The most disturbing work of fiction that you have ever read

[Oblomov]

All of us have read one or more books that really disturbed us deep down to the extent that we get upset even thinking about them. I have restricted this query to fiction because factual events disturb us in all sorts of complicated reasons that often do not share common grounds and are therefore difficult to quantify. Bearing that in mind, which particular book disturbed you most of all? It does not matter if you liked or loathed the underlying story.

For me, it has to be Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange, followed some distance behind by George Orwell's 1984.

[happyanddandy]

Misery - Stephen King - I finished it but my imagination nearly stopped me.

We Need to Talk About Kevin - Lionel Shriver - was also disturbing for me in that it looked at parenting and nature vs nurture in detail - it really made you think :mrgreen:

[JudyB]

For me, it has to be Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange, followed some distance behind by George Orwell's 1984.

I had to abandon A Clockwork Orange when I read it years and years ago aged 19 - I found the violence too upsetting (unbearable in fact). I haven't read 1984 mainly because I've always suspected that I would find it depressing and worrying.

[angerball]

The Demon by Hubert Selby Jnr. It describes the descent into insanity of a seemingly ordinary man, with a pretty brutal climax. It is a good read, but very uncomfortable, as you can sense that the end result ain't gonna be pretty. :lurker:

[Louiseog]

Mo Hayder The Treatment, much too scarey for me, I had nightmares.
Possibly because was too close to home, I have boys around that age if you know the story.

[Hazeltree]

I read a few of James Herbert's books a few years ago. I found them quite compelling to read, but I have no desire to read them again. I can only describe them as disturbing!

[Oblomov]

Just to clarify my query in case there is confusion: By " most disturbing" I did not necessarily mean "most terrifying". Books by Stephen King, James Herbert etc are scary when one reads them and perhaps thinking about them later when one is alone etc. But being rather removed from reality, such stories are not likley to leave a sustained chill in one's being as those where a measure of possibility exists.

[Nici76]

I don't think I have ever read a book which has disturbed me. I don't tend to go for those sort of books. (Hence that's probably why I wasn't able to finish Ugly by Constance Briscoe.)

[Kell]

Like Nici, I've not really found any books that disturbed me, but I think it's because I've almost become immune to it, rather than avoiding those books. Folks at work thought I was strange because I was laughing at American Psycho, but I thought the dark humour was hilarious! Other people thought it strange that the over-riding emotion I felt while reading We Need to Talk About Kevin was boredom - I could have done with MORE nastiness in that one, just to liven things up!

If all this makes me sound a bit like a psycho, I'd just like to reassure everyone that I'm actually a very nice and mostly stable person really!

[happyanddandy]

Just to clarify my query in case there is confusion: By " most disturbing" I did not necessarily mean "most terrifying". Books by Stephen King, James Herbert etc are scary when one reads them and perhaps thinking about them later when one is alone etc. But being rather removed from reality, such stories are not likley to leave a sustained chill in one's being as those where a measure of possibility exists.


I think we understood you the first time

[Kylie]

I also found A Clockwork Orange very disturbing, and yet it has become one of my favourite books.

There's also a novella of Stephen King's: The Apt Pupil (not a horror story). I couldn't wait to get to the end of that story. It just got more and more disturbing the longer it went on. It's one I won't forget in a hurry.

Speaking of King, from what I understand about the plot of Misery, which doesn't have any basis in the supernatural as some of his stories do, it sounds as though it's a story in which (to quote your good self, Oblomov) 'a measure of possibility exists', which I think is what would make it so disturbing. Personally I've never had a desire to read Misery. In fact, I just looked it up on wikipedia and the plot summary was more than disturbing enough for me - it sounds far worse than what I originally thought it would be!

[Fiona]

I don't think I have found any book disturbing yet. I have found some movies disturbing, but I think that is because I've been forced to face things I find disturbing in a more graphic manner. With books - you can always tone your imagination down!

The Green Mile disturbed me - the movie. I read that bit in the book though and it wasn't as bad as seeing it on screen. That really made me feel utterly horrible after watching that - but had I read it I probably wouldn't have been so effected.

[wrathofkublakhan]

King Rat by James Clavell

It's about a WWII prison camp. Yeah, it was disturbing - I dreamed about this book while reading it. A very good book that I'll never read again. My experience was that I got used to the environment while reading it, almost immune - and so was doubly disturbed when the camp is freed and shocked at the conditions they were living in. The personal dynamics are brilliant to which I almost felt I could apply "prison camp dynamics" to my "small college faculty dynamics" -- wotta book! Wotta disturbing book!

[Oblomov]

I confess that I have not read the book Misery, though I have seen the film. I did find it very disturbing, as I do with any film or book that is graphic about human depravity.

[Kylie]

I confess that I have not read the book Misery, though I have seen the film. I did find it very disturbing, as I do with any film or book that is graphic about human depravity.

Me too. And that's what was disturbing about Apt Pupil - it was about a boy who became acquainted with an old man who was responsible for the deaths/atrocities perpetrated on many people in the concentration camps of WWII.

[Oblomov]

Another book which I found extremely disturbing and in fact did not like is William Golding's Lord of the Flies. I know that it is hailed as a modern day classic, but somehow I feel that the author concentrated too much on exploiting the more primitive aspects of his prospective readers' minds. The plot in Lord of the Flies is more intentional than instinctive as in A Clockwork Orange or Nineteen Eighty-four

[Paul]

I was depressed for about a week after reading Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell -- morose and with tears frequently coming to my eyes. His vision of a post-apocalyptic world was much too plausible to ignore as simply fiction. Clockwork Orange, to my mind, was too unrealistic to bother me, and 1984 was clearly satirical. But the end of habitability on Earth in Cloud Atlas really struck home as a prediction.

[Freewheeling Andy]

Clockwork Orange is a good call. Also Marabou Stork Nightmares my Irving Welsh and Will Self's My Idea of Fun were pretty grim and upsetting.

[Sedge]

Like Fiona, the only thing I've ever read that genuinely shocked and disturbed me was the execution scene from The Green Mile. This was because it was so brilliantly written and unexpectedly gory. Nothing in the story up to that point really prepared me for such a vivid description.

[Hazeltree]

Books by Stephen King, James Herbert etc are scary when one reads them and perhaps thinking about them later when one is alone etc. But being rather removed from reality, such stories are not likley to leave a sustained chill in one's being as those where a measure of possibility exists.

The parts that I found disturbing in the James Herbert books WERE the parts that had a measure of possibility. I think it was the Ghosts of Sleath or possibly The Fog which had descriptions of child abuse in and there were other parts which were a little bit too possible for comfort!

[Oblomov]

I was depressed for about a week after reading Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell -- morose and with tears frequently coming to my eyes. His vision of a post-apocalyptic world was much too plausible to ignore as simply fiction. Clockwork Orange, to my mind, was too unrealistic to bother me, and 1984 was clearly satirical. But the end of habitability on Earth in Cloud Atlas really struck home as a prediction.

I confess that I had never heard of Cloud Atlas before, but looked it up after your post. Sounds interesting, as does Russell Horban's Riddley Walker that I found through the links. I'll get those two books someday.

[Freewheeling Andy]

Cloud Atlas is the best book of the 21st century so far. It's wonderful, and I didn't find it at all disturbing. Even the dystopian future section wasn't disturbing - but the book as a whole was just glorious.

My Idea Of Fun is really disturbing because it's a book about a man whose alter-ego is off committing American Psycho type crimes, but who is absolving himself from all the blame by blaming his alter-ego. And Marabou Stork Nightmares is the story of a man in a coma, going through how he got into the coma through football related violence, and is gruesomely unpleasant - the end scene is maybe the nastiest "redemption" I've ever read.

[Mia]

My list of books which disturbed me is short, as I get upset easily by violence etc so tend to avoid books that feature it if I can. As I read all of Stephen King's work, some titles of his upset me greatly, notably Apt Pupil and The Green Mile. The latter had me in floods of tears and I've never been able to bring myself to read it again, or watch the film. The other disturbing books I've read would be Lord of the Flies and 1984.

[jbeast]

I know this is an old thread but...
On the Beach - Nevil Shute
I thought it was really good but also very disturbing. And surprisingly easy to relate to. Would recommend reading it.
Maybe it had particular resonance cos i was brought up during the 80s and although the nuclear threat had diminished a bit it still felt like a possibility...
Anyone else read it?

[beef]

followed some distance behind by George Orwell's 1984.
I was going to answer nineteen eighty four but with the amount of surveillance etc I think "fiction" may not be quite the correct term for that book any more.

[Severnlad]

Beyond Belief - Emlyn Williams
The Story of Ian Brady and Myra Hindley

[ChrisJ]

Green Mile was a very moving story. But for disturbing fiction Richard Laymon has to have some of the most disturbing stories. Only read a couple of his and no wonder none of his books have turned into films. They would have to bring out a new rating for them 30+ or something.

[Ruth]

I'd probably have to say American Psycho. However, it is also one of my all time favourite books, so I have no idea what that says about me!:smile2:

[Icecream]

I was going to answer nineteen eighty four but with the amount of surveillance etc I think "fiction" may not be quite the correct term for that book any more.

I have heard 1984 referred to as Tony Blair's Britain.

[beef]

I have heard 1984 referred to as Tony Blair's Britain.
heh, yeah. 1984 is rapidly heading towards "instruction manual"

[poppy]

Lord of the Flies. We had to read it at school and watch the film. A lot of scary stuff you can disregard as pure fiction but Lord of the Flies had that undercurrent of reality.

[FishAndChips]

Lord of the Flies. We had to read it at school and watch the film. A lot of scary stuff you can disregard as pure fiction but Lord of the Flies had that undercurrent of reality.

Ooh that's true, it says a lot about human nature. I remember reading it as a teenager, and being right in the thick of adolescent society I thought at the time, 'yea, that's about right'

[Gyre]

'The Handmaid's Tale' by Margaret Atwood, I kept thinking about the women who could not have children or 'unwomen' as they are called were sent to the colonies to die a slow death, all I kept thinking was, 'I am going to end up in those colonies'

'The Dark' by James Herbert, the whole idea of it just scared me and the only chapter or prologue was pretty graphic, I am open minded to a point, so I found it a bit harsh.

'IT' by Stephen King, there is a reason why I am scared of clowns and that book confirmed it!

[tbain]

The Story of Ian Brady and Myra Hindley

I could well imagine that one being an extremely disturbing read. No particular book stands out for me apart from reading A Clockwork Orange years ago.

[Ceinwenn]

Without a doubt the scariest book I've ever read is The Broken Window, by Jeffery Deaver. Very scary because it is so possible in this information technology reliant world we live in. It's about a man killing people & getting information about them to get close to them to kill them by hacking into databases which are formed from "loyalty cards" - like Nectar or Tesco Club cards & from the information gathered by credit card companies, etc.

[Ruth]

Lord of the Flies. We had to read it at school and watch the film. A lot of scary stuff you can disregard as pure fiction but Lord of the Flies had that undercurrent of reality.

Fabulous book - and I agree, very disturbing.

[Ruth]

'The Handmaid's Tale' by Margaret Atwood, I kept thinking about the women who could not have children or 'unwomen' as they are called were sent to the colonies to die a slow death, all I kept thinking was, 'I am going to end up in those colonies'


'IT' by Stephen King, there is a reason why I am scared of clowns and that book confirmed it!

I'd end up in one of those colonies with you! I have The Handmaid's Tale on my pile to be read, and I have heard lots of good things about it.

We share a fear of clowns - I get freaked out by them. We're in good company though - Johnny Depp is scared of them too!

[Talisman]

The most disturbing book I ever read was called Aztec and I think by Gary Jennings ? I got about one quarter in and had to stop reading as it was just so sickening, especially the bit about what they did to a young girl who they found was not a virgin. It was just awful, and beyond description. Far too horrific to detail here, I feel ill even now just thinking about it.

[Simonsays]

American Psycho - Bret easton Ellis. One of the only books I've ever had to abandon reading!

ps - apart fromJordan's autobiography:lol:

[Smint]

ps - apart fromJordan's autobiography:lol:

I'm amazed you're actually admitting you STARTED it! :lol:

I found The Handmaid's Tale disturbing too, as well as Oryx and Crake and, in a completely different way, Perfume by Patrick Suskind

[pontalba]

I'd end up in one of those colonies with you! I have The Handmaid's Tale on my pile to be read, and I have heard lots of good things about it.

We share a fear of clowns - I get freaked out by them. We're in good company though - Johnny Depp is scared of them too!
I very recently reread The Handmaid's Tale and liked it a lot. I hated it 30 years ago, but I was in my 20's then and I couldn't get past certain parts. But I've a tougher hide now. :mrgreen:

LOL I would sooo be in one of those colonies, if they didn't hang me first!

[Gyre]

Ruth, pontalba, if we end up in those colonies, at least we will know each other, I take comfort in that:friends0:

[angelofboox]

The Handmaid's Tale was good, I'm not sure I found it particularly disturbing. We did it for our AS-Level coursework (dystopian societies, Handmaid's Tale and Nineteen Eighty-Four).

I can't really think of any books at the moment, although I know my mother was disturbed by A Child Called 'It' - the first Dave Pelzer book.

[million2b]

Well for me would be "The Revelation" by Bentley Little. A really creepy story which didn't exactly had the happily ever after ending. And worse still I couldn't put down that book at it was loaded with cliff hangers.

[Stephanie2008]

The Handmaid's Tale was good, I'm not sure I found it particularly disturbing. We did it for our AS-Level coursework (dystopian societies, Handmaid's Tale and Nineteen Eighty-Four).

I can't really think of any books at the moment, although I know my mother was disturbed by A Child Called 'It' - the first Dave Pelzer book.

I also did A Handmaid's Tale as part of my A Level course and loved the book. I thought it was much better than 1984 which I couldn't get into at all.

A Child Called It, and the subsequent books, are on my list for reading (just stole them off my grandparents).

[Alej]

Hmm, Most disturbing read must have been 'The Collector' By John Fowles. I remember feeling dirty by the end of the book, and the feeling of it wouldn't leave me for some days.
Another one that really stuck me was 'Disgrace' By J.M. Coatzee, both of these books left a cloud over my head. Still though, both of them are some of my favorites, as well as 1984.
A friend of mine just lent me The Collected Works of Marquis de Sade; not by request mind you. But i haven't had the nerve to begin reading any of it. I'm not sure how much moral depravity i want to submit myself to.

[FishAndChips]

Oh yes I found the Collector disturbing too. Very claustrophobic and left me feeling a little depressed.
I don't think I'd read the Marquis de Sade books either.

[molly]

For me I think the most disturbing books was Lord of the Flies by William Golding. It stayed on my mind for days after I read it.

[KW]

The Heart is Deceitful Above All Else by JT Leroy - but I couldn't put it down, regardless of how disturbing it was.