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American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis, is twenty years old this year, so a lot of reviews have been written about it and I don't really think I need to go into detail.

( Instead I'm going to list the series of reactions I had... )

Final Verdict: American Psycho is crammed full of racism, misogyny, and graphic torture (no, seriously graphic, it troubled me and I was untroubled by The Silence Of The Lambs). If that is something that's going to trigger or trouble you, definitely you should avoid it. That said, those things are present as a reflection of the culture, and I think the book is a really compelling read for that reason -- the more distaste you feel, the more you're reminded that the book and its hero are a product of America's recent past.

There will probably be more Bret Easton Ellis in my future. I may have struck up a conversation about the book with Coworker Crush, who really liked it, and who has offered to loan me some other books from her collection...

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I have been restricting my ADVENTURs lately because of the heat, but today's is unavoidable: I'm going to the dentist.

I actually don't mind visiting the dentist, but I have come to the realisation that this is because a) I had a really great dentist as a kid and b) I've always used dentists that give you gas during root canals and the like. Apparently this isn't as common as I thought; practically nobody in Chicago uses gas, which is ridiculous, because it keeps your patient calm and also they don't scream in pain when you jam a needle into their jaw.

But this is just a routine checkup, so no gas for me today. Instead I get to have my bi-annual argument with my dentist, the result of my resolution not just to avoid flossing but to embrace not-flossing unapologetically. The argument goes like this:

Dentist: You should floss.
Sam: I refuse to floss. It hurts and makes my gums bleed.
Dentist: Your gums will toughen up!
Sam: No, I tried that. They didn't.
Dentist: Wow, you have...really sensitive gums.
Sam: Yes, I'm aware.
Dentist: Your teeth look okay but your gums are really bleeding a lot, wow. Maybe you shouldn't floss.
Sam: As an adult, I have made this decision.

In preparation for an uncomfortable evening, I have downloaded more trashy, suspect, or obscure documentaries. They make me happy.