Guest Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I'm gonna have to look up some of the books mentioned in this thread. I've never found any book disturbing! (Unless disturbingly badly written like Pig Island counts.) I've started reading 'Haunted' by Chuck Palahniuk to see what all the fuss is about. I'm only about 100 pages into it but nothing so far to disturb me, in fact i'm a little bored with it. Some books i've read i found scary and some are graphically violent but i would'nt say they had disturbing effect on me. I will get round to trying a few more listed on this thread just out of curiosity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I'm halfway through the Exorcist. It's not disturbing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I've started reading 'Haunted' by Chuck Palahniuk to see what all the fuss is about. I'm only about 100 pages into it but nothing so far to disturb me, in fact i'm a little bored with it. Some books i've read i found scary and some are graphically violent but i would'nt say they had disturbing effect on me. I will get round to trying a few more listed on this thread just out of curiosity. Haunted is probably my favourite book. One of the short stories called Speaking Bitterness by Comrade Snarky (page 258) is really disturbing. It's turning my stomach now just thinking of it......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I've also just remembered Irvine Welsh's Glue. I got about 1 third of the way through before putting it down for good. It was the scene with the guard dogs for anyone who knows it. Horrible stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 (edited) This is an interesting thread, and I think that 'disturbing' has different meanings for different people. Those of you hoping to find something disturbing.. do you know what you're actually looking for? Something graphic, frightening, or just something that will make you think, or stay with you? When it comes to being scared, The Amityville Horror and The Shining both did that for me when I was a teenager, but nothing has really done so since. I wasn't scared when reading The Shining recently, and the film of The Amityville Horror was so appalling, it's put me off forever! (Added: Pet Sematary didn't particularly scare me when I read it, but the film left me feeling seriously disturbed!) I did recently read E11even Terrible Months by R.L. Royle, after she kindly sent it to me to review - it wasn't scary in the traditional sense, but it did leave me feeling a little edgy. Looking at disturbing in another sense, I used to read quite a few books by Richard Laymon. I picked one up a couple of years ago, and found myself quite disturbed by the amount of unnecessary gore and sex - there was just something about it that made me wonder what sort of guy could write like that.. and also disturbed me a little that I used to enjoy reading them!! Edited March 24, 2009 by Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 I'm honestly a bit scared to try the disturbing reads.. I'm not sure how I'd react to it, and worry I may have really bad nightmares or something. I DO love disturbing movies, but I also find that when comparing books to movies, what I imagine during the book is ALWAYS more vivid than the images I see on the screen. So that makes me worry a bit when it comes to "disturbing" books.. What if I imagine something that freaks me out so completely I never recover?? (OMG.. I am officially nuts...) I couldn't finish Stephen King's "Dolores Clairborne" - about a mother's renvenge when she finally discovers her daughter has been abused by the father. Okay Giulia, THIS sounds really, really disturbing. Like cannot sleep at night, cannot close my eyes disturbing. If I ever get brave enough for a disturbing read, I may choose this one. OR those "The Ring" books.. I loved those movies, but bet the books would be a good pick if I absolutely wanted to strive to be disturbed. Maybe I'll get the courage one day... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 What if I imagine something that freaks me out so completely I never recover?? (OMG.. I am officially nuts...) I'm a little like that too, although more so with movies (I generally avoid scary movies like the plague because I'm afraid of having my nerves irreparably damaged ). The most disturbing story I've read was a novella by Stephen King called The Apt Pupil. I was really bothered by it at the time but now enough time has passed that I don't get so disturbed when I think about it (I guess that's a blessing of having a bad memory). Maybe the same would happen for you? (Don't blame me if it doesn't! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 I have to say that I do think this type of genre could be worth a try for me, especially seeing as how I love disturbing movies. I just have to first work up the nerve. I think maybe pairing it with a light, fluffy chick-lit read could help, since I could swap to that before trying to fall asleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 I was also going to suggest reading something light and fluffy as well, but then I worried that the 'happy' book would be forever tainted in your mind! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 haha! Nope, I think it's a great idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceinwenn Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 I couldn't finish Stephen King's "Dolores Clairborne" - about a mother's renvenge when she finally discovers her daughter has been abused by the father. It's funny because I thought Delores Clairborne was brilliant - not disturbing in the least. Disturbing, for me, are books like the one I read a few years back about a woman who's second husband abused her very young daughter - making her march around their mobile home's living room repeating the alphabet over & over & every time she made a mistake he would beat her. Eventually he killed her, starved her to death, then put her body in a sail bag, filled it with bricks & threw her overboard in the middle of a lake. That is disturbing! (Added: Pet Sematary didn't particularly scare me when I read it, but the film left me feeling seriously disturbed!) Michelle, you did make me smile with that comment! I read that story ages & ages ago & remember being so excited when I heard that there was going to be a movie made of it. I vividly remember dragging my best friend to the local theatre to see it when it finally came out, only to be so disappointed! I spent the whole movie laughing at what were supposed to be the scary bits &, to me at least, it was more a commedy than a horror flick! For me it was a definate case of the book being scarier than the movie, lol My friend, on the other hand, was so disturbed by it that she had nightmares for weeks! I have to say that I do think this type of genre could be worth a try for me, especially seeing as how I love disturbing movies. I just have to first work up the nerve. I think maybe pairing it with a light, fluffy chick-lit read could help, since I could swap to that before trying to fall asleep. I think that's a really good idea, Beth. I haven't read anything that could fall into the horror disturbing category in a long time, but I used to love reading this type of book. My sister though, hates them but secretly enjoys reading the odd one & that's exactly what she does. Reads some of her horror novel, then about an hour before she goes to sleep she reads some chick-lit & that's how she copes with the horror books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephanie2008 Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Dolores Clairborne has been on my TBR for a long time. I just haven't got around to reading it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosegarden Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 The book that still haunts me now even though I read it many, many years ago is Sophies Choice. What an awful choice she faced ~ it's no wonder she went a little crazy years later, I think I would too. Carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookJumper Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 It's funny because I thought Delores Clairborne was brilliant - not disturbing in the least. Oh, I thought the half I read was brilliant also, that was the whole problem - i.e. if the whole business hadn't been so well described I might have been able to finish the book, instead I wasn't because it felt too painfully read. I've got the same problem with Shakespeare's Othello, for example: I find his depiction of the way obsessive love can be steered through insecurity into domestic abuse so spot on that I find it physically difficult to read/watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paperplane Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 This has probably already been mentioned but American Psycho. Your average gore I can stand but when the character went on to describe how he... disemboweled a helpless dog that's when I stopped. I don't think I'll be picking it up again anytime soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilde Lily Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Fight Club by by Chuck Palahniuk - unsettling The Collector by John Fowles - dark and frightening Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
famar Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Hi, I found 'Ghosts' boring to the extent that it became disturbing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rawr Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Fight Club by by Chuck Palahniuk - unsettling In what ways did you find Fight Club unsettling? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fionen Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Your average gore I can stand but when the character went on to describe how he... disemboweled a helpless dog That is really disturbing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcolferas Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 the holy trinity of distopias 1984, brave new world and farenheit 451 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlette Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 I think one of the most disturbing book I've read in recent years is most definitely Falling by Olivia Liberty. I will only say that it is the story of a man mourning a lost love affair... Or that's what you think it's about until you reach the very last page... If you've ever been left by someone you loved and considered going stalker on them in order to win them back, you could probably relate to the main character in this novel. Oh, but it's not really a novel about stalking, either... Also, Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum will make your skin crawl simply because it describes some of the most terrible things people can do to eachother and themselves during times of war. Survival of the fittest, I suppose... I recommend both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 I find the author Glen Duncan regularly disturbing. His novel 'Weathercock' is a masterpiece. I got to a point around half way through where I thought "Crivvens! I can't read any more of this! It's wrong!!!'. At that very point, it all turns round and becomes very much more bearable. This is a great author who really knows his readership. 'I, Lucifer' and 'Death of an Ordinary Man' are also good ones of his. Chuck Palahnuik is a guy I can't read more than one novel of in succession. He's tremendously nihilistic and very dark to boot! I really enjoyed 'Survivor' of his. I don't need to mention 'Fight Club', do I? Ooops...already did... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 I think one of the most disturbing book I've read in recent years is most definitely Falling by Olivia Liberty. I will only say that it is the story of a man mourning a lost love affair... Or that's what you think it's about until you reach the very last page... If you've ever been left by someone you loved and considered going stalker on them in order to win them back, you could probably relate to the main character in this novel. Oh, but it's not really a novel about stalking, either... That sounds pretty cool! It's just been added to my reading list Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Me too actually haha!! It sounds great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williamsonyy Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 The Guilt. maybe because I've just finished it. You can get a free copy online, but I can't post URLs yet. In days to come. It's not much of a fiction, but the one detail... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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