Reading Challenge: The Ten Most Disturbing Books of All Time

[Stahlgewitter]

All "most" threads tend to be hit or miss, mostly because people have completely different ideas of what is disturbing. For example, Kilborn is utter garbage. Thin characters, boring plots, moronic gore, utter lack of tension. I'd recommend Crouch's "Pines" instead.

[Bill]

Point taken. I thought Afraid was great and although I do like Crouch Pines fell sadly short for me - even thought it had a chance to be epic...it didn't deliver. IMO.

[Tressa]

I wouldn't call Kilborn utter garbage. I have liked several of his stories and even though I'm sensitive to bad character development, I never had a problem with his books. Don't think the gore is moronic either. Pines is a good read but it wasn't better than Afraid.

[Char]

Origin was a decent read, I thought.

I thought Endurance: A Novel of Terror and Trapped were just ok. To me, these two were almost interchangeable.
I do have Afraid, but I haven't gotten to it yet.

[Tressa]

I absolutely looooved Origin. I thought it was a lot of fun and was about my favorite subject: the devil. Didn't like Endurance or Trapped much. But I think Afraid is far superior to the last two I mentioned.

[Char]

I liked the little popping noises from Origin. ; P
For some reason they have stuck with me.

So why did I wait so long to read Kilborn's best?
---> Dumbass

[Michael]

Tressa wrote: "I absolutely looooved Origin. I thought it was a lot of fun and was about my favorite subject: the devil. Didn't like Endurance or Trapped much. But I think Afraid is far superior to the last two I..."
I also thought Afraid was far and away better than the other two.

[Tressa]

Well, Charlene, maybe you didn't know it was his best? And that's just our opinion.

[Char]

Tis true, Tressa. It does seem to be the prevailing opinion, though.

[Rhea]

I'm in. This is going to take me a while though (months?, over a year?) though. I've read Blindness, The Road, and American Psycho. Requiem for a Dream is up next.

[Rhea]

I am going to like Requiem for a Dream. It's both stream of consciousness and written in dialect, and I'm a sucker for both of those things.

Is Blood Meridian as different from The Road and No Country for old Men as they are from each other? I liked The Road, but No Country for Old Men turned me off McCarthy. Blood Meridian was on my list of words to read for the GRE because of supposed large vocabulary, but I never got to it.

Edit- Requiem for a Dream was phenomenal, easily one of the best books I have ever read. On to Naked Lunch.

[Matt Poisso]

The only thing disturbing to me about The Road is the lack of quotation marks.

I love post apocalyptic fiction, but the book really didn't live up to the hype, in my eyes.

[Rhea]

Just finished Naked Lunch, which was beautiful in its own twisted way ("their faces blank with an insect's unseeing calm"). If I didn't already know I never, never want to do hard drugs, I do now. I don't even drink because not being in control of my own actions terrifies me.

I have also been informed you can do heroin with an eyedropper and a safety pin, knowledge I pray will never be useful. Five stars.

On to We Need to Talk About Kevin.

[Char]

Rhea, I thought Kevin was an awesome read. I hope you enjoy it!

[Neil]

If you like graphic novels, then Garth Ennis is about as twisted as you can get. Though not really scary. 'Just a Pilgrim' is pretty dark, though.

[Bill]

The girl next door for sure

[Joe]

Another Ketchum book 'Weed Species' is very twisted.

[Kimberly]

I'd have to vote for The Girl Next Door--nothing is worse that "real" life horror.

[Char]

Kimberly, have you read We Need to Talk About Kevin. It was very disturbing to me.

[Tressa]

Kevin is disturbing and a wonderful read. So glad I read it.

[J.W.]

I think I'm going to have to delve in to that one soon. It has been sitting on my shelf for some time now, and I always look at it when choosing my next book to read, consider it, and then ultimately pass it up for another book.

[Kimberly]

Charlene wrote: "Kimberly, have you read We Need to Talk About Kevin. It was very disturbing to me."

No, I haven't...I'll have to go look that one up!

[Char]

I felt like a wrung out dishrag when I finished Kevin. I also realized that I don't need to like any of the characters to enjoy a book and I sure did enjoy this one, though maybe enjoy isn't the right word.
:)

[Tim]

I'd second We Need to talk about Kevin. My wife and I still debate the central argument of that book.

The Girl Next Door is brilliant too. What's so disturbing is following the story from that kid's perspective. I wanted to scream at him to do something, anything, to help that girl.

[Mercedes]

The Girl Next Door just shocked me to no end. I've read it 2 times and watched the movie. I've got the true crime book too. very disturbing. I'm going to check out the others listed above, I'm always liking to be shocked.

[Cassie]

I'm a little surprised to not see any Palahniuk on this list. "Survivor" and his text of short stories entitled "Haunted" especially.

[Bill]

Mercedes wrote: "The Girl Next Door just shocked me to no end. I've read it 2 times and watched the movie. I've got the true crime book too. very disturbing. I'm going to check out the others listed above, I'm alwa..."

Disturbed me greatly to know there are people in the world like this!

[Tressa]

Cassie, I didn't read all of Haunted but that pool story affects me to this day. Ugh.

[Charlie]

Great list! I have read half of the books already; American psycho, Requiem, Kevin, The girl next door, Naked lunch.

I do enjoy disturbing books, well written ones anyway. Added the rest to my 'to read'. Thanks for sharing!

[[deleted user]]

Is it wrong of me that the most disturbing part of American Psycho was how obsessed the guy was with designer clothing? I felt like I was reading a fashion magazine...

[Tressa]

We've all laughed about Patrick's competitive streak when it comes to him comparing his and his friend's business cards. There is that classic scene from the movie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoIvd...

[Jamie]

Jon Recluse wrote: "The Painted Bird"

Wow, that was disturbing. Beautifully written but full of horror and isolation. Good choice!

[Kirk]

Raquel wrote: "I can't wait to get started on this list. I'm constantly seeking books that evoke a strong emotional response from me."

Hi Raquel,

Not sure I should even suggest this because it's that hard-hitting and venal, but since it's free you might as well know about it: Lustmord: Anatomy of a Serial Butcher Vol. 1 (of 6). Right here on Goodreads. Download it and tell me what you think. Best, Kirk

Jamie wrote: "Jon Recluse wrote: "The Painted Bird"

Wow, that was disturbing. Beautifully written but full of horror and isolation. Good choice!"

[Cindy]

Traci L. wrote: "Is it wrong of me that the most disturbing part of American Psycho was how obsessed the guy was with designer clothing? I felt like I was reading a fashion magazine..."

I thought that is obsessive love affair with Huey Lewis and the News was the creepiest thing ever!! lol

[[deleted user]]

The Backwoods should qualify.

[Lit Bug (Foram)]

Wuthering Heights is gothic, rather than horror, but immensely disturbing.

[[deleted user]]

Death Maskis very intense and disturbing horror.

[Amy]

THE TEN MOST DISTURBING BOOKS OF ALL TIME

10. Blindness
09. Requiem for a Dream
08. Naked Lunch
07. We Need to Talk About Kevin
06. The Road
05. American Psycho
04. Johnny Got His Gun
03. The 120 Days of Sodom
02. The Turner Diaries
01. The Girl Next Door

I can't believe I've only read one. One! I need to lay off the romance novels.

[[deleted user]]

[Tressa]

Amy, you should really read We Need to Talk About Kevin. It's great. I can't believe you haven't already read American Psycho.

[Kimberly]

Tressa wrote: "Amy, you should really read We Need to Talk About Kevin. It's great. I can't believe you haven't already read American Psycho."

Another two that I need to banish myself into the "box of shame" until I've read them... sigh!

[Tressa]

We're only human, Kimberly!

[Char]

I haven't read American Psycho either.

I have read Kevin though. I thought it was a top notch read, both literary and scary (though not in the usual way.)
Kimberly, I look forward to discussing Kevin with you when you're done. I felt wrung out when I finished that book. :)

[Tressa]

American Psycho is a fast read because it's so damn gory.

[[deleted user]]

American Psycho is brilliant, extremely gory and twisted. Patrick Bateman is one sick f**k.

Loved the movie We Need To Talk About Kevin (although Tilda Swinton looked like she was decaying).

[Amy]

I can't believe I haven't read American Psycho, either, as I do have a copy, and I love Bret Easton Ellis. I've seen the movie, though, We Need to Talk About Kevin, too, very disturbing. And, I have actually read most of The Road, but returned it to the library before I finished and then watched the film, which was also good. Does that count?

[[deleted user]]

The Road is one of my favorite books. And actually has one of my all time favorite endings. I haven't seen the movie though. So I don't know how close it is. :)

[Cindy]

C.J. wrote: "I recently read by Ryan C. Thomas, and I can honestly say the book scared me silly. Gory and disturbing, I still couldn't put it down until I'd read it all."

Sounds great!! Had to put it on my list!! thanks.

[Tressa]

I'd say that counts, Amy.

[Ron]

Since one of his books is on the list, I thought I would point out that today, June 2nd, is the anniversary of the birth of Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade in 1740. My favorite quotation of his comes from a letter to his wife from the Bastille which in my (incredibly) imperfect French I translate thusly:

"The reasoning man who rejects the superstitions of simpletons necessarily becomes the enemy of simpletons; he must expect as much and be prepared to laugh at the consequences."