Most Outrageous!

[Redroc]

I've just about finished Geek Love, the story was engrossing but what got me was some of the bizarre and outrageous actions of the characters which, within the world of the book, were deemed to be acceptable.

Got me to thinking, what's the most outrageous transgressive book? Two other contenders for me are Crash and Rant : An Oral Biography of Buster Casey. I haven't read American Psycho yet but I guess it's up there.

Any other suggestions?

[Redroc]

I enjoyed Rant, although it's far from perfect I found Buster to be a great anti-hero. Extremely vile!

I have only read four Chuck books, it’s a lot better than Snuff & Pygmy but not as good as Fight Club. As mentioned in another thread, I think his earlier books (Survivors, Haunted, Invisible Monsters etc) are supposed to be his best. Because of this I'm reluctant to try Tell-All and Damned.

I'll read American Psycho next.

[Gabriel]

I have Geek Love ordered at my book store actually. Can't wait.

Have to agree with Redroc, Buster is a great anti-hero! As for American Psycho, it is terrifically warped. Everyone should enjoy!

For me the most outrageous transgressive book would be shared by Less Than Zero and Imperial Bedrooms by Bret Easton Ellis. WOW. Seriously, look no further.

By the end of Imperial Bedrooms you will be amazed at what the main character Clay has truly molded to become after Less Than Zero. Here I was, thinking he was relatable.

No sir.

[Redroc]

Gabriel wrote: "I have Geek Love ordered at my book store actually. Can't wait...."

Geek Love was excellent, it meandered in the middle and I wasn't completely happy with the end of Oly's recollections of the past. However I became completely immersed into the families world. Arturo is an extraordinarily complex character, it his bizarre and twisted relationship with his siblings that make the book. I am equally in love and repulsed by this book. Like a good film I will revisit in a year or two.

I'll make a start on the works of B.E.E next. Nice Christmas read!

[Gabriel]

Redroc wrote: "Gabriel wrote: "I have Geek Love ordered at my book store actually. Can't wait...."

Geek Love was excellent, it meandered in the middle and I wasn't completely happy with the end of Oly's recoll..."

Ha, I can always relate that good film to Gaspar Noe's "Irreversible". Thanks for putting up your reception of "Geek Love" and I hope you enjoy the books by B.E.E.

[Redroc]

I gather it's best to read B.E.E.s books chronologically?

I intend to do the same with Irvine Welsh as aren't some of the characters reoccurring?

[Gabriel]

Redroc, I would say yes to both. Funny because I'm actually in the stages of finishing "Reheated Cabbage" by Irvine Welsh right now.

Irvine Welsh is terrific!

[[deleted user]]

Marabou Stork Nightmares by Welsh was probably one of the more disturbing of his books that I read but I think it's probably not really that bad in the grand scheme of things :)

@Redroc - Quite a few characters recur, sometimes just briefly mentioned as a small reference, so it's probably best to read them chronologically. I read Porno but still haven't read Glue which was 1 book earlier, one character who is developed a lot in Glue is a fairly main character in Porno and there are quite a few references I apparently missed out on. Also some books are sequels, Porno is the sequel to Trainspotting and I think Crime is the sequel to Filth.

@Gabriel, not read Reheated Cabbage yet but 'xmas with the Begbies' sounded impressive lol :)

[Gabriel]

@Steve, wowsers I didn't realise one of the characters in Glue was in Porno. I read them so far apart in my life. I'm not too certain that "Christmas with the Begbies" is a part of Reheated Cabbage.

There is a short story about a family christmas dinner that is so Begbie esque however. Franco was not in the story so I'm going to say that it wasn't about the Begbies. You'll love it none the less.

I MUST READ MARABOU STORK NIGHTMARES! I must of picked up 6 novels at the store I frequent today but I totally forget to grab a copy of that book.

[[deleted user]]

I think Glue was about the childhoods of 4 guys, I only read a bit and got distracted lol, I will have to try it again, but I think one of those guys is Juice Terry who is also in Porno.

I will def pick up Reheated Cabbage at some point, anything Begbie-esque is great since he's my favourite character :)

[Gabriel]

Yeah mate, I love Begbie myself! I remember in Porno I think it was, he got upset and started a fight over Rod Stewart. I found that really hilarious!

[Redroc]

Loving American Psycho so far, although not sure I need to know so much about American 80's fashion.

I've just got Irvine Welsh Omnibus, The - Trainspotting - The Acid House - Marabou Stork Nightmares off readitswapit so will be able to make a start in reading Welsh in chronological order.

[Gabriel]

Hey Redroc, yes I agree with you about the fashion haha.

Excellent, tell me what you think of Welsh when you are ready.

[[deleted user]]

Just finished American Psycho, great book, I think it tops anything else I've read for disturbing content (The Apprentice will never be the same again).

If BEE books should generally be read chronologically, I was wondering if this applies to Lunar Park, I bought this in a 2nd hand book shop yonks ago but haven't read yet, is there something else I should read first?

[Redroc]

Just finished American Psycho as well. & I agree, a very good read. I loved the dark as molasses humour. I read a review somewhere that criticised that there was no explanation or self diagnoses by Bateman. I disagree, there was no need to know why he was what he was. By the end of the book I knew him well and like all great anti-heroes I was growing fond of him.

There are so many excellent quotable lines in the book, although it’s not the most thought provoking my favourite is:

“There’s no use in denying it: this has been a bad week. I’ve started drinking my own urine.”

Ha, excellent!

[Gertie]

Haha, nice! (Ew.)

[[deleted user]]

lol :) Yes there were quite a few funny moments - I especially liked the Donald Trump pizza bit and "mergers and acquisitions" :)

[Gabriel]

Redroc wrote: "Just finished American Psycho as well. & I agree, a very good read. I loved the dark as molasses humour. I read a review somewhere that criticised that there was no explanation or self diagnoses ..."

I always tell people about the urine quote! I'm glad you and Steve enjoyed American Psycho, sick in the extreme yet hilarious!

I haven't read Lunar Park so I can't actually say. BTW, I think Less Than Zero/Imperial Bedrooms ends up topping American Psycho in terms of being disturbing.

[Jonny]

Hi all, you might like this ( if you like violence, accidents rape, masturbation at work, Ukrainian mafia, being hunted by the police... Uniporns) http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B006H... check out the reviews. I have a free ebook to one of ya as the paper version isn't out toll march, i have an ebook version to send out and have no idea if it opens etc. It is very funny and dark!

[J.]

Late to the discussion, I know, but for me, it's Dennis Cooper. His books literalize the ways that male/male sexuality can sometimes fetishize body parts into cannibalism (and worse). Check out The Sluts and/or The Marbled Swarm--not his most well-known novels, but the most approachable if you haven't read Cooper before.

[Marc]

J. wrote: "Late to the discussion, I know, but for me, it's Dennis Cooper. His books literalize the ways that male/male sexuality can sometimes fetishize body parts into cannibalism (and worse). Check out The..."

I second J's vote for Dennis Cooper.

Hands down, without a close second, I don't think I've ever read anything as depraved as Samuel Delaney's Hogg (a young boy is sold into sexual slavery and travels around with this Hells Angel-like guy witnessing and suffering numerous acts of rape, violence, etc.).

Any of Heather Lewis's three books, but especially Notice (a young prostitute falls in with a particularly sadistic John). Reading her work feels like somebody kicked you in the gut.

These are pretty bleak without any of the humor/irony that makes some of the other titles more digestible.