Australian Police Raid Bookstore, Clear Shelves of ‘American Psycho’ Novels
Whoever said books couldn't cause a police force to come in and raid your business has obviously not been to Australia. The controversial novel "American Psycho" by Bret Easton Ellis made waves this week when a bookstore in the country featured the books on its shelves without the required plastic wrapping.
In Australia, there is a classification law that prohibits the sale of certain books to minors and also forces certain books to be concealed in a plastic wrapper that cannot be seen to the customer. According to The Guardian, these laws are similar to the censorship in the U.S. that prohibits certain language to be used on broadcast (over the air) television and radio stations.
These censorship laws have long seen many opponents try to challenge them over the years, not just in Australia, but in many countries with similar laws.
"American Psycho" is a story about a deranged serial killer in New York City who preys on various men and women in a sadistic manner. His methods include rape, torture, cannibalism and the final act of murder. His psychopathy is that of a man who resembles a sociopath. But his lifestyle is a lavish one, working on Wall Street and living in excesses one can only dream of.
It was met with critical negativity, not so much based on content but rather on Ellis's poor writing structure, although there were also several critics that listed it as a poor read due to its disturbing content.
It was later transcribed as a film starring Christian Bale and Reese Witherspoon.
Although previous editions of the book had always been wrapped, this edition featured an introduction by Irvine Welsh, according to Jason Lake, who is co-owner of the bookstore.
"I had a phone call from a lady on Tuesday who was quite aggressive and questioned why we were selling this classified product out of its wrapper. My defense was it came to us like this. There's no way I would have removed the wrapping," Lake told ABC News in Australia.
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