So, something just keeps bothering me about this book. I've seen the movie (many times, in fact) and noticed that Patrick just seems to spout off reviews and/or statements that could only come from magazines or guide books. Nothing he says seems genuine. That helps to express the fact that he doesn't not feel normal things like a human being but is instead just memorizing facts because he "want[s] to fit in." In the book, EVERYONE is like that. People go on about restaurant food, music, electronics, even vacations to the Bahamas as if they were literally just reading off of a brochure. No one had opinions of their own. Ever. About anything. And everyone is obsessed about returning video tapes!
I've also noticed that every time he explicitly goes into detail about killing someone, there was always a confrontation right before. He seems to always describe killing the things that he fears: poverty, homosexuals, women... He fears looking poor, so he kills the homeless to prove he's above them. He fears the thought of homosexuality so he kills "faggots" to prove his masculinity. He fears women (though he shows it as contempt) so he kills women, usually prostitutes because they represent both femininity AND poverty.
It's as if he's trying to prove his human-ness. But he tends to overcompensate. Being well-versed in all things: music, politics, fashion, trends, electronics, art, etc., puts too much emphasis on "things" instead of people and relationships. It also causes him to avoid the feelings about his own mind which when they slip through, cause him physical pain so he further hides them with his delusions of murder, drugs, and the worry over material things. He wants to be exactly like everyone else, but also wants to stand out and the conflicting emotions wear on his psyche.
However, EVERYONE in the book is like this (though maybe not with the murder and dismemberment). People are second to items and money so much so that no one can remember anyone's name. Restaurant reservations are more important than the food or the company you keep.
And what was with the change of POV in one of the last chapters. He's in the middle of a firefight with the police and it suddenly goes from first person to third, and then just goes back in the next chapter like nothing happened... WTF?
I like that it ends with the words "THIS IS NOT AN EXIT." It kind of makes you think that it's not the end of Patrick's story. Don't get me wrong, I'm still confused as hell, but all in all (once you get past the mindless droning about clothes and electronics and music and food and exercises, etc.) it was a very compelling story.
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