journal Entry 7 by WestofMars from Mars, Pennsylvania USA on Friday, May 16, 2003

Okay, so I read the whole thing. Couldn't quit, even though logic told me to.

As satire, I felt this failed. It wasn't biting, it wasn't funny. It was tedious, repetitive, and boring.

As a novel, I felt this failed. There was no resolution, no sense even of truth of the situations. It just became a drug-haze, and a violent one at that, and not nearly as well done as some Philip K. Dick I've read.

For me, this was a major let-down. I'd heard so much about this book, let it sit on my nightstand for months, teasing me, and then... it totally didn't live up to expectations. I wanted to understand the descent into madness. I wanted to know what Bateman was doing with these people, how he was hiding his derangement, how these so-called friends reacted to his increasingly erratic and violent statements.

Too much was left hanging. What about his job? Why did these people put up with him in the first place? Why did he want to get a job when we're told -- midway through the book (how convenient) -- that he didn't need one?

I could shred this for hours, maybe days. What a total disappointment! 

Journal Entry 8 by WestofMars from Mars, Pennsylvania USA on Sunday, June 01, 2003

I offered this up for trade and got such a great response that I decided to ray it. Jump on at any time.

Here's the order, with mailing to #1 happening on 6-2-03
1. Valkyrie119 (US)
2. Jazzy7112 (Canada)
3. Jackshome (UK)
4. Leanne345 (UK)
5. Hawkette (Australia)
6. Lennonchick78 (US)
7. Witchie (Portugal) <---- Added 7-3!!! 

Journal Entry 9 by Valkyrie119 from Oceanside, California USA on Friday, June 20, 2003

I should have listened the people in the forum...But noooooooo I just had to see for myself

I now hang my head in shame, no matter how awful a book is, I always finish it, not this time, I got halfway thru before I quit.

I hated everything about it, I would rather have a pap smear or a root canal than read that book again.

I would like a moment of silence for the trees that gave their life for that book.

I mailed the book on Monday to the next person on the ray.

Thank you SpikesMom for letting me in the Ray 

Journal Entry 10 by jazzy7112 from Kitchener, Ontario Canada on Monday, July 07, 2003

Received this today as part of the bookray. I've added Witchie onto the list in the book.
A long time ago, the movie as on Pay Per View at my (then) boyfriend's house. I wouldn't watch it, because he was watching it one day while we were on the phone and describing what was happeneing. It sounded completely disgusting. That was in grade 8.
This past year (I'm going into grade 12) someone suggested I read this book. So, here I am, and I'm taking it to work with me tonight. I've got a couple of breaks and I'm not going to have anything to do, so I'll start it there. 

Journal Entry 11 by jazzy7112 from Kitchener, Ontario Canada on Friday, August 01, 2003

So, I've decided not to read this. I read the first like, 2 pages, and didnt see a point. Sorry guys! As well, I decided I didn't want to get to murderous-gruesome parts, and then have nightmares, and realized it would be a better idea to just not read it at all, because things like that can just jump out at you sometimes.
I'm sending this on to Jackshome as soon as I get an address. 

Journal Entry 12 by jazzy7112 from Kitchener, Ontario Canada on Tuesday, August 19, 2003

Sorry everyone! I finally sent this along today. I meant to get it in the mail before I left for vacation, but left it till the last minute, so I didn't have time. It's coming now, jackshome. 

Journal Entry 13 by jackshome from Norwich, Norfolk United Kingdom on Tuesday, September 16, 2003

Recieved in the mail yesterday, already started it, initial thoughts are that name dropping is wayy to regular and Bateman is also a materialitsic psycho. More after I've finished...... 

Journal Entry 14 by jackshome from Norwich, Norfolk United Kingdom on Tuesday, September 16, 2003

After 50 odd pages, I just couldn't face any more :( I have no empathy for any of the characters, the only thing that kept me going for so long through such a bleak unforgiving book was the hope of some glipse at compassion from the characters. They had no compassion for the "bums" and instead were worring about the sodium levels in soy sauce and taunting the homeless and hungry by asking them if they take express??!! Whilst the writer has IMHO shown unfortunatly a true to life picture of some people's attitudes, because it's not one I hold I just couldn't go on. Now Pming Leanne345 to keep this moving. Thank you for the opportunity to read this. 

Journal Entry 15 by Leanne345 from Liverpool, Merseyside United Kingdom on Monday, September 29, 2003

Thanks - will get reading right away. 

Journal Entry 16 by Hawkette from Ballarat, Victoria Australia on Tuesday, January 06, 2004

This book has arrived back in Melbourne, after traveling around to lots of different places! I am quite intrigued given the journal entries so far! 

Journal Entry 17 by Hawkette from Ballarat, Victoria Australia on Saturday, February 14, 2004

This book is disturbing, and yet frighteningly real. In small sittings I found it hard to concentrate on it, with all the brand names of clothes, shoes, skin products, resturants, and water (!). But for the last half, and incidentially when the intensity picks up, I sat for a full sitting, and I think it has gotten under my skin. Has left me in a strange and dark mood actually (and it's too damn hot outside to go and do anything about it!).

The disturbing things for me about this book is that 1) Bateman fits into the high rolling social circles he moved in, despite his "extra-curricular activities", which escalated in horror, with the mindless discussions of what to wear with what, where to eat, blah blah blah. Uh! and 2) That NOONE listens to anyone anymore in our society, or in at least the snobby upper class money-makers...Bateman called for help many times, in my opinion, and nobody even registered the frightening things he said. and 3) It's so believable how someone who commits these kind of atrocities on others can mingle into society. Now that's scary!

An exploration in psychopathy, both the fantasies and the acts. It didn't actually let us into the feelings Bateman experienced after he committed these acts, it just seemed all very part of his weekly routine. My real wonder was - how did he clean all that up in time to entertain his next victims??!!

I don't really understand the chapters commenting on the musical achievements of Genesis, Whitney Houston and Hewy Lewis and the News (and remembering a journal entry here, I actually skipped the last one - that was in a very funny spot in the story!). Was it to confirm Bateman's normacy, or his obssessiveness? In all seriousness, I found these bit completely out of character, and felt that they were Easton Ellis' ramblings rather than Bateman's.

I have sent a second PM to Witchie, after Lennonchick78 dropped out. If I don't hear back I'll release it (although I don't know where!!) or pass it on to someone. 

Journal Entry 18 by Hawkette from Ballarat, Victoria Australia on Monday, March 08, 2004

I have offered this one up in the BCAUS and BCNZ Yahoo groups, to see if there is any more interest....

fushmush - Sydney
crystalclear - Wollongong
Charmedwitch23 - Sydney
Guinevere69 - St James, WA

Will be sending out later day (tomorrow in BookCrossing time!). 

Journal Entry 19 by fushmush from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, March 11, 2004

Received in the mail today. Thanks Hawkette for the speedy delivery! Just when I was catching up on all my bookrays. This is no 4 on the bookray pile. I'll try to get to it as soon as possible. 

Journal Entry 20 by fushmush from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Monday, June 07, 2004

Feeling terribly guilty about this one. This book never made it to the top of Mt TBR and I've had it for way too long already. Going to pass it to charmedwitch23 at meetup tonight.

Sorry Hawkette, I'm sure you're very disappointed in me *G*.

update (09/06/04): Charmedwitch23 wasn't at meetup. I'll have to mail it to her. PMing her for her address.
update (06/07/04): Mailed to Crystalclear. Sorry for keeping it for so long! 

Journal Entry 21 by crystalclear from Shellharbour, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, July 11, 2004

Received this book 9/7/04. Put on my list of books to be read, will read ASAP and then send on.

Sorry I held onto this book for so long. Finally got around to reading it but it is not my type of book.
Found it quite boring for most of the book. Rather grissly in places.
I skipped a great deal of the book as could not bear to read about what the wealth was buying and that they were all important. Felt too much of this book focused on that.
Because I skipped so much did not take me long to get through it and so wonder why I waited so long to read it.

Will be posting onto Charmedwitch23 on Wednesday 2nd Feb 05. 

Journal Entry 22 by charmedwitch23 from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Woah! I dont know where this book has been since crystalclear posted it - it only arrived thismorning. It should have taken a week tops, not 2 months!!! Strange things seem to be happening to my parcels, I dont know whats happening w/ Australia Post.
Anyway, I look forward to reading this, but fear it will take a while as I have 6 ahead of it.

Thanks.